Representative Mark Foley and Senator John Breaux on the latest on the presidential recount

(CNN) – On Wednesday, November 15, Vice President Gore proposed adding a statewide hand count of ballots in Florida and accepting that count without any further litigation. Governor George W. Bush rejected his proposal.

Democratic Senator John Breaux of Louisiana is a member of the Finance Committee, Special Committee on Aging and the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Breaux is also the head of the Centrist Coalition of Senate Democrats and Republicans. Senator Breaux has served as chief deputy whip and chair of the Democratic Leadership Council, which he helped to create.

Representative Mark Foley is a Republican representing Florida's 16th Congressional District. Foley serves as deputy majority whip. He is a member of the Ways and Means Committee, the chairman of the House Entertainment Industry Caucus and co-chairman of the Travel and Tourism Caucus.

Chat Moderator: Welcome to the Crossfire chat room, Representative Mark Foley.

Representative Mark Foley: Thank you very much. I'm delighted to be with you.

Chat Moderator: Welcome to the Crossfire chat room, Senator John Breaux.

Senator John Breaux: Good evening, everyone. I'm glad to be here as well.

Chat Moderator: Can either Gore or Bush be perceived as "presidential" after this protracted election process?

Senator John Breaux: I would say the most important speech of the campaign is going to be given, not by the winner, but rather by the loser, who will set the tone, really, for the next four years. If he is gracious and pledges his support to help the new president, that will be very positive. If, on the other hand, the loser states the election was stolen from him, it will make it extremely difficult for the new president to be able to govern in a positive fashion.

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Representative Mark Foley: I think both men are capable of rising to the occasion. Our democracy is secure, our people can weather this controversy and I know in my heart both men will ensure, as will Congress, that whoever the winner, he has the support and the backing of our country. The world is watching, and Senator Breaux and I both agree that we are the greatest country on earth, and our principles today, Bush and Gore, either will represent us to that high standard we've become accustomed to.

Question from Highlander: If someone started to vote and changed their mind, then this will also cause a "dimpled" ballot, so why is that counted as a vote when it could have been a change of mind to not vote?

Representative Mark Foley: That's a big concern of ours today, that a dimple could actually be construed as a vote for a candidate. Clearly, there has to be an objective standard of how a vote is cast and counted. The reason it wouldn't have been counted in the machine is that it wasn't thoroughly depressed in order to be captured. So, they now have an individual looking at it. Discerning it as a vote for any candidate listed, I think, is a disservice to the process.

Senator John Breaux: It would seem to me that if a paper ballot has a dimple push by one candidate's name and a clear punch-through by another name, that a hand count would accept the clearly punched-through mark by one candidate and reject the dimple. That's one of the things you get from Republicans and Democrats both looking at these paper ballots to determine what the voter was trying to accomplish.

Question from OregonStudent: Do you think Governor Bush will accept Gore's proposition? It seems fair for both sides. Why might Republicans be disinclined towards a statewide recount?

Representative Mark Foley: First, we're watching breaking news now where Mr. Bush is rejecting the Gore proposal, which may be timely for your chatters. Hand recount was contemplated at the end of last week and rejected by the Democrats, because state law said you only had 72 hours to request a hand count ballots. When we broached that idea, it was flatly rejected.

Senator John Breaux: It would be most unfortunate if Governor Bush were to reject Vice President Gore's proposal to meet privately and to add a statewide hand count and to accept that count without any further litigation. This is the first grown-up proposal I've heard since the election was completed and offered a way to resolve this with dignity for both sides.

Comment from JimSC: I think if there is not a fair and accurate counting of all votes in Florida, then regardless of whom the winner is, they will not be perceived as legitimate and will therefore be ineffective.

Representative Mark Foley: I believe that at the end of the day, if we accurately and fairly do this, we will reach conclusion, and every Floridian and every American will join together to support the person who ultimately prevails. Whoever wins the 25 electoral votes from Florida will clearly have the support of the nation.

Chat Moderator: Thank you for joining us today, Representative Mark Foley.

Representative Mark Foley: Thank you very much.

Senator John Breaux: The losing candidate, whoever that might be, has a huge responsibility to set the tone for the next four years by the type of concession that they make at the end of this process. That candidate can make the difference between a country that will support the new president or a country that will question his every move.

Question from J: I've heard some talk about having another election in Palm Beach County because of the "illegal and confusing" butterfly ballots. Would they be able to keep people who didn't vote the first time from voting the second?

Senator John Breaux: In Louisiana, we once had a situation where an electronic machine malfunctioned, and the courts ordered an entire new election, including the people who voted the first time, as well as those who did not vote the first time but were eligible to do so. I think, however, that it would not be appropriate to order a new election based only on the fact that the ballot was confusing. It was agreed to by both sides prior to the election.

Question from Matwichu: Do you think Al Gore's proposal was an honest suggestion at compromise, or is this a public relations spin that indicates the beginning of a future concession and an attempt to position the Democratic Party for a stronger run at the White House in 2004?

Senator John Breaux: I think that Vice President Gore's suggestion was an honest attempt to lower the rhetoric, for the candidates to privately speak and resolve this problem without the need for additional litigation. There are many members of Congress in both parties whom I have heard make similar suggestions, and I think it should be accepted by Governor Bush.

Question from Chris: Senator Breaux, do you believe that this count and recount process has had a positive effect on the voting public?

Senator John Breaux: I think that it has had a mixed effect on the general public. First, it has been aggravating and unsettling, but at the same time, it shows that we are a government of laws that must be followed and that are ultimately decided by our judiciary court system.

Question from Sidney: Is there any response to the House Democrat who today asked for a full Justice Department investigation into what happened in Florida?

Senator John Breaux: I see nothing that would justify a Justice Department investigation. Election laws and their enforcement are generally the responsibility of the respective states, and the proper forum for investigation is the state of Florida, not Washington, D.C.

Chat Moderator: Senator Breaux, you are part of an ever-diminishing group of bipartisan centrists in the Senate. Will the acrimony surrounding this election diminish or increase the influence of the centrists in maintaining the collegiality for which the Senate is known?

Senator John Breaux: I'm absolutely convinced that the closeness of the presidential election, as well as the potential 50-50 split in the Senate, means that bipartisan cooperation is no longer a political theory, but now will become a political necessity. I'm very optimistic that a mainstream coalition of Democrats and Republicans will be formed to allow us to move forward in a bipartisan fashion, which I think would be good for both parties, but more importantly, good for the country.

Chat Moderator: Thank you for joining us today, Senator John Breaux.

Senator John Breaux: Thank you all very much. I enjoyed it.

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