REENVILLE, S.C. - Republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes, a black Catholic whose wife is from India, stood in the pulpit yesterday at Bob Jones University, a school that bans interracial dating, and told the audience of nearly 6,500 people that religious and racial intolerance must end. Keyes said he came to challenge the community to cast aside the demons of ''sectarian bigotry or any racial prejudice that stands in the way of the unity Christ represents for Christian people.'' Texas Governor George W. Bush has been criticized for his recent visit. Bush said in a televised interview Sunday that he appeared at the school because he wanted ''to get out my message of compassionate conservatism. ... When I go to speak to voters, I don't necessarily have to embrace the policies of the university.'' Senator John McCain of Arizona said Sunday that he had no plans to visit Bob Jones University and would condemn its policies if he appeared there. ''He will not be invited,'' said university president Bob Jones III. (AP)
AFL-CIO head defends decision to endorse Gore
NEW ORLEANS - AFL-CIO president John Sweeney said yesterday the labor federation was correct to endorse Al Gore, even amid talk at a gathering of union leaders here of some rank-and-file support for Republican John McCain. Also yesterday, Andrew Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, said that enough of his union's members have been interested in McCain that the union considered officially recommending him as an alternative to the vice president for its Republican and independent members. The union ultimately did not take that step, and has endorsed only Gore. Two other large unions are refusing to join the AFL-CIO's endorsement of Gore: the Teamsters and the United Auto Workers. The AFL-CIO council has scheduled a closed-door meeting with Gore on Thursday. (AP)
TODAY'S CALENDAR
Gore campaigns in Baltimore, where he will appear at Morgan State University to discuss Internet access.
Bradley campaigns in Atlantic City and New York.
Bush, McCain, and Alan Keyes are in South Carolina and prepare to debate in Columbia in the evening.
