BUSH CONSIDERS MOVE AGAINST RACIAL PROFILING

President Bush, visiting Nalle Elementary School in Southeast Washington
yesterday, said he will seek opportunities to address the thorny issue of
racial profiling, a practice in which police consider a person's race when
making traffic stops or holding suspects.

Bush, who went to the school to commemorate Black History Month, was asked
by a reporter whether he would establish a panel to examine racial
profiling or sign an executive order banning it. "I look at all
opportunities, starting with gathering of information, where the federal
government can help jurisdictions gather information, compile information
to get the facts on the table, to make sure that people are treated fairly
in the justice system," he said.

Bush's spokesman, Ari Fleischer, said the administration will be listening
to "various people," including law enforcement authorities, "to move
forward on some type of understanding about what can be done." The
International Association of Chiefs of Police has requested a meeting with
the White House staff, and the White House is planning more meetings.

Fleischer suggested the answer wouldn't be as simple as banning the
practice. "It's not as if there is one federal police force that the
president can wave a magic wand and make a very, very difficult problem go
away," he said. "It involves a lot of local jurisdictions that the United
States government does not have direct control over."

President Clinton directed federal law enforcement agencies to compile data
on racial profiling, but he declined to suggest a ban.

The gesture and the school visit were the latest efforts by Bush to improve
relations with African Americans. In addition to such visits, he has met
with black lawmakers and proposed programs, such as his civil society
initiative, that would benefit poor minorities.

Bush, whose private school voucher proposal has drawn criticism from public
school advocates, said he visited Nalle Elementary, a 450-student public
school, to keep the spotlight on District schools. "I think it's important
for the capital to stay focused on public education, public education
reforms," he said.

Bush, accompanied by Education Secretary Roderick R. Paige and D.C. school
Superintendent Paul L. Vance, sat on a chair at the front of the yellow
concrete block room and told the 20 third grade children sitting on the
floor in front of him: "If you can't read, it's going to be hard to realize
dreams, it's going to be hard to go to college."

Posters celebrating February as Black History Month were taped on the
walls, and Bush noted to the entirely African American group of students
"what's important about Black History Month is to read about different
heroes who have made a difference in making history, and to realize there
are fantastic role models."

Bush put on a pair of black-framed glasses and read from "More Than
Anything Else," a book by Marie Bradby about the young Booker T.
Washington. After finishing, Bush turned to reporters and camera crews at
the back of the classroom and took questions on a range of subjects,
including racial profiling.

Also yesterday, Bush continued to introduce himself to world leaders by
telephone. He spoke with Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato and King
Mohammed VI of Morocco before heading to Camp David for the weekend.