>There's still the absentee ballots. I have heard numbers ranging from 3,000 to 7,000 on the networks, so I think it's still up for grabs.
>I don't want to start a long discussion, but a new election on the contested counties seems like a bad idea.

As I predicted Judge Middlebrooks threw out the GOP case.

5000 absentee ballots (round number) breaking 60% for Bush would give him 1000 more votes. The 1900 projected additional Gore votes in Palm Beach County minus the ~300 vote existing margin and the ~1000 absentee votes would still give the election to Gore.

BUT Palm Beach may not get the six days they say they need to recount the votes by hand. So I'm less sure of my prediction now.

Looks like folks will be arguing about this election for decades.

Peter