Thus, it did not matter how much criticism Mr. Bush endured from Democrats for speaking at Bob Jones University, a conservative bastion that bans interracial dating.

Mr. Bush's recent visit to Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C., a conservative Christian institution that bans interracial dating, came up in both interviews.

His was the only vote, for example, favoring federal tax-exempt status for Bob Jones University, which banned interracial dating and had an expulsion policy on that basis.

And two weeks ago, he spoke to students at Bob Jones University, a conservative Christian school that bans interracial dating.

Although I loved debating, I never had much enthusiasm when challenged to defend the university's policy banning interracial dating.

Many other universities across the South once had policies banning interracial dating.

Mr. D'Amato pointed to Mr. Bush's visit to Bob Jones University, which bans interracial dating.

On February 24, McCain criticized Bush for accepting the endorsement of Bob Jones University despite its policy banning interracial dating.

The principal had sparked the controversy some months before the fire when he unsuccessfully tried to ban interracial dating at the senior prom and was accused of calling a mixed-race student a "mistake" her parents had made.

She also argued that Bob Jones University should have its tax-exempt status restored despite its policy banning interracial dating.