Bush Sticks To Golden State

George W. Bush traveled west on Thursday to talk about education and teach a lesson about commitment.

On the first stop of his two-day visit to California, the Texas governor took part in a leadership forum at the Charles E. Mack School in Sacramento. He was introduced by Jaime Escalante, a retired math teacher whose success in teaching disadvantaged children was the subject of the movie Stand And Deliver.

Bush also sought to squelch Republican fears (and Democratic hopes) that he might write off the state as his father did in his '92 campaign. Though California has become increasingly Democratic in recent years, Bush reiterated his promise to fight hard to carry the state in November.

"I know there's a rumor going around the press in California that somehow I'm not going to compete in California. That's wishful thinking on the part of Al Gore," he said. "I'm looking forward to the contest in California. I intend to win."

When asked about his anti-abortion stance, which may not set well among the Golden State's moderate voters, Bush responded that "good people can disagree on the issues."

The GOP candidate's chances of winning California rest largely on his ability to define the issues. He hopes his education reform message will appeal to Latino voters, who might make the difference in a tight race. On Friday, Bush will attend a Los Angeles breakfast meeting organized by the National Hispanic Women's Conference. "It will be tough just because I've got Republican by my name. That's not going to stop me," he said.

Bush's reform message will likely find a wide audience in California, where educators are struggling to combat a severe teacher shortage just as they face new reforms by Democratic Governor Gray Davis.

At Thursday's event, Bush put special emphasis on reading. He said that instructing teachers on how to teach reading is critical, as is allowing schools to set their own priorities without federal interference.

There's clearly room for improvement in the Golden State. A "report card" issued by Education Week magazine states that 22 percent of California's 8th graders are proficient in reading and just 17 percent are proficient in math. While the state scored a B+ for efforts to improve standards and accountability, the state earned a D- for adequacy of resources.

In comparison, 28 percent of Texas 8th graders are proficient in reading and 21 percent in math. Like California, the Lone Star State earned a B+ for efforts to improve standards overall, but fell noticeably short in improving teacher quality - in that category, the state received a D. And the magazine's Web site says, "Texas took steps last year to address concerns about the quality and availability of teachers, but it has a long way to go."

Left-Coast Limbo Jorge W. Bush hits California (nobody mention Pete Wilson!)

Voters appear to be listening to Bush's speeches on education reform. Though he fell 12-percentage points behind Al Gore as the candidate best able to handle education among California voters in a Los Angeles Times exit poll after the state primary, recent national polls show voters split over who would be the Education President. Those results have no doubt caused concern in the Gore camp. Education, after all, has traditionally been the Democrats' issue.

In response, Gore has stepped up efforts to call into question Bush's credentials as an education reformer. In a speech in Washington on Wednesday, the vice president accused Bush of neglecting the three "R's" of real reform. "He doesn't provide resources our schools need, he doesn't make the reforms our schools need and he doesn't take responsibility for education as a national priority," said Gore.

The Bush campaign responded by calling Gore's education agenda "toothless."

In other words, Bush won't surrender the education issue anytime soon. A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center last month shows 52 percent of voters said they would be "more likely" to vote for Bush if they had heard "he has improved education in Texas."