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Change Your Life! |
George Bush spends EVERY night with a teacher |
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August 2, 2000
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Republicans, determined to send George W. Bush to the White House, opened their national convention with a meticulously scripted appeal to voters in the political middle. Retired Gen. Colin Powell extolled the Texas governor as a man with a "passion for inclusion," then bluntly challenged the party to follow his lead. Bush knows "that the party of (Abraham) Lincoln has not always carried the mantle of Lincoln," Powell told delegates and a nationwide television audience Monday night. "He wants the Republican Party to wear that mantle again." Bush introduced Powell to the delegates, appearing via a satellite hookup from a school in Ohio. He noted the retired general's high-level service in national security positions in two Republican administrations, then said, "I hope his greatest service to America might still lie ahead." That was a none-too-subtle reference to suggestions that Powell would serve as Secretary of State in a Bush administration. And the retired general, for all his remarks about education and inclusion, drew perhaps his biggest applause when he said Bush would follow the example set by Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush in making sure the nation remained strong militarily, striking a chord that would dominate the convention program Tuesday night. Hoping to offset an image of the party as white, middle-aged anõò`ll-to-do, the four-day convention showcased blacks, Latinos and former Democrats. More than one speaker stressed Bush's determination to "leave no child behind" in modern-day America. The first big ovations of the evening went to Laura Bush as she emerged from the background of her husband's campaign. Mrs. Bush praised her husband's character as the couple's twin daughters watched from VIP seats alongside George Bush, the nation's 41st president, and his wife Barbara. Mrs. Bush's remarks were salted with memories of parenthood: her husband long ago reading Dr. Seuss to the girls, and references to "dating, drivers' licenses, prom night and ... high school graduation."
Mrs. Bush, a former school teacher, spoke of her commitment to early childhood education and brought down the house when she added, "George's opponent has been visiting schools lately and sometimes when he does, he spends the night before at the home of a teacher. ... Well, George spends EVERY night with a teacher." She said she knew from personal experience that his "core principles will not change with the winds of polls or politics or fame or fortune or misfortune." In a pledge that captured her husband's effort to move the party to the center, Mrs. Bush said he would strengthen Head Start - the federal early childhood education program that running mate Dick Cheney once voted against in Congress. Appearances by Powell and Mrs. Bush capped a day in which the governor's name was placed in nomination without opposition. Republican delegates approved his campaign platform in a voice vote during the convention's only day session, quietly rubber-stamping a document crafted to fit the nominee's self-description as a "compassionate conservative." The platform opposed abortion while reaching out to immigrants and minorities. It opposed gay rights, but that gesture to social conservatives was softened by the decision to give a prominent speaking role at the convention to the only openly gay Republican member of Congress, Rep. Jim Kolbe of Arizona. The four-day meeting was taking place at the First Union Center, a sports arena that was transformed to an extravagant set for delegates and TV viewers alike. The two main U.S. political parties hold conventions every year to nominate candidates to run in the fall presidential election. Vice President Al Gore is expected to be nominated when Democrats met in Los Angeles in two weeks. From the podium, Powell lavished praise on Bush even as he said Republicans must broaden their perspective. "We must understand the cynicism that exists in the black community. The kind of cynicism that is created when, for example, some in our party miss no opportunity to roundly and loudly condemn affirmative action that helped a few thousand black kids get an education, but hardly a whimper is heard from them over affirmative action for lobbyists who load our federal tax codes with preferences for special interests," he said. The only black man ever to chair the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Powell said Bush would "bring to the White House the same passion for inclusion" he has shown in Texas. "I know he can help bridge our racial divides." Bush has "reached out to all Texans - white, black, Latino, Asian, Native-Americans," he said. ... Some call it compassionate conservativem. To me, it's just about caring for people....He will bring to the White House that same passion for inclusion." The opening evening of the convention produced a new wrinkle, with the Republicans launching a "rolling roll call" of the states in which delegate votes for Bush would be cast over several nights. Party unity was swiftly on display as Cindy McCain, wife of Bush's former campaign rival Sen. John McCain, "enthusiastically and unanimously" cast all 30 Arizona delegates for Bush. Powell's selection as Monday's final speaker was designed to underscore Bush's move to the middle after he alienated some independent and moderate voters in his primary duel with McCain. Having Powell speak showed that "Republicans are diverse and tolerant - not just the classic white, rich guys with attitude," said delegate Jose Alcatraz of Florida. Meanwhile, outside the convention, police recorded their first arrests Monday among demonstrators, 11 in all. But there were no disruptive protests similar to those at international meetings last November in Seattle or this spring in Washington. More Related Stories GOP convention: Bush to make video presentation - Dated on August 1, 2000 Gore challenges Bush on immigration - Dated on July 30, 2000
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