The Courier from Waterloo, Iowa • 1

WEDNESDAY December 13, 2000 50 cents 32 pages, 4 sections Revamping downtown Waterloo Riverfront Renaissance plan may get boost from Deere project. Metro Bl A aoom to i WATERLOO CEDAR FALLS guidance Tracie Spencer takes on the role of producer for local group Promiz. Ufestyles B5 If kV.v improve Waterloo East win over Columbus still leaves coach looking for 4 improvements. Sports CI Gmwt rales raft recomunit (Gore fofe Bwdi wm WMte House With late-night high drama, the high court weighs in In a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the Florida Supreme Court decision that had ordered new recounts In.

the state's presidential election. Some excerpts: Vice president will bow out in speech to nation tonight Ruling delights, disappoints local partisans In dissent The majority ft) (5 r) imm ill- Lm t'i I -u William Sandra Day Antonin Anthony Clarence John Paul David Ruth Bader Stephen Rehnquist O'Connor Scalia Kennedy Thomas Stevens Souter Ginsburg Breyer Al Gore George Bush A. What must underlie petitioners' entire federal assault on the Florida election procedures is an unstated lack of confidence in the impartiality and capacity of the state judges who would make the critical decisions if the vote count were to proceed. Otherwise, their position is wholly wittout merit. Justice Stevens, with whom Justice Ginsburg and Justice Breyer join, dissenting.

But as we indicated in our remand of the earlier case, in a presidential election tlie clearly expressed intent of the legislature must pivvail And there is no basis for reading the Florida statutes as requiring the counting of improperly marked ballots, as an examination of the Florida Supreme Court 's textual analysis sliows. Chief Justice Rehnquist, with whom Justice Scalia and Justice Thomas join, concurring Because it is evident tliat any recount seeking to meet the Dec. 12 date will be unconstitutional we reverse the judgment of (lie Supreme Court of Florida ordering a recount to proceed. From the court's main ruling in an unsigned opinion 2000 3 By MADHUSMITA BORA Courier Staff Writer WATERLOO Area residents expressed shock and relief following the U.S. Supreme Court 's decision Tuesday night that in effect ended the long battle for the presidency.

"I am shocked and disappointed that the Supreme Court took the stand," said Maggie Stewart, chairwoman of the Democratic Party in Black Hawk County. "I think the voters have a right to know whether Al Core did or did not win the election." Stewart this morning predicted what later reports confirmed that Vice President Al Gore will concede the presidency tonight. "1 think his attorneys want to make sure that there are no openings and so they are taking their time, but he will concede and move forward," Stewart said. "And now that we apparently have President-elect (George) Bush 1 think we can all move forward and work on electing Democrats in two Stewart said Florida should be spanked for having problems with its voting system. "We have to have a uniform voting system throughout the state," Stewart said.

"It's ridiculous that the entire 50 states were held hostage by one slate's faulty voting system." State Democratic Party Chairman Rob Tully this morning was disappointed in the Supreme Court's deci- See REACTION, page A5 Illustrations by M. MurrayAP Souos. Compiled horn APmre reports Decision deeply divides Supreme Court ANALYSI Seeds of a comeback The vote-counting controversy that split the Supreme Court into warring factions will give the Democrats an issue to trumpet over the coming months and years. Details, A5 A long, bitter struggle An election that revealed ous flaws in the voting process and placed -historic strains on the nation's political and judicial system has left Texas Gov. George W.

Bush poised to claim the presidency. Details, A6 Bush faces tall order George W. Bush, finally president-elect, immediately faces extraordinary challenges stretching well beyond the heavy demands typically involved in organizing a government. Details, A8 Justice Stephen Breyer, for example, in his dissenting opinion, referred to the case as "a self-inflicted wound a wound that may harm not just the court, but the nation." "In mis highly politicized matter, the appearance of a split decision runs the risk of undermining the public's confidence in the court itself," Breyer wrote. "That confidence is a public treasure." Justice John Paul Stevens sounded a similar note: "Although we may never know with complete certainty the identity of the winner of this year's presiden- See COURT, page A5 By HENRY WEINSTEIN Los Angeles Times The Supreme Court's 54 decision to block further recounts of Florida's ballots deeply fractured the court precisely the outcome the justices, themselves, had hoped to avoid.

The five justices in the majority cast their opinion as a necessary duty that they were reluctantly being forced to undertake. Usually, courts try to avoid political issues, the majority noted. "When contending parties invoke the process of the courts, however, it becomes our WASHINGTON (AP) Al Gore decided today to concede the country's overtime election, aides said, clearing the way for George W. Bush to become 43rd president and leader of a nation sharply divided along political lines. The vice president acted after a split Supreme Court ruled against recounts in contested Florida.

Two senior advisers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Gore would officially drop out in a nationally televised address tonight. "The race is over," said one official after speaking with the vice president "We're done." Gore made the decision 1 2 hours after the U.S. Supreme Court, as divided as the nation, ruled 5-4 against his president's bid to recount thousands of ballots in Florida. Gore had sought the recount in hopes he could overturn Bush's 537-vote victory margin in the state whose 25 electoral votes will settle the election. "The vice president has directed the recount committee to suspend activities," campaign chairman William Daley said in a written statement that effectively ended an unbearably close election 36 tumultuous days after the nation voted.

Gore topped his Republican rival by more than 300,000 votes out of 103 million ballots cast nationwide. But Florida's electoral votes would give Bush a total of 271 electoral votes to Gore's 267. Bush was in Texas, savoring his hard-earned triumph in private, as if to give Gore all the room he needed for a graceful exit. The governor waved to as he strode into the Capitol in Austin at midmorning but merely smiled in answer to questions about the developments. Republican running mate Dick Cheney was in Washington, with meetings set with Republican GOP leaders.

Former Secretary of State James A. Baker in, speaking for the Republican camp, had said Tuesday night Bush and Cheney were "very pleased and gratified" by the court's ruling. That was an understatement of historic proportions given the furor since Election Day a saga of counts, recounts, lawsuits by the dozens and two trips to the highest court in the land. Bush's inauguration on Jan. 20 would give Republicans greater control over the government than at any time since Dwight Eisenhower sat in the White House.

The GOP retained control of the House in the November elections. The Senate is split 50-50, but Cheney's election as vice president will give the GOP at least nominal control there, as well. The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling triggered a fast-paced series of events. Members of Gore's own party urged him to concede the race, but the vice president went to bed Tuesday night without telling aides what he would do.

After meeting with his wife, Tipper, and several advisers, Daley among them, Gore authorized the statement on unsought responsibility to resolve the federal and constitutional issues the' judicial system has been forced to confront" Several justices in the minority responded with language that stopped just short of calling their colleagues hypocrites. They accused the majority of departing from long-standing rules and aggressively reaching out to decide an issue the court should have left to Congress and the state courts to resolve. Bush gets chance to prove he's a uniter, not a divider ANALYSIS By WALTER MEARS AP Special Correspondent Ml today saying he would not press the recount any further for Florida's pivotal electoral votes. Aides said the vice president intended to telephone Bush, probably before his address. Democratic aides were talking with the TV networks about broadcast time.

A Gore confidant said the evening speech will make clear he has conceded to Bush and the country should unite behind the next president. Gore also will explain why he fought for fwe weeks after the election, returning to his theme that every vote should be counted. Though Gore has told advisers he considers the 5-4 ruling the act of a partisan high court, the confidant said the vice president ill not criticize the justices in his speech. In Tallahassee, the court ruling and the vice president's decision seemed to render moot the action by the Florida Legislature to appoint a slate of electors loyal to Bush. The House approved the measure on Tuesday, and the Senate See CONCEDE, page A8 WASHINGTON (AP) His fragile election margin confirmed by a fractured U.S.

Supreme Court, George W. Bush now must prove that as president he can be a uniter, not a divider, as he pledged from countless platforms in his campaign against Al Gore. Bush's first step in trying was to avoid claiming victory crowing at the court decision that put him on the threshold of the White House. He was silent Tuesday night and his representative was conciliatory. 'This has been a long and arduous process for everyone involved on both sides," James A.

Baker III, the former secretary of state, said in Tallahassee, where the final contests of the 2000 election were waged, to an apparent end five weeks after Election Day. He said Bush and running mate Dick Cheney were pleased and gratified at the Supreme Court's extraordinary late night ruling Tuesday. Gore's response will be a factor in, determining how difficult the unity quest may be. The final court blow was a devastating one for the vice president, who believes he, not Bush, won the hairbreadth Florida election that decided the White House. With the 25 Florida electoral votes apparently secure for Bush, now that the court has reversed the state Supreme Court order of the partial recount Gore said would prove him the winner, the Texas governor would have 271 electoral votes when those are cast by the electoral college next Monday.

That is one more than a majority. Gore has 267. The vice president, who won the See MEARS, page A6 mum 'is APPHOTO Daniel Martlnoa, a supporter of Texas Gov. George W. Bush, reacts In front of the U.

S. Supreme Court after the nation's highest court reversed the Florida Supreme Court's order for manual recounts. Mercury dips to record low -15 in Waterloo DAN NIERLING Courier Photo Editor Joe Gereckl pretty much sums up the effects of Tuesday's bitter cold. Gereckl's snowblower was responsible for his snow-caked condition as he dug out the parking lot of his business Art Craft Studio Inc. near downtown Waterloo.

Salvation Army worker Karl Butler of Dcs Moines said the central Iowa program had seen an increase in the need for basic necessities with the cold. "There has been a big increase in the need for coats and blankets, and generally a need for heaters and warmth," he said. But people also need "baby food, gasoline, bare necessities," he said. "I guess you would say warmth and friendship and someone to talk to." Temperatures Tuesday morning tumbled to their lowest yet this season. It was 1 6 below zero in Mason City.

Iowa remained snow covered and southern Iowa highways were still up to 50 percent snow( covered. No traffic deaths had been attributed to the storm in Iowa as of Tuesday, said Sgt Robert Hansen, patrol spokesman. "We had a few minor accidents, but that's all we covered," he said. "We had a lot of motorist assists, but that was it" A 31 -year-old Iowa woman died Monday in a wreck on a snow-covered highway in western Illinois. Alice Nelson of Keokuk was killed when her car spun into oncoming traffic on U.S.

Highway 136 east of Hamilton, 111. tinued cold temperatures, which are expected to rise into the 30s for Friday and the weekend. Snow is forecast again for tonight with accumulation of 1 to 2 inches expected. Highs will peak in the 20s Thursday. Area hospitals Tuesday reported a few weather-related injuries.

Covenant Medical Center said it treated six cases of frost bite and a few orthopedic injuries from falls. The Iowa State Patrol said freeways locally had returned to mostly normal driving conditions by late morning. Some highways in northern and eastern By Courier Staff and The Associated Press WATERLOO Waterloo reached a record low for the date of 15 below zero Tuesday morning, edging out the previous low record of 13 below set in 1932. High temperatures Tuesday in Waterloo reached just 1 below. Iowa emerged.from its first major winter storm Tuesday with a few brief power outages, snowpacked roads and stubborn cars that wouldn't start.

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