LIZABETH, N.J. - In a dramatic demonstration that campaign events can be scripted only so far, Texas Governor George W. Bush found his claim to be a compassionate conservative called into question yesterday by a Presbyterian minister.
Bush had come to the Elizabethport Presbyterian Center in this low-income, largely African-American community to talk about the benefits of faith-based after-school programs, summer camp, and other good works.
Noting his desire to ''close the gap of hope in America,'' Bush proposed boosting the amount of money the federal government gives states to pay for after-school programs. And he said religious groups should have full access to that money.
Bush didn't count on the Rev. Joseph H. Garlic, who was sitting nearby, to abruptly change the subject.
''I could not live with myself if I did not ask about Gary Graham,'' said Garlic, referring to the 135th person to be put to death in Texas during Bush's tenure in office. Graham was convicted of murdering an Arizona man during a robbery in Houston 19 years ago. He was executed last month.
''You talked this morning about love and giving people an opportunity, and I think that the doubt that surrounded the case of Gary Graham gave you an opportunity to show some compassion and love in a way that had not been shown before,'' Garlic lectured, with Bush listening closely.
Garlic, a Democrat who said he is undecided in the presidential race, told the governor that he missed a chance to show just what he means when he calls himself a new Republican. And he urged Bush to rethink his confidence in the criminal justice system's ability to ensure that no innocent people are executed.
''Particularly when it relates to black people, the justice system has not always been fair in this country, you have to admit that,'' he said.
Bush allowed that there is room for improvement in the system, but he firmly defended the Graham execution and the death penalty.
''I support the death penalty because I think it saves lives when it's administered fairly and justly and surely,'' said Bush. Vice President Gore also favors capital punishment.
''My job is to uphold the laws of my state, that's what I was sworn in to do, and I upheld the law,'' said Bush. ''In this case or in other cases it's not an easy decision to make, as I'm sure you can understand. This is not a political decision for me, Reverend. This is a decision of principle. This is a decision of utmost importance. It's a decision I take seriously. ... If it costs me votes, so be it. That's my job.''
Garlic, however, was not appeased.
''That is not an answer. That is not a good enough answer for me,'' he said.
''I'm sorry,'' Bush replied.
The exchange occurred on a day that Democrats were also trying to sow doubts about Bush's claim to compassion by trumpeting news that the Texas Department of Human Services failed to use $33 million in federal funds available to the state to provide meals for low-income children last year. The unspent funds were detailed in a report by the Food Research and Action Center in Washington, D.C.
''It's almost depressing to continue to see the plight of the poor children get worse in Texas when we really can and should do something about it,'' said Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, a Democrat from Dallas. ''He talks about being compassionate. He's compassionate to conservatives. It's nothing to do with being compassionate to the needy.''
The Bush campaign dismissed the complaints as election-year posturing.
''Yesterday, they were critical of Texas spending too much on health care for children,'' said Ari Fleischer, a Bush spokesman. ''Today they're saying he spends too little. It sounds to me like Democrats just want to attack, and Governor Bush is doing things just right.''
In speeches and appearances around the country, Bush says he is a different kind of Republican. In an effort to prove it, he has spoken to non-Republican, black, and Latino audiences. On Monday, he addressed the national convention of the NAACP, the nation's largest civil rights group.
''I'm not afraid to say the same thing across the country,'' said Bush. ''I have to say what's in my heart - that I've got deep care for the youngsters of this country.''
