Return of the hanging chads

Political insiders believe that at least part of Hillary Clinton's determination not to concede the Democratic presidential nomination to Barack Obama, despite the overwhelming odds against her, comes from the trauma many Democrats still feel about their disputed loss of the 2000 presidential election. In 2000, with Al Gore and George W. Bush virtually deadlocked nationwide, all hung on a recount - and the disposition of so-called 'hanging chads' on voting cards ­ in Florida.

That epic 36-day political struggle, which ended when the US Supreme Court stopped the Florida recount, effectively giving the presidency to George W. Bush even though Gore had won the national popular vote, is now the subject of a controversial HBO television docudrama, Recount, to be broadcast in the US on Sunday.

The film is receiving excellent advance notices - Entertainment Weekly described it as "a gorgeous bit of political theatre" - but is being denounced by some of the major figures involved in the recount battle, especially ex-secretary of state Warren Christopher, who is played by John Hurt, for distorting their roles.

Christopher, a top Gore advisor during the recount, is portrayed as a patrician wimp who was never prepared for the nastiness of the battle the Republicans waged.

The film shows James Baker, Bush's top advisor, played by Tom Wilkinson, marshalling his troops, many of them lawyers, by saying: "Now listen, people. This is a street fight for the presidency of the United States." Christopher, meanwhile, is shown nervously suggesting to Baker that they should try to resolve the recount through "diplomacy and compromise".

Christopher has attacked his portrayal as "pure fiction. It contains events that never occurred, words I never spoke and decisions attributed to me that I