EDITORIAL: Bush's running mate

FROM THE ARCHIVE

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JULY 20, 2000

Bush is looking to Oklahoma for possible running mate.
Special from The Oklahoma Indian Times

"In my opinion, state laws are supreme over tribal laws." Texas Gov. George W. Bush, the Republican front-runner for president, uttered these words way back in January, but the statement all but decides the way most American Indians will vote in November.

The statement is a direct threat to tribal sovereignty, a sign that relations between Indian nations and the U.S. government could deteriorate if Bush makes the White House. Many Indians are calling for a retraction of the statement, which the Oklahoma Indian Times has brought to the attention of Bush spokespeople at campaign headquarters in Austin, Texas.

So far, no retraction. But until Bush gets a better handle on Indian issues, the rest of us can only hope and speculate about the future. Speculation about his potential running mate has been a favorite game of the national news media as of late. Not a day goes by without a fresh spin on the slimming list of VP possibilities bouncing around in Bush's head.

On that list is Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating. The media has continued to throw Keating's name into the guessing game, along with other Republican governors, senators and military officials.

But an anonymous source in Texas, close to Bush's gubernatorial staff, said Bush was eyeing Keating as his choice for attorney general. The source said a former high-ranking state official, pegged by Bush when he was elected governor, inquired to the presidential contender about the AG post. "He said he owed Keating a huge favor," the source said. He did not care to guess on what that favor may have been, but joked it was probably not one of the friendly Texas-OU wagers made over football games.

Keating, who was associate AG under Ronald Reagan, assistant secretary of the treasury under Bush's father, George, and general counsel as acting deputy director of HUD, also is chairman of the Oklahoma Bush campaign. "Gov. Keating is a strong supporter and close friend of Gov. Bush," said Dan Mahoney, director of communications for the governor's office. "He thinks Bush would make an excellent president."

True to his office, Mahoney dodged questions about Keating's role in a potential Bush cabinet. "It's flattering for the governor to be on these lists," he said. "But there's only one list that matters and that's Bush's. He needs to get elected first."

Bush told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that only three people know how his VP selection is going: himself, wife Laura, and Dick Cheney, the former secretary of defense in charge of his GOP picks. So, here goes the speculation game again, this time for Oklahoma. What would be the political atmosphere should Keating move back to Washington, most likely as attorney general? Would the love-hate relationship with the state's Indians carry on to a national level?

The next few months could determine a lot of things for Oklahoma Indians, as well as Indians across the U.S. A president who proclaims states sovereign over Indian nations, and a potential vacancy at the capitol in Oklahoma City could accompany the November chill.

Zach Maxwell is a contributor to The Oklahoma Indian Times. Contact: Elizabeth Gray and Jim Gray, Publishers. PO Box 692050, Tulsa, OK 74169. editor@okit.com

Relevant Links:
The Oklahoma Indian Times - www.okit.com
The Democratic National Committee - www.democrats.org/index.html
The Washington State Republican Party - www.wsrp.org
The Republican National Committee - www.rnc.org