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Bush's legislative record is depressing. This year he signed laws supporting minority contracting set-asides; directing electric utilities to develop diversit y and set-aside plans; and creating race-tar geted, scholarship-matching programs run by the state higher education coordinating board. Apparently, this principle is too politically controversial for GOP presidential front-runner George W. Bush to embrace publicly and unequivocally -- and too complicated for GOP law-enforcement officials in Bush's home state of Texas to defend.

Although Bush claims to oppose racial quotas and preferences, he refuses to take a position on two landmark ballot measures that outlawed racial preferences by popular vote: California's Prop. 209 and Washington state's Initiative 200. More disturbing was Bush's failure to take a position on Prop. A, the 1997 Houston Civil Rights Initiative, which would have outlawed racial preferences in contracting by Houston city government.

If Bush cannot bring himself to support ballot initiatives that abolish government preferences, then his stated opposition to preferences is thin gruel.

Michelle Malkin