What happened in Florida after the 2000 presidential election brought out the ugliest side of American politics. Now acclaimed journalist Jake Tapper takes the reader deep inside the post-Election Day vote-trolling and the battle for the presidency of the United States in a book that reveals, once and for all, what actually happened, who got away with what and how both sides - Democrats and Republicans - plotted to steal the presidency. DOWN & DIRTY explains exactly how the Bush forces out-maneuvered the Gore team, from the courtrooms to the canvassing boards, from the press rooms to the corridors of the legislature. Tapper paints vivid portraits of the major players - supreme court justices, local judges, lawyers, spinners, activists and voters. Drawing upon exclusive insider information and interviews, he reveals shocking details about what happened behind closed doors, what deals were cut and who did what. And he gives wickedly perceptive insight into the two men at the center of it all: Al Gore and George W. Bush. Like a master detective, Tapper has pieced together the clues, followed up every lead and kept going until he reached the dark heart of an American mystery.