White House Aide Channels a Democrat on Fixing Nation's Social Ills

"I do. Absolutely," Bush said about whether he thinks the court should be more diverse. "And, as you might remember, I put forth a woman who I thought would be a great Supreme Court judge. And she never really got out of the blocks."

Asked by Williams to explain the deep social problems still plaguing parts of black America, Bush took a long view.

"You know, I think there's a lot of conditions that create that," he said. "One is schools that have been inadequate and have failed. If you don't get a good education, Juan, your self-esteem drops or you become someone who says that 'Society isn't meant for me.'

"Secondly, I believe the breakdown of the family has affected people. The way you solve a lot of the problems is -- at least my solution has been to really empower those who could be most effective at helping people realize there are right and wrong in life, and that is the inner-city churches."

Bush also said that his policies have been aimed at helping poor families accumulate wealth, by encouraging home ownership and private accounts linked to Social Security (an idea that never gained traction).

Bush, an avid sports fan, was also asked about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb's assertion that black quarterbacks are more closely scrutinized than their white counterparts. Williams asked Bush whether he thinks that dynamic is true across American life.

"Yeah, it's an interesting question. I heard him say that. And you know, it's a -- if he was under scrutiny [last week], he was scrutinized positive, because he had a great game. I mean this guy can play," Bush said. ". . . I'm sure there are cases where somebody feels like the criticism -- the harsh criticism comes because expectations, you know, aren't being met or because -- you know, let me just say, like, for example, [Secretary of State Condoleezza] Rice. You know, she gets criticized. I don't think she would tell you that she's been criticized more than any other secretary of state because of her race. Maybe she would. I don't think so. I've never heard her complain about it."

Yankees Win the Bush Poll

As Bush made the rounds at the United Nations last week, he took time to conduct his own mini-poll of the sentiments of New York City police officers when it comes to that most pressing of issues: Yankees or Mets? The question surprised and delighted officers, even if the results could leave Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island (Mets country) residents demanding a recount. The presidential survey came up 11 to 1 Yankees, according to a Bush aide.