Free Republic

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Sept. 1 (AP) - Theresa LePore, the official whose confusing butterfly ballot design contributed to the turmoil of the 2000 presidential election and became the butt of jokes on late-night talk shows, lost her bid for re-election Tuesday. With all 692 precincts reporting, a challenger for her post as Palm Beach County elections supervisor, Arthur Anderson, had 91,134 votes, or 52 percent, while Ms. LePore had 85,601, or 48 percent. Ms. LePore declined to meet with reporters early Wednesday, but as the polls closed Tuesday she said she was too busy overseeing the counting of ballots...

Iraq: Bush's Chechnya By Palm Beach Post EditorialHASH(0x5e081c)Thursday, September 02, 2004The bombings of two Russian jets, apparently by Chechen terrorists, and Wednesday's hostage-taking hold warnings for AmericansOne is to be skeptical of the claim that terrorists attack simply because they "hate freedom." Today's Russia is hardly a version of American democracy. Chechen rebels consider their republic to be oppressed and occupied by Russia. Separatists in the region trying to break from the Russian federation are similar to Iraqi insurgents in ways Washington needs to think about. Americans already are too familiar with one aspect — tactics of radical Islamists....

I was listening to U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler speak to a group of Florida Democrats recently. "My friends," he said, his voice already hoarse from shouting, even though it was still breakfast time, "we were the epicenter of the greatest crime in political history!" We were? I'm not sure what the threshold is to be in contention for the greatest crime in political history. But I imagine it must, at least, involve murder, and, without fail, exclude voter error as a major culprit in the crime.

Texans are undefeated on opening day. Don't mess with Texans.

<p>WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Theresa LePore, the architect of the butterfly ballot and a bane of Florida Democrats, announced that she will seek another term as elections supervisor for Palm Beach County in 2004.</p> <p>The butterfly ballot, which flummoxed voters in Election 2000 so badly that it took the Supreme Court to sort it out, left Miss LePore disparaged nationally by her fellow Democrats.</p>

A group of blind voters sued Palm Beach elections supervisor Theresa LePore on Monday, claiming she didn't provide equipment that would have let them vote by secret ballot. The lawsuit asks that LePore make available audio equipment that will let voters who are blind and visually impaired vote without assistance. It also calls for LePore to train poll workers on how to use the new technology. The federal court lawsuit seeks to be declared a class action but doesn't seek monetary damages. The plaintiffs said LePore had brought the machines to the Center for Independent Living Options for demonstrations before...