George W. Bush has failed to lead on a number of important issues as governor of Texas. In two stunning examples, Bush refused to back measures to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and to protect Texans from hate crimes.

GUNS

Bush Failed to Lead on Mandatory Background Checks for Gun Show Purchases. Bush failed to provide leadership in making background checks mandatory for gun show purchases:

• Bush Announced Support For Texas Background Checks Bill AFTER It Failed. Bush waited until just hours after the Texas legislature killed a bill mandating criminal background checks for purchasers of handguns at gun shows to announce his support for such checks. The chairman of the House Public Safety Committee, State Rep. Bob Turner (D-Coleman) -- who voted against the bill -- said, "To this moment, the governor has never talked to me about the bill.... He (Bush) never called me. His staff here who work with us in the House every day, all day have never visited with me at all about the bill." [Houston Chronicle, 4/27/99]
• Bush Refused to Revive Texas Background Checks Bill. Bush then refused to revive the Texas gun show background checks legislation because: he said the bill was flawed; he said there wasn't enough time to pass the bill; and he said that the federal government should take up the issue. [New York Times, 4/30/99]
• Bush Supported Loophole-Filled, NRA-Backed Federal Background Checks Legislation. Instead of supporting two federal amendments by Sen. Lautenberg to institute mandatory background checks for handgun buyers at gun shows, Bush supported a loophole-filled, NRA-approved measure. The Bush-supported measure was written by the NRA and NRA board member Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID). [Boston Globe, 5/18/99; Baltimore Sun, 5/21/99; Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5/22/99; Dallas Morning News, 5/27/99]

HATE CRIMES

Bush Refused to Lead on 1999 Texas Hate Crimes Legislation. Bush refused to lead on the 1999 James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act -- a Texas bill to increase criminal penalties for hate crimes, provide specialized training for police officers and provide civil remedies for victims targeted because of their race, gender or sexual orientation.

• First, Bush said he wouldn't support any legislation that contained protections for homosexuals. "I've always said all crime is hate crime. People, when they commit a crime, have hate in their heart. And it's hard to distinguish between one degree of hate and another," he said.
• Then, he refused to comment specifically on the James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act, saying, "I will look at the bill when it makes it to my desk, if it makes it to my desk."
• Finally, when the state legislature defeated the bill, Bush refused to use his influence to try to pass the bill in a second attempt -- even after a hate crime victim's family lobbied him directly. "I asked him personally if he would use his influence to help pass the bill.... He told me, 'No,'" said Daryl Verrett, nephew of hate crime victim James Byrd, Jr. [Dallas Morning News, 3/23/99; Analysis of HB 938, www.capitol.state.tx.us; New York Times, 5/16/99; Austin American-Statesman, 5/18/99]

HIGHER EDUCATION

Bush Ignored Higher Education in State of State Address; Spokeswoman Said It Didn't Need His Attention. When asked about why Bush didn't speak about higher education in his 1999 State of the State address, Bush spokeswoman Karen Hughes said, "Rather than make his [1999 State of the State] speech a laundry list for everything, he tends to focus on issues that he talked about during the campaign.... Higher education traditionally does a good job of advocating by itself." [Austin American-Statesman, 1/31/99]

Bush: "Higher Education Is Not My Priority." In 1998, Bush admitted, "Higher education is not my priority," even though he claims education is his number-one issue. The number of Texans with college degrees in 1998 was 14 percent lower than the rest of the United States. [San Antonio Express-News, 3/22/98; Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12/27/98]

1997 TAX PLAN

Bush Failed to Pass His Much-Touted Tax Plan in 1997. In 1997, Bush failed to pass his proposed property tax reform plan.

"It made [Bush] look like a loser, like he couldn't get things through his own legislature." -- Columnist Bob Novak. [CNN, "Inside Politics," 5/30/97]

"Bush suffered the biggest defeat of his first term when he tried to extend the sales tax into the service sector." -- Columnist David Broder. [Washington Post, 1/3/99]

"Property tax reform, if you got it passed, would be a major gem in a ring of accomplishment.... By not getting that, I think other party leaders are going to say, 'Gee, if he can't control a Republican Senate in Texas, then how is going to control a Democratic House or Senate in Washington?" -- John Gossett, professor at the University of North Texas. [Washington Post, 5/28/97]

"Gov. George W. Bush didn't get all that much of what he wanted during the 1997 legislative session." -- Austin American-Statesman editorial. [Austin American-Statesman, 6/1/97]

MANY AGREE BUSH IS NO LEADER

"He hasn't really done much as a governor in regards of doing anything new or innovative." -- Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson (R). [Associated Press, 2/19/99]

"Unlike many of his Republican gubernatorial counterparts in other states, Bush can't really point to any landmark achievement of his administration." [Governing Magazine, 7/98]

"The hype suggests Bush's stock is overvalued, its price fueled by speculation. It suggests he is untested on the national level, has an unremarkable record as a governor and that his presidential campaign might have peaked before he even officially declares." -- Michael Tackett, Chicago Tribune writer. [Chicago Tribune, 5/24/99]

"I'm concerned that when there are issues that tear at [a legislative body], like hate crimes and guns shows, whether or not Bush will take a stand.... If he becomes president, and similar type issues emerge, what type of leadership will he show?" -- Texas State Senator Royce West (D-Dallas). [Boston Globe, 5/23/99]

BUSH FAILING TO LEAD

"I'll take a definite position at the appropriate time." -- Bush saying in 1999 that he wanted a clear signal from the Texas Legislature before he decided what approach to take in funding the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). [Houston Chronicle, 3/5/99; Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3/22/99]

"No, my position was, first all, this was a moral conscience vote on the Senate.... I stood back and said I was going to analyze the bill once it made it off the floor of the Senate. It never did." -- Bush on the 1999 Texas hate crimes legislation. [Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5/16/99]

"I will look at the bill when it makes it to my desk, if it makes it to my desk." -- Bush on the 1999 hate crimes legislation. [New York Times, 5/16/99]

"He is not involved in the tobacco litigation in any way, he has said that is a matter for the attorney general." -- Bush spokeswoman Karen Hughes saying that Bush wasn't involved in the state's tobacco litigation. [Austin American-Statesman, 8/28/97]

"That's a matter for the secretary of state to make his judgment on." -- Bush spokeswoman Karen Hughes on whether Texas still needed federal supervision to make sure voting discrimination didn't occur. [Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9/14/97]