Affirmative Action: MEND IT, DON'T END IT

All year Bill Clinton has been hurrying toward political center on everything from balancing the budget to school prayer. So it seemed a safe bet that his 4-1/2-month review of federal affirmative-action programs would end with a decision aimed at placating "angry white males" opposed to racial preferences. Instead, in a speech last week, Clinton delivered an unequivocal endorsement of affirmative action. His message: "Mend it, don't end it."

What made him stand his ground? For one thing, he seems to be in synch with a majority of those questioned in a TIME/CNN poll taken after the speech. Asked about federal...

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