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Jewish World Review June 7, 2000 / 4 Sivan, 5760
Chris Matthews
Consider this banner of "compassionate conservatism"
that Texas Gov. George W. Bush has spent a year
hoisting. Is he truly promising what the phrase suggests, a
Republican presidency that balances its traditional values
with the warm-blooded human predicament?
"Can good people be gay?" I asked Bush in an hour-long
interview last week.
"Sure, absolutely."
That was the answer from the man who refused, not too
many months ago, to be seen with gay Republicans for
fear of the tut-tutting it might trigger from the Reverends
Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell.
Asked if his views have changed over time, he
acknowledged, "I'm sure (they have) some," though he
was never for "casting stones."
I asked Bush to consider the case of a mature woman, 48
years of age and aware both of her biological clock and
her church's teachings, who still decides on an abortion.
"Whose decision is that — under G-d?" I asked the governor. "Who has the
final call?"
"You know, I would hope that the person would make a decision," he dodged
ever so gently, "to put the child up for adoption."
I asked him if he thought banning abortion would work. Would not those
women with the means simply head for Canada for the procedure? How can
you stop women from getting an abortion if they want one?
"You can't," he answered. "You can't."
"You're asking me, as the president, would I understand reality?" he continued.
"I do."
"I think the key is to change the culture. The role of the president is to set a
tone and to appreciate life. I want the goal for America to be that born and
unborn children be protected in law and welcomed to life. That's a goal. That's
the ideal world. And that's exactly where I intend to lead."
I asked Bush about his past drinking and his decision, on his 40th birthday, to
quit. He said he doubted he would be governor now, much less the
front-running presidential candidate, had he kept up his old ways.
"It was crowding out my capacity to show love and affection to people."
You could say the same about his early hugging of the religious
06/05/00: Clinton's odd silence on his achievements
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