USTIN, Texas - Governor George W. Bush said yesterday that his politics of inclusion do not include meeting with representatives of a homosexual organization within his own Republican Party.
''All that does is create kind of a huge political nightmare for people,'' Bush said when asked whether he would meet with members of the Log Cabin Republicans.
Bush, appearing on NBC's ''Meet The Press,'' repeated his opposition to homosexuals marrying or adopting children and to hate-crime laws that enumerate specific groups such as race and sexual orientation.
Speaking from the governor's mansion in Austin, the GOP front-runner gave a wide-ranging interview that covered issues from the rights of homosexuals to whether individuals can sue their health maintenance organizations.
His Republican rival, Senator John McCain, said yesterday that he disagrees with the Log Cabin Republicans but met with the group because the GOP should be willing to debate different ideas.
''I believe I can have my point of view prevail in an honest and open debate and dialogue, whether with the Log Cabin Republicans or whether it be the Christian right or whoever,'' he said on CBS's ''Face the Nation.''
GOP challenger Steve Forbes, appearing on CNN's ''Late Edition,'' said: ''If people want to talk with me, that's fine. They might not like what I have to say on issues, such as same-sex marriage. ... I'm open to meeting a lot of people.''
All three candidates oppose same-sex marriage.
For Bush, the hourlong NBC interview marked his first appearance in the presidential race on the Sunday morning talk shows.
Bush said he opposes race-based quotas but could support a federal program that sets a goal of giving at least 10 percent of government contracts to women and minority-owned businesses. At the same time, he said, the primary purpose should be to encourage new entrepreneurs to win government contracts.
During the interview, Bush said Russia had ''overstepped the bounds of decency'' in Chechnya ''by bombing innocent women and children,'' and that if Moscow did not change its policy, International Monetary Fund aid ought to be suspended.
''Absolutely,'' he replied when asked if the United States should hold up a $640 million lending package due Russia in the next few weeks.
Bush said he would apply the same standards to China. ''If China starts bombing innocent women and children, you bet,'' he said. He hinted that he might provide theater missile defenses to Taiwan or other US allies in the region, such as Japan, to protect against Chinese military aggression in Asia.
On other issues, Bush said he would consider raising the age to qualify for Social Security to assure the fund's solvency for the baby boomer generation. In addition, the governor said any program allowing people to invest a portion of their money in private retirement accounts must include ''guaranteed benefits levels'' that protect against a collapse in the market.
Bush said that as president, he would support a federal law giving people the right to sue their HMOs - but only if it included an intermediary step in which an independent panel would weigh the merit of a claim. The 1997 Texas Legislature approved such a bill and Bush allowed it to become law without his signature.
Acknowledging that the position puts him at odds with Republicans in Congress, Bush said, ''People ought to have some kind of access to express their concerns, both to an arbitration panel and ultimately to the courts.''
Bush said he would support a constitutional amendment banning abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the women. But he said that his view runs counter to a majority of public opinion.
Bush again refused to discuss whether he has ever used illegal drugs.
Material from Reuters was used in this report.
