By Judy Sarasohn

Puerto Rico Gov. Sila Calderon met with Vieques protest leaders earlier this week and won at least grudging support of her efforts to end the Navy's use of the
island of Vieques for bombing exercises. She's in a particularly difficult situation now with lawmakers and defense officials arguing that Vieques is needed more than
ever for training as a result of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Calderon supports the Bush administration's proposal to scrap the November referendum on stopping the exercises and to impose a May 3, 2001, exit date for the
Navy. But if Congress doesn't include a firm date in the defense authorization legislation, she would oppose killing the referendum.

According to the San Juan Star, Robert Rabin, one of the protest leaders, said they were now satisfied with Calderon's explanation of her efforts to press the Bush
administration. "Without being more specific," the newspaper reported, "the governor explained that Republican lobbyists working for the Puerto Rican government
had [been] actively advancing the government's position in the White House, said Rabin."

But some of the protesters have been critical of Calderon's lobbyists. One of those protesters is Jose Paralitici, head of All Puerto Rico With Vieques Committee,
who was a key supporter of Calderon during her campaign. He wrote her Aug. 26 about an earlier meeting he had with her when he "emphasized the necessity to
increase and to make more efficient the lobbying efforts of the government with the White House of President Bush."

Paralitici wrote that he did not want "to take away their merits," but he was critical of your "lobbyists Charlie Black and others." He proposed the hiring of
Republicans Carlos Rodriguez, a California Republican, who Paralitici said is a close friend of Bush adviser Karl Rove and lobbyist Gerald Solomon, a former
Republican House member from New York.

"There is 'access' and then there is access," Paralitici wrote.

He may be unhappy with Charles Black Jr., a Republican strategist and chairman of BKSH & Associates, but Black does have access with Rove and others in the
Bush administration. His lobby shop helped organize Calderon's meetings in Washington earlier this year, including one with Josh Bolton, Bush's deputy chief of staff.

The governor's office wasn't able to comment in time for this column. But Black hasn't lost his client.

Vieques "hasn't been a major lobbying assignment of mine," said Black, who previously defined lobbying as working Congress.

He said the Vieques protesters haven't been fair to Calderon, who "has stood fast under a lot of pressure."

And Black noted about Paralitici, "He's not my client."