OAKLAND, Calif. — A national political action committee aimed at unifying the Asian-American vote is supporting Hillary Clinton because Barack Obama snubbed its questions, members said yesterday.

The 80-20 Initiative will urge thousands of voters in its affiliated organizations to pick Clinton in Feb. 5 Democratic presidential primary, and has committed $30,000 to advertising on her behalf.

"80-20 has been more than fair, bent over backwards four different times" to reach out to Obama, 80-20 board member Joel Wong of San Francisco said at a news conference yesterday.

Founded in 1999, 80-20 seeks equal opportunity for Asian-Americans by trying to unite them into a voting bloc, ideally directing 80 percent of the community's votes and money to a single presidential contender.

"What we're looking at is the big picture," 80-20 board member Frank Lee said yesterday. He said the decision to back Clinton is less an endorsement than an effort "to stop any candidate who does not want to work with us."

80-20 asked candidates three questions on curbing discrimination and three on appointing more Asian-American federal trial and circuit judges. Clinton, John Edwards, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd and Mike Gravel responded affirmatively to all, but Obama balked.

Wong said he understands Obama's hesitation to sign anything that could be construed to involve racial quotas, but the questions were redesigned — with the Clinton campaign's input — to reject such quotas, and five white Democratic candidates' unequivocal support has made it "safe" for Obama to follow suit.

The Obama campaign, in a Dec. 26 letter to 80-20, said Obama is committed to appointing qualified Asian-Americans and "will also build upon his work as a civil rights lawyer and community organizer to end racial discrimination and advance equal opportunity in the workplace and the federal government."