Chads make their way to Tallahassee

Not since the famous flight of the white Bronco of 1994 have so many Americans tuned in to watch a vehicle travel down the highway. But yesterday's voyage of a yellow U-Haul from Palm Beach County to Tallahassee in Florida did not revolve around a fleeing murder suspect. Traveling in the truck was not O.J. Simpson, but hundreds of thousands of ballots -- dimpled chads and all -- upon which the fate of the presidential candidates may rest. "I don't know if it compares to the white Bronco, but it sure is funny," said John Harvey, 37, of Tallahassee as he watched the truck back up into a courthouse garage. The transfer of the hotly contested ballots is just another scene in the unfolding saga of a presidential election held over three weeks ago. A president-elect has still not been determined -- despite recount upon recount and a certification by Katherine Harris, secretary of state of Florida -- and today the U.S. Supreme Court becomes the next actor to enter the drama. The Republican campaign of Texas Gov. George W. Bush is charging that the rulings of the Florida Supreme Court to extend the deadline imposed by Harris, a Bush ally, were unconstitutional. Vice President Al Gore, on the other hand, is operating on the assumption that if all the votes in Florida were counted correctly, he would end up the victor. And the Gore campaign has submitted new cases to the Florida Supreme Court. "No legal judgement can correct any error found after the electoral votes are cast," a Gore campaign appeal said. "Only the judgment of history will be left to be rendered on a system that was unable or unwilling to ascertain the will of the voters." Some decision must be reached by December 12, when the state of Florida -- in whose hands the presidency rests -- must choose its 25 electors. Frustrated with the prospect that legal battles may prevent Florida from getting represented in the Electoral College, the Florida Legislature has begun a process that may supercede any challenges to the November 7 vote. The Bush campaign feels the move is necessary. "In the majority of American minds Gov. Bush has won this election," Bush spokesman Ken Lisaius said. "They expect and deserve some finality in this process." The Gore campaign, on the other hand, takes a defensive position against the Republican majority of the Florida Statehouse. "It threatens to put us into a constitutional crisis," Gore running mate Joe Lieberman said. "What they're moving to do is to disenfranchise every voter," Gore spokeswoman Liz Lubow said. "Their actions are blatantly partisan." One concern of many is that the partisan struggling this contest has engendered may inhibit the governing abilities of the future president, whomever he may be. For their part, the Bush campaign is confident they can move forward should the election come out in their favor. "The whole campaign was based upon bringing people together," Lisaius said. "Gov. Bush looks forward to working with members of both parties." While the legal positioning continued in Florida, Gore has been concentrating on his vice presidential duties. He has been planning for his possible presidency albeit much less in the public eye than his opponent. Bush, too, was yesterday preparing for a possible transition from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, three hours from Austin. Colin Powell -- a possible secretary of state in a Bush administration -- joined the governor and to discuss international affairs and national security. "We're open for business," Bush asserted. The Associated Press contributed to this article.