Subj: Bush COUSIN in FLA made the original call
Date: 11/14/00 10:31:01 PM Pacific Standard Time

Bush Cousin Made Florida Vote Call For Fox News

Making the story a little weirder, the head of Fox News's Election Night
decision desk -- who recommended calling Florida, and the election, for
George W. Bush -- turns out to be Bush's first cousin, John Ellis. As he was
leading the decision desk, Ellis was on the phone giving updates to cousins
Jeb and George W. Fox was the first to call the state for Bush at 2:16 a.m.,
followed by NBC, CBS, CNN and ABC shortly after. The embarrassed networks
retracted the decision less than two hours later. (Or have you heard this
part already?) "Appearance of impropriety?" asks Fox Vice President John
Moody, who approved Ellis's recommendation to call Florida for Bush. "I
don't think there's anything improper about it as long as he doesn't behave
improperly, and I have no evidence he did. . . . John has always conducted
himself in an extremely professional manner." But Moody admits that Ellis's
Election Night conversations with the cousins "would cause concern."
[SOURCE: Washington Post (C1), AUTHOR: Howard Kurtz]


See Also:
CALLING THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE, AND COUSIN GEORGE W.
[SOURCE: New York Times (A15), AUTHOR: Bill Carter]