The Last Resort Of A Scoundrel By Joseph Farah © 2000 WorldNetDaily.com 12-10-00 The U.S. Supreme Court's issuance of a stay on further Florida recounts yesterday leaves Vice President Al Gore with only one card to play - at least as far as I can see.

Al Gore has lost again. Time has run out on his legal wrangling. Unless he does what has become, for him, the unthinkable - bow out gracefully, accept the will of the people, concede defeat in the presidential election and congratulate his opponent on his victory - there is only one more tactical barricade separating George W. Bush from the White House. Gore is going to turn loose on all of the members of the Electoral College Democratic Party activist-pitbull Bob Beckel.

If you go back a few years, you might remember Beckel as manager of Walter Mondale's losing presidential campaign. Evidently, Beckel doesn't want to lose any more presidential races, because he told the Fox News Channel's Neil Cavuto that he is actively engaged in a campaign to convince Electoral College representatives pledged to vote for Bush to change their vote to Gore.

Beckel said that his operatives had already talked to "over a hundred" friends in the various Bush-majority states. That was several weeks ago. Beckel stated his simple goal was to persuade just two electors -- enough to swing a 271-vote majority for Gore -- to switch their votes.

What is Beckel's motivation? Ironically, he accuses Bush of attempting to "steal" the election, and pledged to continue his campaign to sway electors to vote for Gore right up until Dec. 18. Don't you love that? Bush is trying to "steal" the election by accepting the will of the voters. Beckel is trying to prevent him from stealing the election by persuading electors sworn to Bush to change their votes.

I don't doubt for a moment that such switches are possible - especially if Beckel has at his disposal the carrots of the Gore campaign and the sticks of the Clinton administration. What do I mean?

Well, we lived through an impeachment trial last year in which the skeleton-filled closets of certain members of the House of Representatives were revealed to the nation. The U.S. Senate got the message and voted not to convict Bill Clinton.

The Clinton administration has showed over and over again it will use dirt collected on people to coerce them to submit to their will. Is there any doubt in your mind that Beckel is looking through dossiers right now and making threatening phone calls to electors?

Those are the sticks, but what about the carrots? Well, do you think there might be two electors pledged to Bush that might consider switching their votes for, say, $100,000 dollars? Or how about a high-paying political appointment in Washington? Or, do you think the Clinton-Gore team is above bribery?

If Gore wins, after all, who is going to prosecute the crime? Gore will stack the Justice Department with political warriors like Janet Reno. Under Gore, like Clinton, the justice in America will be for "just us Democrats."

Folks, I have news for you. This is where the final battle will be waged. I have a feeling the Bush camp will be blindsided by it. They won't know what hit them until it's all over. There won't be any appeal of this bad decision. The clock will have run out. Al Gore has already demonstrated he will capture the presidency at any cost. The ends justify the means to him. He will win by any means necessary.

Unless I'm missing something, this is Gore's last stand. It's the last resort of a scoundrel - and Al Gore, believe me, is every bit the scoundrel. _____ Joseph Farah is editor and chief executive officer of WorldNetDaily.com and writes a daily column.

-- Anonymous, December 11, 2000

Answers

Joe Farah--WorldNetDaily?...BhahahahWHOOOheheehahaha, what a moron.

-- Anonymous, December 11, 2000

I take that back,,,

Joe is a genuis, it is the ones who actually read and support him who need the BahahahWHOOOheheehahaha.

-- Anonymous, December 11, 2000

the Bush camp will be blindsided by it.

Good! Considering all the efforts made by the Bush camp to stop a FULL count of votes, they deserve a taste of their own medicine and to eat some shit.

-- Anonymous, December 11, 2000

Why don't they just send Bush and Gore to boot camp and make Ralph Nader president? A simple solution to a simple problem.

-- Anonymous, December 11, 2000

<Shrug> Bush will win. He'll hold a questionable mandate over a bitterly divided Congress. He'll find that the skills which allowed him to run a failing oil company and a state where the legislature meets for 150 days every two years don't really translate well to a Senate close to fistfights. I'll sell Popcorn. Meanwhile the Democrats will have to ask themselves how they let a President who was slightly to the right of George Bush Sr., seduce them for 8 years. I don't see much benefit between choosing between two varieties of Republican any more.

-- Anonymous, December 11, 2000

I have no use for World Net Daily. However, this is a scenario much like one I've been suggesting for a few days, now.

How much money would it take to buy two electors? How about a million bucks apiece? Wouldn't this be chump change compared to the legal fees already encured by Bore and Gush?

Blackmail, extortion, bribery, whatever works, right? Freedom of expression...

An octogenarian here in Orygun says her phone is ringing off the hook with requests that she change her committed vote to Bush. Makes me think that Bush, at least, must already be suspecting the same type of hanky panky from Gore.

JOJ

-- Anonymous, December 11, 2000

JOJ-

Oregon is a Gore state. Why would anyone bother calling a Republican Elector in a state whose votes are committed for Gore?

-- Anonymous, December 11, 2000

JOJ-

Ignore me. I haven't had enough coffee apparently. DUH!

-- Anonymous, December 11, 2000

Never underestimate the power of caffeine ;-)

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000