Lieberman Vows Support of Affirmative Action Lieberman Vows Support of Affirmative Action
By Mike Allen and Thomas B. Edsall Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, August 16, 2000 ; Page A18
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 15
Moving quickly to quell the skepticism of some black leaders about his views, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut used his first day at the Democratic convention to declare today that he strongly supports affirmative action, and explained votes that could boost private schools. Ten hours after flying into Los Angeles, Lieberman went before the Democratic National Committee's black caucus to try to tamp down concern in a critical Democratic constituency about his record, including his failure to oppose a 1996 California ballot measure to abolish state-funded affirmative action programs, and his support for experiments with vouchers, which use government money to help some children attend private schools.
African American convention delegates and several elected officials, including Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), have raised questions about Lieberman this week, and a black caucus meeting Monday was suspended after it was taken over by the discussion. Today, however, the crowd of several hundred at the black caucus meeting greeted the vice presidential nominee with a standing ovation, and took up a chant of "We want Joe." Grinning, Lieberman responded, "You've got him!" The ballroom at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel was festooned with two giant, red, white and blue banners saying, "African Americans For Gore & Lieberman 2000."
"I feel as if I'm with family," Lieberman said. "Don't let the press or our opponents divide us." Lieberman said "there's been misunderstanding" of his view of affirmative action, and said he had expressed support for California's Proposition 209 based only on its language and not based on details of its implications. He said he later refused to sign a letter of endorsement. "I have supported affirmative action, I do support affirmative action and I will support affirmative action," he said, to applause. But he acknowledged differences with running mate Al Gore on the question of whether to use public money to help pupils attend private schools.
"It is a fact I have supported some demonstration programs for vouchers," he said. "But let me make real clear that the focus of my attention and the main support that I've always given has been to the public schools, because that's where most of our children will be educated." Following the meeting, Waters, who had been the most outspoken in demanding a public accounting from the Connecticut senator, said, "I feel a lot better." Waters told reporters: "I'll campaign with him. I feel comfortable in campaigning for him. I was not going to do it and lose credibility if these issues had not been clarified."
The Gore campaign has moved quickly to counter signs of opposition to Lieberman among African Americans, a core constituency that has given more than 90 percent of its vote to past Democratic presidential candidates. Party officials fear criticism of Lieberman's record could be magnified by longstanding tensions between parts of the black and Jewish political communities, and could ultimately depress turnout by black Democratic voters. "The Gore campaign needs to get this settled and behind them, and it's got to be settled with the black leadership so it doesn't begin to spread," said a Democratic consultant who works extensively in black political contests.
Democratic consultants and pollsters, who did not want to speak on the record, said the crucial task for Gore and Lieberman is to prevent the possibility of Lieberman's strong opposition to affirmative action in the mid-1990s from becoming a matter of public discussion among black political activists and on black talk radio. In addition to today's meeting--in which Lieberman was joined by Gore's campaign manager, Donna Brazile--Labor Secretary Alexis M. Herman and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) have been working to counter questions about Lieberman, an Orthodox Jew. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a hero of the civil rights movement, is scheduled to be one of two speakers to introduce Lieberman to the convention on Wednesday.
The seats at the caucus meeting had been set with sheets of seven talking points labeled "Joe Lieberman and Affirmative Action," beginning with: "Joe Lieberman has devoted a lifetime to fighting for civil rights." The final point acknowledged, "In 1995, like many other Democrats, Lieberman raised questions about the future of affirmative action and its abilities to achieve its goals." Democratic officials' efforts to shore up black support continued outside the hall.
A Gore campaign statement was headlined, "African American Leaders Applaud Gore's Selection of Lieberman." And a table was piled with copies of an Aug. 8 statement from Jesse L. Jackson, founder and president of the Rainbow Push Coalition, which said of Gore's selection of Lieberman, "Another barrier falls and another opportunity rises. . . . With this choice, the one Big Tent Dream is a step closer to reality." In the past, Jackson clashed with Lieberman because of his stance on affirmative action. In 1995, Lieberman emerged as perhaps the strongest Democratic critic of affirmative action; in August of that year, the Harford Courant reported that he issued a statement declaring that "many affirmative action programs must change because they are inconsistent with the law and with the basic American value of equal treatment and opportunity."
Jackson responded by traveling to Hartford specifically to protest Lieberman's stand, and used harsh language in criticizing the senator. "In the absence of affirmative action, we have negative action," Jackson said outside Lieberman's offices. "To see Jesse Helms and Lieberman with about the same position on affirmative action is an uncomfortable sight; it's a disconcerting sight. . . . I would hope that the lowest dimension of politics would not let those strange bedfellows find a comfort zone in perpetuating injustice."
Lieberman said today that when President Clinton announced his plans to "mend, not end" affirmative action, he endorsed the Clinton plan. In fact, according to the Courant, Lieberman was very lukewarm toward the Clinton proposal. "It's not the speech I would have given, yet I respect his sincerity and good intentions here," he was quoted as saying. Lieberman had campaigned with Gore since being chosen as his running mate, but flew ahead of Gore to the convention early today so he could prepare for his speech to the delegates on Wednesday night. After talking to the black caucus today, Lieberman briefly addressed the party's Native American Caucus. On Tuesday, Lieberman is to speak to Latino/Hispanic, Asian-Pacific and gay and lesbian delegates.
Washington Post staff writer Hamil R. Harris contributed to this report.
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