In one of his many campaigns ads, presidential candidate George W. Bush claims that "In Texas, you're only as good as your word." In the spirit of that statement, NOW has compared Bush's campaign rhetoric to his actions.

What W. Promises: "Compassionate Conservatism"

What W. Delivers:

• In an interview with Talk magazine about executed prisoner Karla Faye Tucker, W. mocked her fate, whimpering "Please, don't kill me."

• On Feb. 24, 2000, W. declined to stay the execution of Betty Lou Beets, a woman who contended that she was the survivor of years of domestic abuse at the hands of the man she was convicted of murdering.

• Texas rates among the top states in the U.S. in the rate of violence against women committed with guns.

• Since taking office in 1995, Mr. Bush has presided over more executions than any other governor.

What W. Delivers:

• "I'm going to set a goal that says the unborn ought to be protected in the law and welcomed into life. That ought to be a national goal." Meet the Press, 11/21/99

• W. officially declared January 1998 to be a "Month of Prayer to End Abortion," in Texas.

• In 1999, Texas (along with Michigan) enacted more anti-choice measures than any other state. Of the 31 anti-choice measures introduced in the Texas legislature, W. signed seven into law. Included among those was a directive that the state distribute informational materials to pregnant minors, materials containing medically inaccurate and misleading information about the risks of abortion.

• W. opposed a 1995 bill which called for harsh penalties for criminal trespassing at abortion clinics, saying he felt it was unnecessary.

What W. Delivers:

• Texas ranks 50th among U.S. states in teachers' salaries plus benefits.

• "Higher education is not my priority." San Antonio Express News, 3/22/98

• The number of children in Texas who died from abuse and neglect has increased every single year since W. became governor.

• The U.S. Department of Labor concluded that the Bush administration violated the Family and Medical Leave Act by removing a state employee from his job for requesting time off to care for his sick daughter.

What W. Delivers:

• As a result of Bush's welfare reform, which he calls "a model for the nation": More than 410,000 Texans have been dropped from public assistance since 1995, without the state tracking whether they have found jobs or fell further into poverty; Texas now leads the U.S. in lost Medicaid coverage for children.

• In early 1999 W. refused to take a stand against a court of appeals decision that effectively ended affirmative action in higher education in Texas. The effect has been a dramatic decrease in women and people of color enrolling in public colleges and universities across the state.

What W. Delivers:

• Bush is on record against the inclusion of sexual orientation in any hate crime or anti-discrimination legislation, and is opposed to hate crime legislation in general.

• W. supported a Texas bill to make it illegal for lesbians and gay men to adopt children or serve as foster parents. The bill would not protect lesbian and gay people who had previously adopted, leaving those families vulnerable to losing their children.

• When W. was running for governor in 1994, the Houston Post reported that Bush believed heaven is open only to those who accept Jesus Christ.

What W. Delivers:

• Since George W. Bush became governor, the state of Texas has executed 124 prisoners, with 17 more scheduled in the next four months. (These numbers grow frequently, and anyone can track them on the Texas Department of Criminal Justice web site at www.tdcj.state.tx.us/statistics/stats-home.htm)

• Texas executes more prisoners than any other jurisdiction in the Western world.

• Amnesty International rated Texas 51st in the quality of criminal defense provided for accused defendants too poor to hire their own attorneys.

What W. Delivers:

• One out of six Texans lives below the poverty level.

• Texas ranks: second worst in the nation for women without health insurance (nearly 2 million women in the state did not have health insurance in 1999); worst in the nation for percentage of children without health insurance.

• In 1999 Texas had the most women (669,000) who would benefit from an increase in the minimum wage. This group represented 17 percent of the working women in Texas versus the 12.6 percent national average.

• Bush stated that he would support raising the minimum wage by $1 an hour only if states can opt out (making the law meaningless).