BUSH CAMPAIGN TRAIN MOBBED IN OXNARD.

Byline: Dominic Berbeo Staff Writer

OXNARD - Just days before the Democratic National Convention, Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush opened a whistle-stop tour of California on Wednesday, vowing to aggressively pursue votes in the state and vowing to beef up the military and cut taxes.

``My intentions are to come here not only because it's a pretty place, but we are going to come here because we intend to carry California in November,'' Bush told some 3,000 people at the Oxnard train station, his first stop on a campaign swing up the Central Coast.

Speaking from the back of a red-, white- and blue-decorated Amtrak train, Bush spoke in Spanish at times, while laying out his plan to spend more on defense, boost education and rework the tax code to benefit the middle class.

``El sueno Americano es para todos,'' he said, telling the crowd in Spanish that the American dream is for all people.

``The Democrats had their chance,'' he said, adding that taxes are at their highest level as a percentage of the American economy since World War II. ``They've squandered the moment. The current surplus means government has more money than it needs.''

The Texas governor called for reform of Medicare and Social Security, saying Americans should be allowed to invest their paycheck contributions instead of being required to rely on the government for retirement checks.

``It should be your choice to take some of your own money and put it in private markets to get a better return on your investment,'' he said.

Bush vowed to rebuild the military power of the United States, saying it would help boost morale among the armed forces he claims were ignored by the Democrats.

Those comments drew cheers from the crowd, mostly older residents from around Ventura County, where two military bases are two of the largest employers in the area.

Bush said he will not ignore California - and its 54 electoral votes - as previous GOP candidates did before.

``Somebody said to me the other day, 'Well, you just like to go to California because it's a pretty place to be, but you don't intend to fight for it, just like the last two campaigns.' They misunderstand me,'' he told the crowd.

Wednesday's rally was similar to the Republican National Convention in that there appeared to be more diversity represented on the stage than in the audience. An African-American gospel choir followed a mariachi band, and the emcee was also African-American.

Glen Becerra, the Ventura County chairman of the Bush campaign, joined Bush on the train platform. He said that in the past, GOP presidential hopefuls have lost key votes in California by not campaigning seriously in the Democrat-dominated state.

``Bush has made a commitment not to concede California,'' Becerra said in an interview. ``Ignoring California is a huge mistake that we've made in the past, and it has cost us.''

But Bush might not have an easy time conquering California, where 45 percent of registered voters are Democrats, compared with 35.14 percent Republican, according to the Secretary of State's Office.

In Oxnard, Ventura County's largest city with 160,000 residents, there are 58,143 registered voters - 30,575 Democrats and 16,007 Republicans, according to county Assistant Registrar of Voters Bruce Bradley.

At the rally, some 100 Gore supporters carrying signs with messages such as ``This is Gore Country,'' came out to upstage their rivals.

``The Republicans are trying hard to court the Latino vote and forge new ground in California, but they don't have the substance to do it,'' said Democrat Ann Malashock of Camarillo. ``People remember how Republicans treated immigrants with Proposition 187.''

But for others, like Republican Susan Lopez, an assistant at the Boys & Girls Club of Oxnard, the main draw to the GOP is Bush's stance against abortion.

``I'm voting Republican because of the moral issues like pro-life and family values,'' Lopez said. ``But it is true that they need to get more in touch with the people and find out what our other issues are.''

Minda Petralba, a Filipino immigrant housewife from Oxnard, said she is Catholic and a member of Mothers For Life, a local anti-abortion group. She said she has voted Republican for 10 years because of the abortion issue.

``As long as they have that view on abortion, I'll vote for them,'' she said. She added that she would prefer Bush not support the death penalty, but that the abortion issue was more important to her.

Bush arrived in Oxnard by train from the nearby Point Mugu Naval Air Station, where he arrived by plane from Texas. He left at noon for San Luis Obispo, and is scheduled to be joined on the campaign trail in Northern California by his former rival, Sen. John McCain, who nearly split the Republican vote with Bush in California's March primary.

The two will then campaign through Oregon and Washington before heading home Saturday to sit out next week's Democratic convention.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush waves to a crowd in Oxnard as he begins his whistle-stop train tour of the West Coast.

Eric Draper/Associated Press

(2) Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush waves to a group of well-wishers along the railroad tracks as his campaign train leaves Oxnard en route to Ventura on Wednesday.

(3) Francine Reyes, a lifelong resident of Oxnard, sings along with a mariachi band while waiting for the arrival of Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush on Wednesday. Bush arrived at Point Mugu by plan, then boarded a train for a West Coast campaign swing.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer