One of the reasons why there is such bitterness on the left against George W Bush is the idee fixe that he stole the 2000 presidential election from Al Gore by a Republican swindle in the Florida recount. So it is refreshing to read this from a new book, 'Stealing Elections' by John Fund:

‘But in fact, every single recount of the votes in Florida determined that George W. Bush had won the state's twenty-five electoral votes and therefore the presidency. This includes a manual recount of votes in largely Democratic counties by a consortium of news organizations, among them the Wall Street Journal, CNN, the Boston Globe and the Los Angeles Times. As the New York Times reported on November 21, 2001, "A comprehensive review of the uncounted Florida ballots from last year's presidential election reveals that George W. Bush would have won even if the United States Supreme Court had allowed the statewide manual recount of the votes that the Florida Supreme Court had ordered to go forward." The USA Today recount team concluded: "Who would have won if Al Gore had gotten manual counts he requested in four counties? Answer: George W. Bush.”’

So the myth of the hanging chads is just that — a myth. Fund wonders why it has achieved the status of fact, and concludes that while some on the left sincerely believe it to be true, others have cynically perpetuated it in order to galvanise voters to turn out for Kerry. In other words, yet another example of the Big Lie, now the weapon du jour in the armoury of the unprincipled villains and useful idiots of the left.