Debbie recently played a role in the Florida recount of the 2000 presidential election. Following are excerpts from the May 2001 Mississippi Republican Party newsletter, Party Lines:
"Mississippi Republicans were well represented in Florida throughout the recount process. Within days of Vice President Gore's request for manual recounts, lawyers from across Mississippi were dispatched to Palm Beach County to observe the counting."
"Debbie Goswami, another Mississippi lawyer who joined the observers in Florida, likened the counting process to a casino floor. 'It was kind of like if you go to Las Vegas and deal with pit bosses," she said. 'I had to be contentious from the first 5 minutes.'"
"The observers not only had to listen to the call and object if necessary, but they also had to watch the counters put the ballot in the correct pile and keep count of the ballots in those piles."
"'Most of the people I dealt with were fairly conciliatory,' said Goswami, 'but you had to watch them.' The Mississippi lawyers all related stories of miscalculations by counters of one or two votes."
"The standards in Osceola County had fallen so far as to allow counters to run their fingers over a ballot to see if they could 'feel' a vote."
"'From my observation, I don't know there is anyway you [could] tell [the voter's intent]. You were guessing,' said Goswami, who also went back a second time to Florida."
"George Fondren, Executive Director of the Mississippi Republican Party, said, 'I'm proud of them and the role they've been able to play. Mississippi not only garnered 58% of its vote for George W. Bush, but we also had people ready on a moments notice to go help. Our people have been major players in the happenings of the election.'"