Sikhs Seethe Over Pantsuit Snub

Considering the Clintons will take money from virtually anyone, it is a bit curious why Mrs. Clinton would skip this fundraiser in particular.

The Clinton campaign's abrupt cancellation of scheduled appearances here is leaving members of the Sikh community dismayed and demanding an explanation.

Traditional food, elaborate costumes, and ritual sword fighting were on display as thousands of Sikhs celebrated a religious festival here yesterday, but the expected guest of honor, Senator Clinton, was a no-show. Mrs. Clinton also scuttled a fund-raising breakfast at a nearby fairgrounds where Sikh leaders had hoped to raise $1 million for her presidential campaign.

Some organizers cited "security reasons" for the candidate's sudden withdrawal. An advertisement in a Sikh newspaper said the fund-raiser, which was also to have featured President Clinton as a guest, had been postponed "due to the advice of the Secret Service." Others involved said some of those planning the fund-raiser failed either the campaign's vetting process or a Secret Service review.

Whatever prompted the late change, many of those who attended yesterday's festival and parade were upset, underscoring the risks of a backlash against Mrs. Clinton as her campaign tightens its standards in an effort to avoid another fund-raising scandal.

"We don't know what the reason is," a trucking company owner who helped arrange the celebration, Tejpal Singh of Bakersfield, said. "They just tell us last night. … Everybody's shocked. They want to see her."

Memo to Mr. Singh: When you are no longer useful to the Clintons, you get tossed overboard. Welcome to the real world.

One of the planners of the fund-raiser, Bob Virk, sounded bitter about the campaign's decision.

"I'll take $1 million from our Sikh people and give it to people who are going to work with us … not somebody who says they're going to work with you and deserts you at the end," Mr. Virk told the Sun. About $500,000 raised so far for the breakfast will have to be refunded, he added.

Mr. Virk said he had no "direct answer" from Mrs. Clinton's campaign about the reason she was not attending. He said he did not believe the visit was put off for "security reasons" as some Sikh planners said they were told. "We're a minority group. We wear turbans. … They don't want to see Hillary Clinton with people wearing turbans and stuff," he said. "I don't think it was right to commit yourself to come to this program, and then not going."

Some Sikhs said they suspected Mrs. Clinton's campaign grew skittish about the visit in the wake of negative publicity over her fund-raising in the Chinese immigrant community. News organizations found that some donations came from recent migrants who seemed to lack the means to give large checks.

Considering the Clintons have no problem raising money outside of the United States, the abrupt cancellation is indeed curious.

"This is all B.S.," Mr. Virk said. He said he visited a religious site in Pakistan for two days during a recent trip that was mainly to India. "I'm a clean slate. … I have a liquor license and a license from the state lottery."

Whatever the case, they'll just cite Secret Service concerns, which may have some validity.

Many of the Sikh men carried ceremonial daggers, often hidden under their clothes. Some who led the parade brandished swords. However, participants said the ritual weapons did not justify Mrs. Clinton's absence.