Obama, Romney line up elite lawyers for potential election disputes

reuters ^ | Oct 27 2012 | By Samuel P. Jacobs

[dennisw]

* Presidential campaigns prepare for recounts, challenges

* Top D.C. lawyers Ginsberg, Bauer to lead efforts

* Both sides draw lessons from contested election in 2000

As President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney scramble to come out ahead in the Nov. 6 election, two other men are preparing for a legal showdown that could begin the next day.

They are the lawyers who have been tapped by the Obama and Romney teams to navigate any legal challenges to voting procedures or results in a tight contest that could dredge up memories of the disputed 2000 election that was settled by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Leading Romney's team is Benjamin Ginsberg, chief legal counsel for George W. Bush's presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2004.

Obama has turned to Robert Bauer, a past White House counsel who has spoken out against Republican-led efforts to alter voting laws in states including Ohio, a politically divided state that could determine who wins the Nov. 6 election.

Already, Ginsberg and Bauer have been quiet players in the 2012 campaign.

This fall, the duo negotiated the terms of the three presidential debates and the one between Vice President Joe Biden and Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan. The agreement dealt with the details of the debates, such as the format of each event.

Before the Republican convention in Tampa, Florida, in late August, Ginsberg led the Romney campaign's efforts to wrest greater control over the party's rules, angering some Republican activists who saw the move as a power grab by Romney's team.

[dennisw]

The Dems have lots of lawyers ready to roll in every swing state ....Ohio especially. The Republicans are more of a pick up team on this but alert to the problem.

[FrankR]

[Darren McCarty]

I’ll be ready to kick ass and chew bubble gum a week from Tuesday. I’m signed up with lawyers for Romney in case of any trouble here near the peoples republic of Ann Arbor.

[mrsmel]

I really wouldn’t be surprised if lawyers for Hussein tried to argue that all else being equal, Hussein should get the edge based on affirmative action.

[13Sisters76]

If we thought that Gore’s attempts to steal the election in 2000 were extreme and outrageous, we ain’t seen NUTHIN’ yet!

[Gay State Conservative]

Osama Obama isn't even close to equaling algore’s respect for this nation or the wishes of its people and,as a result,if there's even 1 chance in 10,000 that an army of Osama Obama lawyers can steal this thing from Romney he'll do it in a heartbeat.And he'll do it in such a way and to such a degree as to make algore look like a choir boy by comparison.

[Ancesthntr]

This is why those FReepers who are considering staying home or voting third party need to suck it up and vote for Romney. I understand (and even agree with) a lot of their reservationa about him, but the election needs to be won deceisively enough to avoid a steroid-enhanced repeat of 2000. How can a true patriot sit by and allow for this? Honestly, get your priorities straight - first get rid of Obama, THEN fix the Republican Party. I’m no Romneybot, I voted for Newt, but I’m a patriot before a partisan for any candidate. Right now only Romney can defeat this guy, like it or not.