Bush Defends Preparation for AdministrationTexas Governor George W. Bush Friday defended his move to prepare for an administration despite the uncertainties about the results of the presidential election held Tuesday, saying that he was working "in a responsible way.""I'm in the process of planning in a responsible way a potential administration," Bush said at Austin, Texas. The governor was speaking to a crowd of reporters after meeting with economic adviser Lawrence Lindsey and foreign policy adviser Condoleezza Rice, both of whom have been tipped to take important positions in a Bush administration. Bush, who still leads with a slim margin in Florida even after a vote recount, said that "it is up to us to prepare the ground work to prepare an administration that will be ready to function from day one." The Vice President Al Gore campaign has criticized the Bush camp for creating confusion by moving to prepare an administration even before a final official result of the presidential race is available. With 25 electoral votes, Florida will decide the winner of the presidential election. An unofficial recount of all 67 counties in Florida confirmed Bush's lead over Gore but with a sharply narrowed margin of only 327 votes, U.S. TV networks reported Friday. A final official result for balloting in the state may not be expected until November 17, the deadline for counting legally cast absentee votes by Floridians overseas. |
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