AUSTIN, Texas — After months of shying away, George W. Bush met Thursday with a group of gay Republicans and afterward said he would not ban gays from serving in a Bush administration.
Surrounded by nearly a dozen gay activists, handpicked for the occasion, the Texas governor said that sexual orientation is "not a factor" when it comes to his hiring decisions--a more conciliatory stance than he took during the GOP nominating fight.
"I welcome gay Americans into my campaign. I've always welcomed gay Americans into my campaign," Bush told reporters after the hourlong session at his Austin campaign headquarters. "I hope Republicans, conservative Republicans, understand that we judge people based upon their heart and soul."
On a day in which he also announced plans to meet next month with vanquished rival John McCain, Bush sounded a distinctly harmonious note. He said he was "a better person" for having heard gay activists share their life stories. Even so, he emphasized his continued disagreement on matters such as gay marriage.
"These are people from our neighborhoods, people with whom all of us went to school," Bush said. "I appreciate them sharing their stories with me. I'm mindful that we're all God's children."
For the many kind words, however, the gathering occurred only after several weeks of bitter back-and-forth between the Bush campaign and the gay Republican group that first requested the meeting. Ultimately, leaders of the organization, the Log Cabin Republicans, were excluded from the session.
"This was not a meeting about politics, it was a meeting about people," said Steve Gunderson, a gay former congressman from Wisconsin who attended the meeting.
Still, some social conservatives were quick to condemn Bush for even hosting the summit--the first of its kind for a Republican presidential standard-bearer--saying it raised doubts about his commitment to core GOP values and threatened to drive Republicans into the arms of independent Patrick J. Buchanan.
"Just by meeting with this group of gay supporters, Gov. Bush has elevated the gay rights agenda to a level of recognition within the Republican Party that contradicts our long-standing commitment to pro-family values," said Gary Bauer, a conservative lobbyist who unsuccessfully challenged Bush for the GOP nomination.
