Bush Airs Plans for Religious Leaders

AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 20 (AP) - George W. Bush faced tough questioning Wednesday from a mixed-race panel of spiritual leaders as he shopped his initiatives to mobilize religious groups. But several participants said they walked away impressed by Bush, who promised to establish a White House ``Office of Faith-Based Action.''

The president-elect met privately for more than an hour with about 30 Christian, Muslim and Jewish clergy and scholars.

Bush said the meeting at a Baptist church was not political but at the same time acknowledged his weak showing among blacks in the November election. Just one in 10 black voters chose Bush over Vice President Al Gore, the Democratic candidate.

``Not everybody here voted for me,'' Bush said, prompting a burst of laughter from his panel. Looking around the room, he joked, ``I'm hoping to find one or two who did.''

In fact, several of his backers were on the panel, including Marvin Olasky, a Bush adviser who coined the phrase ``compassionate conservatism,'' and the Rev. Herbert Lusk, who endorsed Bush in a speech at the Republican National Convention in August.

``This is a meeting to begin a dialogue about how best to help faith-based programs change people's lives, how best government can encourage as opposed to discourage faith-based programs from performing their commonplace miracles of renewal,'' Bush said at a news conference.

``We all recognize that our society can change,'' he said. ``We're a room full of optimists.''

Bush promised during his campaign to expand the ability of spiritual organizations to provide services to the poor and said government money should go to such groups. Critics have said such an arrangement could raise church-state separation problems.

The round-table dialogue Wednesday focused on the broad concept, not on specifics, several participants said. Bush appeared to be gathering ideas as he assembles the programs, they said.

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