"The last 19 days have been extraordinary ones. As our nation watched, we were all reminded on a daily basis of the importance of each and every vote. ...The election was close, but tonight, after a count, a recount and yet another manual recount, Secretary Cheney and I are honored and humbled to have won the state of Florida, which gives us the needed electoral votes to win the election.
We will therefore undertake the responsibility of preparing to serve as America's next president and vice president." — Texas Gov. George W. Bush
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"What is at issue here is nothing less than every American's simple, sacred right to vote. How can we teach our children that every vote counts if we are not willing to make a good-faith effort to count every vote?
... Because of our belief in the importance of these fundamental American principles, Vice President Gore and I have no choice but to contest these actions, as provided under Florida law and in accord with the decision of the Florida Supreme Court. It is in our nation's interest that the winner in Florida is truly the person got the most votes." — Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn.
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"Governor Bush is our next president. It is time for the vice president to concede, to let us get on with transition and the business of running our country."
— Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo.
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"I think what we have to keep in mind is what the perspective is here. You know, and we all know, that the vice president has won the popular ballot nationwide by 200,000, 300,000 votes. We know that. We also know that he's now leading in the electoral vote. I actually think he won; I truly believe he won Florida. But whether or not I'm right or wrong, whether or not the governor is right or wrong, will ultimately be determined by whether or not we can get the fairest and the best judgment about all of these disputed ballots. That's what's going on right now, and that takes a little time." — Senate Minority Leader Thomas Daschle, D-S.D.
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"Enough is enough. The American people understand that the person who carries Florida will be our next president. We've now had a count, a recount, a recount of the recount. Governor Bush has won all three. I think it's time for him to be recognized by the Gore team as our president-elect." — Gov. George Pataki, R-N.Y., who has been observing the recount process in Florida for the Bush campaign
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"Tonight we saw the right to vote extinguished to some extent." — Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas
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"I don't believe that the people of America want this national election turned over to lawyers and court contests. ...It is time to let the orderly process of transitioning go forward.
No one underestimates the challenge of uniting the country to face the issues that await the next president and the next Congress. For the healing and uniting and governing to begin, this election must be brought to a conclusion." — former Secretary of State James Baker, who has been in charge of observing the recount for the Bush campaign in Florida
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"There's one thing that I am sure of and that is both sides have enough legal talent to keep this tied up through Christmas. But one thing the lawyers can't do for us and one thing the courts can't do for us: They can't bring this country together again.
And while we have a winner tonight and we have a loser tonight, it's going to take both of these gentlemen to bring this country together again, and I hope we can get on with that work soon." — Bob Crawford, Florida Election Canvassing Commission member, a Democrat
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"Now that the duly elected secretary of state for the state of Florida has certified the vote of the state of Florida for Gov. Bush, it is time to bring an end to this campaign. While Vice President Al Gore may have other legal options to pursue, for the good of the country I call upon the vice president to end his campaign and concede this election with the honor and dignity the American people expect. ...It's time to end this campaign and move on to unite this country." — Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss.
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"It's ironic that 124 years ago, Florida played exactly the same role that it is doing today. It was the determinative state in the election of Rutherford B. Hayes. That election was decided by overtly, transparently political deals. Rutherford B. Hayes entered the White House with no legitimacy, and therefore suffered one of the most ineffective presidencies in the history of our republic.
We could have afforded a failed presidency in 1877. We cannot — we, the people of the United States, and of the world, cannot afford a failed presidency in the year 2001." — Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla.
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"... In this country are numerous instances where we've had challenges with elections. In the past, it used to be much, much more difficult than it is now. We've never had in this country a perfect election. What we have in this country are fair elections, where we all set about to observe the requirements of the law." — Gov. Marc Racicot, R-Mont.
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"The American people's fundamental sense of fairness is that they don't want to have an election that they feel like has been rigged or has not fully been counted. ... We shouldn't have a rush to judgment. Rather, we should be on a path toward justice, so that when all of this is over, and it looks like that ultimately it's going to be decided by the United States Supreme Court, that the American people will feel like that all of the votes, as nearly practical as possible, have been fairly counted." — Senator-elect Bill Nelson, D-Fla.