Catalina Camina, left, Unity 99 President and Asian American Journalists Assoc. President, gestures while talking with presidential hopeful George W. Bush. At right, presidential hopeful Bill Bradley addresses the conference on Thursday. (photos by Darla Leslie and Eustacio Humphrey/Unity News)

Unity to Bush: You blew it
By Terence Chea
Unity News

Facing sharp criticism about his decision not to appear before 6,000 minority journalists who are gathered here for a joint convention, George W. Bush yesterday abruptly reversed course and stopped by the Seattle Convention Center for a quick meet and greet with Unity participants.

But during an afternoon press conference, top Unity officials blasted the brief visit by the Texas governor, who is considered to be the leading Republican candidate for president, as "inadequate."

"As a serious presidential contender, we believe Governor Bush missed a tremendous opportunity to share his plans for the country's future with nearly 6,000 journalists representing media outlets of every type, size and place in America," said Catalina Camia, Unity president.

Bush had declined previous offers to address the Unity convention, but apparently had a change of heart after reading newspaper accounts of his decision to skip the conference even though he would be in Seattle on a tour to raise money and rub elbows with local supporters.

"I have a lot of friends from Texas here and I wanted to come and say hello," said Bush, who arrived in Seattle from Spokane yesterday morning after meeting with supporters there.

"I felt like I had to reach out to people." In Texas, Bush has been praised for his effort to reach out to minorities, especially Hispanics, many of whom have embraced what the governor calls "compassionate conservatism."

Even so, some Unity participants chided Bush for his brief visit to Unity. "They are basically saying that we are not constituents and are not worth speaking to," said Jo Ann Zuniga, a reporter from The Houston Chronicle.

"It was a poor attempt by Bush to try and make up for his decline." Unity officials said they extended an invitation to Bush in May to speak, but Bush campaign officials declined, citing an overbooked schedule. Camia said Unity officials offered to adjust the convention schedule to accommodate Bush, but were rebuffed. Vice President Al Gore and former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley, the Democratic presidential hopefuls, rearranged their schedules to appear at the convention, Camia said.

In addition to Gore and Bradley, U.S. Sen. John McCain, who is also seeking the Republican nomination for president, made a last-minute decision to appear yesterday at Unity to address the gathering.

In Seattle, Bush toured the King County Boys & Girls Club and met with Microsoft executives at their Redmond, Wash., campus before attending an evening fund-raiser at the home of telecommunications tycoon Craig McCaw in Bellevue. Bush is on a three-day campaign tour through Denver, Salt Lake City, Portland, Spokane and Seattle. He returned to Austin last night.

When Bush arrived, he breezed through the Convention Center's exhibition hall shortly after 11 a.m. for about 15 minutes as crowds of reporters, photographers, Unity leaders and conference attendees crowded around him shouting out questions and asking for handshakes.

He entered the hall from the Convention Center's loading docks and walked through the job fair aisles. As he shook hands and posed for photos, news reporters hammered him with questions about his political positions.

Asked about his views on affirmative action and Washington's Initiative 200, which struck down preferences for minorities in hiring, education and contracting, Bush said, "I'm against quotas and I'm against special treatment. I'm for breaking down barriers like we did in Texas." And yet, Bush said, it is wrong to discriminate against minorities. "It's important to condemn bigotry and prejudice," he said.

And the governor reiterated his support for providing education to children. "It's important that every child get an education," he said. "It's important we not leave anyone behind as we enter the 21st Century." Bush's last-minute appearance was surprising. Camia said she learned of his impending visit as his car approached the Convention Center.

The possibility arose yesterday that Bush would give a speech, but that idea apparently fell through after he and convention officials were unable to strike a deal on the terms of his appearance, Unity officials said. During feverish negotiations, Unity officials wanted Bush to speak and then answer questions from journalists attending the conference. The Bush camp declined the Q&A session, Unity officials said.

Mindy Tucker, a Bush spokeswoman, said the governor's schedule did not permit him to attend Unity but changed his mind after his decision not to appear generated headlines. "He read that people thought it was an important signal to send to minorities," Tucker said.

"Unity presents these future leaders with a unique opportunity to engage in serious and substantive dialogue about race relations and issues affecting communities of color," Camia said. "This was clearly a missed opportunity for the Bush campaign and for the convention attendees."