Racial Politics 2000: George W. Bush Opposes Racial Quotas!

``If I am president of the United States, I will eliminate racial preferences, quotas.'' George W. Bush

(As reported in the Miami Herald June 30, 1999. See Bush on Quotas, below.)

Rivals rip Bush on immigration, schools (Washington Times, Posted 09/12/99) (no link)
"George W. Bush's rivals are targeting his positions on immigration and education.

"The Texas governor said last week that he thought it was not the federal government's responsibility to reimburse California for billions of dollars in annual costs of caring for illegal immigrants.

"In a statement released Wednesday, however, his campaign said Mr. Bush had "misunderstood" a reporter's question about reimbursing states for all the costs of illegal immigration. 'He thought the question was about whether the federal government should reimburse for costs of education funding,' it said.

"As president, [Bush] 'would allocate additional resources to enforcing the border, so states such as Texas and California would not have the huge expenses they currently do. [He] understands the current federal-reimbursement programs may not be adequate and will work with Congress and those states to improve them.'"

"Cecillia Monoz, vice president for policy of the National Council of La Raza, a Latino advocacy group, said that Mr. Bush's proposal 'may have got him in trouble with conservatives, but what he is proposing on education sounds good.'

[Ms. Monoz continued:] "'Education policy is the single-most important issue to Hispanic Americans. We'll be carefully watching all the candidates' views, but the governor's focusing on it and highlighting innovative strategies will stir vigorous debate, which is good for Hispanics and the country as a whole.'" (Washington Times by Ralph Z. Hallow)
[no link]

Will George W. work for a color-blind America? (09/10/99)
[Author Michelle Malkin has written extensively in support of color-blind policies and particularly regarding counterproductive race-based professional organizations. She chronicled the I-200 debate in Washington State for the Seattle Times. In a previous publication, Ms. Malkin wrote "For better or worse, I want readers to know me for my ideas, ideology and idiosyncrasies - not for my Filipino heritage."]

"I WANT A PRESIDENT who opposes racial discrimination by the government with every fiber of his being.

"Yes, it's personal. My future children will be full-blooded Americans of half-Filipino, half-Russian Jewish descent. I want them to grow up, go to school, get jobs, and raise their own children in a country where they will not be penalized for their race or forced to identify their ethnicity in order to achieve their dreams.

"In my lifetime, huge strides toward color-blind government have been made. I was in southern California during the early days of the pioneering Prop. 209 movement, which banned statewide race and gender preferences in public contracting, hiring, and admissions.

"In Washington state, I witnessed the overwhelming passage of an almost identical ballot measure, Initiative 200.

"...Although [George W.] Bush claims to oppose racial quotas and preferences, he refuses to take a position on two landmark ballot measures that outlawed racial preferences by popular vote: California's Prop. 209 and Washington state's Initiative 200. More disturbing was Bush's failure to take a position on Prop. A, the 1997 Houston Civil Rights Initiative, which would have outlawed racial preferences in contracting by Houston city government.

"If Bush cannot bring himself to support ballot initiatives that abolish government preferences, then his stated opposition to preferences is thin gruel.

"...I remain extremely queasy about trusting my future children's future to Bush's verbal safety net. The pretty words keep flowing. "As we head into the 21st century," Gov. Bush said in his inaugural address earlier this year, "we should have one big box - American. Texans can show America how to unite around issues that are larger than race or party."

"We're waiting." (Jewish World Review Sept. 10, 1999 /29 Elul, 5759 by Michelle Malkin)
[link http://www.jewishworldreview.com/michelle/malkin.html ]

Tuesday, June 29, 1999 California Campaign Tour

Connerly Courts Bush; Bush Opposes Quotas (06/30/99 - dead link)
Miami Herald Headline: "Foe targets affirmative action". (Tallahassee) -- "Ward Connerly, author of amendments barring state-sponsored racial preferences in California, Washington and now Florida, is asserting his cause in the presidential campaign.

"The reactions he draws -- vehement opposition from Vice President Al Gore, noncommittal words from Texas Gov. George W. Bush -- show how volatile the issue of affirmative action could become in the election year ahead.

"Connerly and his wife are among five couples co-hosting a fund-raising luncheon for Bush in Connerly's hometown of Sacramento today, as Bush continues a cross-country tour netting millions of dollars. 'I like him. I'm glad he's supporting me,' Bush said of Connerly during a recent interview, as Bush was raising money in Florida.

"This contrasts with the distance Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has attempted to keep from Connerly and his campaign for a state constitutional amendment. Florida's Bush, attempting to build the Republican Party's support among black voters, calls Connerly's amendment ``divisive.''

"The second-term Texan governor has another name for the hiring of minorities and recruitment of students: 'I support what we call affirmative access in the state of Texas. But it's not a quota. It's not a preference.' In Texas, Bush has signed legislation guaranteeing admission and tuition to state universities for the top 10 percent of high school graduates.

"'If I am president of the United States, I will eliminate racial preferences, quotas,' said Bush, interviewed during a flight to South Florida last week. But, repeatedly pressed to say what he thinks of the amendment Connerly wants on Florida's ballot, Bush averts the question. (Miami Herald 06/30/99 by Mark Silva)
[former link **http://www.herald.com/herald/content/docs/005402.htm]

George W. Bush Repeats Opposition to Racial Quotas (06/30/99 - dead link)
On a campaign tour through California on Tuesday, June 29, "Bush said he supported the goals of Proposition 209, the anti-affirmative action initiative approved by voters in 1996 and which Latino voters overwhelmingly opposed. 'I support the spirit of no quotas and no preferences,' said Bush, who has never come closer to endorsing the initiative. 'But it's important to say it's not what you're against but what you're for. In our state [Texas] I'm for increasing the pool of applicants, opening the door so that more people are eligible to go to the university system.'" (Washington Post 06/30/99)
[former link **http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-06/30/131l-063099-idx.html]

Bush favors ending quotas (06/30/99)
"George W. Bush said yesterday he opposes denying public schooling to the children of illegal immigrants but still wants to eliminate racial and ethnic quotas and preferences.

"Asked about Proposition 209 yesterday, Mr. Bush said, 'I support the spirit of no quotas, no preferences. But I think what's important to say is what you are for. In our state [Texas], I'm for increasing the pool of applicants, opening the door so more people are eligible to go to universities,' he said.

"He added that in Texas, 'we are transforming what was heading for a quota system to [one] that is needs-based and on a best-efforts basis to meet an important social need, which is capitalism and ownership in all sectors of all communities.'" (Washington Times 06/20/99 by Ralph Z. Hallow)
[no link]

Bush Woos Calif. Hispanics, Supports Prop. 209, But Is Anti-Quota (06/30/99 - dead link)
In his presidential campaign tour of the Land of California yesterday, Candidate George W. Bush "said he supported the goals of Proposition 209, the anti-affirmative action initiative approved by voters in 1996 and which Latino voters overwhelmingly opposed.

"'I support the spirit of no quotas and no preferences,' said Bush, who has never come closer to endorsing the [prop 209] initiative. 'But it's important to say it's not what you're against but what you're for. [As governor of Texas] I'm for increasing the pool of applicants, opening the door so that more people are eligible to go to the university system.'

"Bush arrived [in California] determined to show off his brand of 'compassionate conservatism', which he hopes will contrast him with the [former Calif. Governor Pete] Wilson era and make him an effective candidate in California." (Washington Post 06/30/99 page A24, by Dan Balz)
[former link **http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-06/30/131l-063099-idx.html]

Texas Gov. Bush reaches out to Calif. Latinos; But Opposes Quotas (06/30/99)
"In his first political foray into California, George W. Bush yesterday raised the hopes of Republicans eager to win back the White House and collected millions of dollars for his campaign -- but he failed to impress Jose and Marilu Hernandez at the Del Mar Fair.

"In his two campaigns for governor [of Texas], Bush had broad support from Latino voters -- something California GOP candidates have not enjoyed recently.

"On Proposition 209, affirmative action [Bush said]: 'I support the spirit of no quotas, no preferences. But . . . what's important to say is not what you're against, but what you're for. As you know, in our state, I'm for increasing the pool of applicants, opening the door so that more people are eligible to go to the university systems. In our state, we are transitioning from what was heading for a quota system to a system that is needs-based.'" (San Francisco Chronicle 06/30/99 by Carla Marinucci)
[link http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1999/06/30/MN53231.DTL ]

Bush Moves Toward the Center on Immigration and Quotas (06/30/99 - dead link)
This New York Times article differs from the other coverage of Bush's visit to California in that the Times has curiously used the phrase "[Bush] refused to endorse a proposition approved by this state's voters in 1996 that outlawed affirmative action in the state for hiring, employment, the education system and contracts." In NY Times-Speak, this means Bush didn't say he supported Proposition 209, but the NY Times DOES quote Bush as saying: "I support the spirit of no quotas, no preferences."

OK, Bush has refused to directly say he supports California's infamous Proposition 209 because to do so would undoubtedly alienate this state's huge minority-special interests who favor preferential treatment based on skin color. Nonetheless, Bush remains the only viable 2000 presidential candidate who has even weakly spoken against the use of quotas and preferences. (Based on New York Times 06/30/99 by Richard L. Berke)
[former link **http://www.nytimes.com/library/politics/camp/063099wh-gop-bush.html]

Bush Brings Presidential Drive to Calif., Reaches Out to Latinos (06/30/99)
As with the NY Times article (above), the LA Times makes much of the fact that Bush refused to directly endorse California's proposition 209. According to the LA Times, the major news pertaining to Bush's visit to this state is that he did go on record as opposing the controversial Proposition 187 which would have barred illegal immigrants from state-supported benefits.

"Trying to banish the ghosts of failed campaigns, Texas Gov. George W. Bush opened his presidential effort in California on Tuesday with an explicit embrace of Latinos and an implicit criticism of the tactics employed by Republicans here in the past.

[In opposing Calif. Prop. 187, Bush said] "'Everyone must have a first-rate education, because there are no second-rate children, no second-rate dreams,' Bush told audiences of campaign donors in La Jolla, Irvine and Los Angeles as he opened a three-day California tour. Boasting of improved school scores among Latino and African American children in [his home sate of] Texas, he added: 'I believe in the best for every single child in my state.'" (Based on LA Times 06/30/99 by Cathleen Decker)
[link http://www.latimes.com/HOME/NEWS/STATE/t000058613.html ]

George W. Bush Comes Out of the Anti-Quota Closet! (06/15/99)
Houston, TX - Today, the Campaign for a Colorblind America praised Texas Governor George W. Bush for telling the Associated Press in New Hampshire that he opposes racial quotas and preferences. Bush's latest statement is consistent with his responses to the Campaign for a Colorblind America 1998 candidate questionnaire on race. Bush scored 100% on the survey, indicating his opposition to preferences in education, hiring, and contracting.

The Campaign for a Colorblind America has been working with the Texas legislature to overturn state programs and laws which discriminate against white and other non-minorities.

Campaign for a Colorblind America's Executive Director, Marc Levin, added: "Having just announced his presidential candidacy, this is an ideal time for Governor Bush to take a stand against discrimination and preferences in Texas so that the entire nation will know that he is prepared to unite all Americans as equal partners in a new century."
[link http://www.equalrights.com ]

END George W. Bush on Racial Quotas