SOCIAL ISSUES : Affirmative Action Backers Turn Up the Heat on Clinton

As the debate on affirmative action strains the relationship between the White House and civil rights leaders, women’s groups, black academics and ministers are working together to persuade the Administration to hold firm on federal policies intended to overcome discrimination.

Civil rights activists have met in a round of discussions with Vice President Al Gore, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry G. Cisneros and White House staff members in an effort to win over President Clinton.

According to civil rights strategists, who spoke with The Times on the condition that they not be identified, the activists are saying they will accept nothing less than full support from Clinton on retention of existing affirmative action programs.

“The civil rights community has made it clear they will battle to death on this one,” said one Administration official. “They have been pressing the White House to make a clear statement of intent, whether it is with them or against them. So far, the Administration has held off on taking that stand.”

Affirmative action is the subject of a fierce debate within the Administration, as Clinton’s advisers struggle to deal with an issue that has deep roots in the Democratic Party but clearly has created a backlash--especially among white males--that Republicans are stepping forward to address.

On Tuesday, leaders representing the Feminist Majority Foundation and the National Council of Negro Women joined with black civil rights leaders in accusing the Administration of employing “divide and conquer” tactics to pit the interests of women and racial minorities against those of white men in the affirmative action debate.

“Women in this nation and worldwide face an unprecedented backlash that seeks to roll back the advances of the last century and to prevent women from moving forward toward equality,” said Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority Foundation.

They say they worry that Clinton may be looking for cover to embrace GOP arguments against affirmative action in an effort to prevent Republicans from capitalizing on growing public sentiment against using race as a criterion in employment, scholarships and other social benefits. Many swing voters in the November election were conservative white men who ardently oppose affirmative action policies.

“I can understand the anxieties of Democrats who fear their elections will be jeopardized if they in fact embrace affirmative action,” said Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles), co-chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus’ affirmative action task force. “They are looking for a way out. The way out is to educate people . . . .

“The idea that the President and others have quickly talked about a review signals that perhaps something is wrong with affirmative action and that it needs to be ‘fixed.’ I do not want people starting with the idea something is wrong before first understanding what affirmative action is and is not.”

As they wait for a definitive statement from the President, women’s groups and civil rights leaders have gone on the offensive to combat advisers in the White House who are urging Clinton to reject affirmative action.

On the other hand, many civil rights leaders say they have been cheered by Gore’s involvement in the issue. In recent weeks, Gore invited prominent black ministers, scholars, civil rights activists and government officials to dinner at his home to discuss race relations and affirmative action.

One series of three dinners, in fact, featured about 40 black intellectuals with wide and differing opinions on affirmative action. Each of the dinners was assigned a discussion topic, and the scholars were asked to come prepared to discuss the subject of the night: “What does race mean?” “What kind of future do Americans want?” and “How do we achieve a multicultural society?”

In an interview last week, Gore said that the dinners were an effort to help him understand the issues and had been planned for more than a year. He said it was “largely coincidental” that they occurred at the same time GOP leaders in Congress raised questions about affirmative action.