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"Scam" ads the norm Trail Mix: Hillary haters spam cyberspace Gunning for the center Democrats make Hillary legit The blundering pundit Don Giuliani Campaign video: |
Deep in the heart of Clinton country
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March 25, 2000 | LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Central High School, the country's most powerful symbol for racial integration, has historically been known as Democratic territory. Bill and Hillary Clinton attended the 40th anniversary of the school's integration in 1997. Today, two-thirds of the school's students are African-American. But for the Bush-led education forum/photo-op Friday morning, only a handful of teachers were invited to attend the event held in the school's library, and just three students, one of whom was Gov. Mike Huckabee's daughter, heard the presidential candidate speak. The event was vintage Bush, heading into territory normally considered off-limits to Republicans to send a vague message of inclusiveness more symbolic than substantive. On a day when Vice President Al Gore went back to school in Michigan to learn about education "from the people who are actually doing the hands-on work" in his words, Bush used the well-controlled environment of Central as a theatrical backdrop complete with Volume I and II of "America" and a book about Texas placed behind the candidate. In the crowd were 45 special invited guests, including Arkansas Sen. Tim Hutchinson, a graduate of Bob Jones University. "This is a place where African-Americans confronted injustice," said Bush, "where white Americans confronted their conscience, where the rule of law ended the reign of segregation." These words were in biting contrast to his controversial visit last month to Bob Jones University, which until a few weeks ago banned interracial dating. Many saw his visit and speech about race as deceiving, a ploy to use Central High, like last week's visit to a Catholic church in Cleveland, as another pawn to clean up the Bob Jones mess that continues to dog Bush. "Central High School is a symbol of many things, including progressive race relations," said Vaughn McQuary, chairman of the Democratic Party of Arkansas. "For Gov. Bush to come to Central High accompanied by a graduate of Bob Jones University is an unbelievably bad choice." In 1970, BJU gave up its federal tax-exempt status rather than admit black students. Bush's visit at Central High also generated debate on his education policies. Central High Principal Rudolph Howard told Bush "public education needs a lift up." Bush interrupted the principal, known throughout the state as a man who rules Central with an iron fist, and told him he shouldn't fear competition from charter schools. "I'm sorry that you think I fear anything," snapped Howard. "If I feared anything, I wouldn't be at Central." Bush didn't get off easy when Derrick Williams, 18, Central High's student body president and a member of the debate team, grilled him about vouchers and charter schools. "Public schools won't be able to compete with vouchers," said Williams, who hammered the idea that public schools would fall behind if faced with the voucher and charter school programs. Bush launched into his spiel about meeting standards and taking education to the local level. When finished, Williams, who says he leans Democrat, said, "May I rebut?" To that Bush replied, "Sure, it's your school," getting a good laugh from the crowd. Despite a few lighthearted moments, Bush insisted he would not be a "federal superintendent" for the country's schools. He also said his education policies are focused on children, unlike Gore's, which he says are more concerned with "bricks and mortar." That signaled to Howard that the $6.8 million needed for major repairs -- plumbing and electrical wiring -- as well as other infrastructure needs would not be granted to the school, or any school, in federal funds if Bush were elected president. But Bush's laser-focus on education, an issue he is comfortable talking about because he has grown familiar with the issue as governor, appears to be paying dividends. A new Pew Research Center poll shows Bush holding a slight edge over Gore when voters were asked which candidate would "do the best job on education." Though clinging to a slim 44-41 percent lead, it is all the more striking because education is typically considered a "Democratic issue," just as national defense and tax cuts are thought of as Republican issues. Bush discovered friendlier turf a few hours later as a host of wealthy GOP-lovin' Arkansans dished out $1,000 to attend a luncheon fund-raiser. Bush pocketed $350,000 at the lovefest that included Rep. Asa Hutchinson, a possible attorney general candidate in a Bush administration and also a Bob Jones graduate; Sheffield Nelson, one of Clinton's worst enemies, who has been accused of masterminding schemes to topple the Clinton administration; Richard Bearden, a local political consultant working on Mayor Rudy Giuliani's Senate campaign and oil tycoon Madison Murphy, who heads a conservative commission to examine state government. Arkansas ranks 30th out of 53 states and territories in fund raising for Bush. Still, the event earned Bush a hefty amount for a state that only a few years ago had little Republican power. It also offered the chance for the Arkansas GOP to take a few jabs at the Clinton-Gore administration. Playing on the Buddhist Temple joke that Gore left the room when iced tea was served, Huckabee said, "We wondered whether to serve iced tea today. Just remember where you were and that you were at a fund-raiser." Bush shook hands, signed a GOP leather jacket and fraternized before giving his standard, slogan-ridden stump speech -- touting his compassionate conservative reform results. At the luncheon, he took only a few swipes at Gore, but continued to try to link him to the scandals of the Clinton White House. "Haven't we had enough politics of lost e-mails and Buddhist Temples?" he asked. Holding his hand as if taking the oath of office, Bush added "It's hard to usher in the era of responsibility when figures of responsibility don't behave responsibly." Bush ended his day in Clinton country in a sultry airplane hanger at a private airstrip with John Mellencamp's "R-O-C-K in the U.S.A." blaring, where he continued his attacks on Gore before a crowd of 300 cheering, pompom waving supporters. "Al Gore may think he is going to take
Arkansas but we are going to show
him something different," Bush screamed.
"People of Arkansas know the best
way to get the White House back is to
the end the Clinton-Gore Era in
Washington, D.C."
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