Abe Bonowitz and Father Mark Niznik of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty debated capital punishment with the governor during the first two meetings. Bishop Thomas Masters of Palm Beach County then asked him to support clemency for Lionel Tate, who was 12 when he killed 6-year-old family friend Tiffany Eunick. An appeals court recently threw out Tate's life sentence and ordered a new trial.

Bush routinely holds office hours in rural communities to give residents an opportunity to tell him their concerns. The death penalty opponents and Masters arrived a day early to ensure they could also speak with the governor.

"He listened. He respectfully disagreed," Bonowitz said. "We did confront him on his inconsistencies on his position on the sanctity of life. He didn't have much to say on about that."

Bush is opposed to abortion and recently intervened in a right-to-die case, ordering a feeding tube reinserted into Terry Schiavo, a brain-damaged woman whose husband had won a court battle that allowed her to die. Bush supports the death penalty, but has often said enforcing it is the hardest part of his job.

"There's a difference to me to protecting the sanctity of innocent life and the fulfillment of a sentence" given to a murderer, Bush told Bonowitz, who taped the meeting.

Niznik, a priest with the St. Paul's Polish National Catholic Church in Belleview, said he used Bible scriptures to try to persuade Bush that the death penalty is wrong. Bush is a Roman Catholic. Niznik's church is not under the auspices of the pope.

"There is no way you can be a Christian and support the death penalty," Niznik said afterward. "I don't know if I was able to move his heart today, but I tried like heck."

Afterward Bush said "I'm respectful of people's differing views on the death penalty. I know I'm a backdrop for people's advocacy of their views. That's free game, that's fair in a democracy and it's not out of hand."

Masters, of New Macedonia Church in Riviera Beach, said Bush told him he could not do anything to help Tate, who said he was imitating pro wrestling moves and didn't mean to kill the girl at his mother's Broward County home in 1999. Prosecutors have not said whether they will retry Tate or again seek a life sentence.

"It's a very shameful practice to give a child that age that type of sentence," Masters said after the meeting.

Masters also urged Bush to consider overhauling the juvenile justice system, arguing that children can be reformed and that placing them in adult prisons keeps them from going to college, joining the military or finding a good job once released.

In all, 45 people signed up to see Bush at the Lafayette County Courthouse. Most were from the region and wanted to talk about topics ranging from the county's need for an animal control officer to job training programs.

Camille Brockman, program director for a regional employment service center, said she planned to ask Bush to provide more money for job training so residents will be prepared for jobs created by large companies moving to the area.

"We don't want Wal-Mart or Nestle to come here and bring people in from Atlanta or Miami," Brockman said.

Patty Wood-Williams of Live Oak told the governor she didn't have any complaints, but she said she was concerned about a previous attempt to place restrictions on airboats.

"Most airboat owners are kind, courteous and aren't out at two in the morning making excessive noise," she said.

Pastor Chris Musgrove of the Lighthouse Christian Center and Academy said he would like any available money to help his school. The pastor and his 9-year-old daughter, Victoria, finished the meeting by taking Bush's hands in prayer.

"We pray for you every day," he told Bush. "You and your brother."

"Thank you," said Bush, who is President Bush's brother. "Pray extra strong for him."

AP-ES-12-19-03 1422EST