Review of Florida votes changes nothing: Lieberman

A media-sponsored review of disputed ballots from the 2000 US presidential election in Florida was ‘‘fascinating’’ but it doesn’t change anything, Senator Joseph Lieberman said yesterday as he reaffirmed his support for President Bush.

Al Gore and Lieberman, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, lost Florida - and the presidency - to Bush and Dick Cheney by a scant 537 votes last year, according to the review.

The new examination of 175,000 Florida ballots which didn’t make it into state-certified totals indicated the partial recounts Gore pursued in Florida would still have left Bush clinging to the narrow lead he had after Election Day.

However, if Gore had pursued a full statewide recount he might have picked up enough votes to surpass Bush by an even slimmer margin.

The 2000 election was a time of deep division between the major parties, but Americans have rallied behind Bush since the September 11 terrorist attacks.

And on a day when a jet crash in New York gave the nation a fresh round of jitters, Lieberman stressed the legitimacy of the election.

Bush is ‘‘not only our president, but our commander in chief,’’ Lieberman said while speaking to the National Jewish Democratic Council in Hollywood, Florida.

‘‘The election of last year seems a world away. These recounts are fascinating. They don’t change anything,’’ he said.

Lieberman’s move-on attitude matched many Americans’ reaction to the ballot review, released on Sunday night.

‘‘What’s done is done,’’ said Lorrie Branch, a Gore supporter from New Haven, Connecticut. ‘‘You can’t fix it, but maybe it would have made a difference back then.’’

Bush supporter Sandy Myles of Kirtland, Ohio, echoed the sentiment. ‘‘I don’t care about last year anymore. Of course, I might feel differently if I had voted differently, but we need to go forward.’’

An NBC-Wall St

Journal poll released yesterday said nearly 6 in 10 Americans think Bush legitimately won the presidency, about the same as earlier this year.

While people were split down the middle during the summer on who would get their vote if the election were held again, recent polls say they now would choose Bush by a 2-1 ratio.

The Florida election review was developed by the AP, CNN, The New York Times, The Palm Beach Post, The St. Petersburg Times, Tribune Publishing, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.

Tribune newspapers include the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale.