Bush made a few big mistakes. First he developed this plan behind closed doors with input from some minorities who obviously lack credibility with other minority leaders. The Bush staff likes to keep its secrets. They have yet to learn the value of a trial balloon. We'd all be better off if there had been broader input before the plan was announced.
People are naturally suspicious of things hatched secretly by people who think they know best.
There's a certain arrogance in creating a plan that others will have to live by. Bush did think he had the backing of Sen. Daryl Jones, D-Miami, the leader of the black caucus. But Jones backed off at the first sign of trouble, leaving us all to wonder if Jones truly has the right stuff to be a leader. Think how different Bush's life might have been if he had merely ordered pizzas and spent a few hours talking to the legislators. Instead Bush declined to meet with them, denounced the reporters who tagged along to watch the sit-in and stalked off to the mansion while his staff stayed behind trying to find a way to get the reporters out.