Bush To Host Education Forum

Thursday, January 11th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) â€” President-elect Bush, who made education a central theme of his presidential campaign, is holding a forum with corporate executives and educators to discuss his educational agenda as he works at filling remaining vacancies in his administration.

Bush's meeting comes as he prepares to make a final trip back to Texas before returning here next week in advance of his Jan. 20 inauguration.

The president-elect was trying to find a new labor secretary after his first choice, Linda Chavez, withdrew Tuesday in the face of disclosures that she provided shelter and financial support to an illegal immigrant who performed household chores for her.

A leading candidate for the job, Eloise Anderson, former social services director in Wisconsin and California, was interviewed by Bush for the post late Wednesday after being summoned from California.

He also met Wednesday with Stephen Goldsmith, a former Indianapolis mayor whose name has been mentioned both for the labor post and to head Bush's proposed White House ``office of faith-based programs.''

That office would coordinate government assistance to religious organizations that provide social services.

Top Bush officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Anderson appears to be the leading candidate for the labor job, though they said Bush has yet to make a final decision.

Republicans also mentioned for the post include Elaine L. Chao, former deputy transportation secretary and the wife of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; and former Rep. Jim Talent, just defeated for Missouri governor.

Among those meeting with Bush at the educational forum were Urban League President Hugh Price, Pennsylvania Education Secretary Gene Hickock, Arizona School Superintendent Lisa Graham Keegan, Chicago public schools executive Paul Vallas and the chief executives of TRW, the Hartford Financial Group, Texaco, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Lockheed Martin and Pfizer.

``One of the whole purposes of the meeting is to take a look comprehensively at education. And he's had a number of meetings with teachers and continue to have other meetings with teachers, but there are different groups that get put together for the comprehensive approach,'' said Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer.

Meanwhile, the Senate appeared ready to give easy approval to Rod Paige as education secretary. The former Houston schools chief sought to reassure top Democrats that private-school vouchers wouldn't be a priority in the new administration.

``What I am trying to find is what works,'' Paige, a self-described supporter of ``parental choice'' told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Wednesday. ``I think there is room for us to talk about this.''

Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., who ran the hearing because Democrats have temporary control of the Senate, cautioned, ``We must not undermine public schools through private school voucher schemes. ... They are divisive issues that lead to needless partisan conflict.''

During his campaign, President-elect Bush proposed giving students in chronically lagging schools the financial means to go a different school â€” including private institutions. Paige, who's run the Houston schools since 1994, supported private-school vouchers in limited form.

The Bush transition team, meanwhile, was mounting a spirited campaign on behalf of the nomination of former Sen. John Ashcroft, R-Mo., to be attorney general.

Labor, civil rights and other liberal groups are waging an all-out effort to try to block his confirmation, an effort that intensified once Chavez â€” an earlier target â€” dropped out.

Fleischer on Wednesday expressed annoyance that special interest groups opposed to Ashcroft had gained access to opposition research on him done by the late Gov. Mel Carnahan's Missouri Senate campaign. The material â€” boxes of news clippings, speeches and voting records â€” was gathered for use against Ashcroft in his unsuccessful Senate re-election campaign.

``What's interesting here is the John Ashcroft process is marked by this escalating ideological division in this town, and I don't think that's healthy for the process,'' Fleischer said.

Bush still needs to fill some other key vacancies: those of CIA director, U.N. ambassador and U.S. trade representative.

Top contenders for the trade spot include Robert Zoellick, a former assistant secretary of state for economic affairs during the administration of Bush's father, and Richard W. Fisher, a Democrat who is currently the deputy U.S. trade representative. Zoellick is also believed to be in the running for the No. 2 spot at Treasury.