Newsday Coverage

August 7, 2004

Chiefly a cool reception: Some at Gathering of minority journalists call president evasive, others applaud his courage for being there

By Martin C. Evans

WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush, speaking before the largest convention of minority journalists in U.S. history, said he opposes so-called "legacy admissions" to colleges and universities, a system that typically benefits white applicants over minorities�Ķ...

Bush also sidestepped when asked if he would send federal poll monitors to ensure there is no repeat of the 2000 election- year debacle in which hundreds of thousands of black Americans were blocked from voting in closely contested states, including Florida, Missouri and Illinois. Bush edged Al Gore by 537 votes in Florida, paving his way to the White House.

Instead, Bush pointed to his support for funding to help upgrade election equipment. Critics have said some of those upgrades, including touch-screen voting machines, are vulnerable to tampering that could allow votes to be miscounted.

Several audience members said the president displayed courage in addressing a group that has been mostly opposed to his views on affirmative action, critical of the war in Iraq and concerned about constraints to civil liberties imposed in the name of the war on terrorism.

But others said he was evasive in addressing many of the questions posed to him.

"He handled himself with grace, but I think he dodged the question on voting, on the right of every American to have their vote counted," said Tricia Schwennesen, an editor with the San Antonio Express-News. "He was dealing with a tough crowd," she said. "We know that, and I think he knows that."

Vic Carter, a news anchor for WJZ-13 in Baltimore, said, "I'm disappointed that he did not talk about issues that were important to us, such as diversity in newsrooms. It was a routine campaign speech."

Civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, who watched as Bush spoke, later accused the president of invoking the phrase "racial quotas" to fan the sentiments of opponents to affirmative action programs. He also pointed out that Bush declined to support a constitutional amendment that would place the right to vote under federal control, rather than leaving it to individual states to manage.

"It's interesting that he spoke glowingly about the right to vote in Afghanistan, and skirts the issue at home," Jackson said.

Bush got applause from the otherwise quiet audience when he mentioned efforts to contain terrorism and said, "Who wants to be a wartime president?"