In marked contrast to the opinion expressed by David Frum in today's Comment and Opinion, my impression is that it is the Bush camp which has given the too-close-to-call situation in Florida its ugly turn (The law will prevail - and Mr Bush will go to Washington, 13 November 2000).

They were thrown the bone (of the presidency) prematurely, and are now standing over it growling at anyone threatening to take it away from them.

The Gore camp, which initially backed away believing it had lost, is quite rightly suggesting that the bone may, after all, be theirs, but are being growled and snapped at for their audacity.

Having won the popular vote, it would be unreasonable and irresponsible for the Democrats not to insist that the decisive Florida vote be fairly and unequivocally established. 

But with such a narrow margin between the two candidates, this is very difficult to do. Voting irregularities, which are quite normal in US elections but usually immaterial to the ultimate outcome, taking on an exaggerated (putting it mildly) and unprecedented importance.

I can understand their disappointment, having been told, and briefly believed, that the presidency was theirs, but the Republicans should back off, as the Gore campaign has done, instead of clinging desperately to what is not yet theirs, and stop lashing out so viscously and unjustly at their opponents, which has already created a ugly atmosphere very damaging to American democracy and to whoever becomes the next President.