NAACP asks Bush to relent on snub

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/auto/epaper/editions/today/news_040f4abff445b1c11082.html

PHILADELPHIA -- Warning that President Bush may be hurting the election chances of Republican candidates by shunning the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's annual convention here, the civil rights group's president Saturday reinvited Bush to speak and called on the White House to get over its displeasure with criticism from the group's leaders.

"At some point in time, you've got to get over it," NAACP President Kweisi Mfume said during a news conference as the group's 95th annual convention began. Many black voters would see the president's absence as writing them off and their anger could spill to other campaigns, he said. snip

The NAACP president noted that black leaders had their differences with other Republican presidents but managed to maintain dialogue. Mfume recalled how NAACP delegates applauded candidate Bush at their 2000 convention.

Mfume said he shook Bush's hand at his first State of the Union address in early 2001 and offered his support, which he said was welcomed. But, Mfume said, "that's the last I heard from him."

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[Born Free]

1. What part of "NO" don't you understand?

The bush team wants to send a message to all that are against the NAACP and all they stand for, just as the bush team continues to send loud messages to the fanatical element of Christianity - of course in reality a lot of these so called "Christian" organizations are in fact organizations for white supremacy.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. NAACP keeping this kicked

in the media so that all African-Americans will realize the kind of person Shrub is.

[Cocoa]

12. yep

Bush is in a pickle. He can keep stonewalling petulantly, or he can flip-flop. :toast:

[Judi Lynn]

17. I wondered if that could be the case, too. Great idea, in my view. n/t

[Racenut20]

3. Too bad he didn't

make that speech a more pro Kerry/Edwards theme. Dems really need the African-American vote in Florida.

[fudge stripe cookays]

4. Good. Keep it up, smirk.

If you think you're undefeatable, you better start thinking REAL hard about how MUCH you enjoy clearing brush in Crawford. You'll be doing a lot more of it soon.

I have a lot of respect for Mfume. He's an excellent speaker and a great leader for the NAACP. But any black who thinks Bush still has their best interests at heart, needs to (like everyone else in this nation), wake the hell up.

[sallyseven]

6. Mfume is smart. this is a slap

to gw. I met Mfume in Boston once he is a very bright man. I hope that every black person, hispanic, asian and thinking white people vote against bush, and all the repukes in the house and senate.

[pinto]

19. Agree. This is a great move on Mr. Mfume's part. Smart politics.

[w4rma]

14. Bush won't be cutting brush in Texas, he'll return to Connecticut and

go back to being a playboy, imho.

[quaoar]

5. I might agree with Bush on this

There is a certain degree of intellectual honesty to his refusal to speak to the NAACP -- one of the few times he can say that.
What would he say to them?
He could do one of three things:
1. He could make all kinds of promises and pledge to champion causes they hold dear, which everyone would know is bullshit.
2. He could read a speech that someone else wrote and he doesn't believe that quotes MLK and talks about liberty and justice for all.
3. He could tell them the truth, which is that they don't support him so he really doesn't give a shit about them.
So why bother?

Besides, by refusing to speech, he makes himself look good to his base: "I'm the only president who won't kowtow to those liberal bastards who are trying to force your children to go to schools with unqualified teachers hired through affirmative action, blah, blah, blah."

And by begging Bush to reconsider, the NAACP is just enhancing the glee that such people feel.

[pinerow]

8. Hate to disagree, Intellectual honesty has nothing to do

with his decision to snub the NAACP. This administrations tactics from the very beginning has been to marginalize the opposition and frame the debate along their lines.

The mistake we, as the opposition make, is that we do not seem to defend the positions that are at the root of the problems in this country.

The NAACP should have noted that they will miss the lively debate that Bush's appearance would have created and then moved on.

Instead of focusing on the fact that Saddam was a bad guy, we should be discussing the central reasoning for the war in Iraq and the deception that led the U.S. into the fray.

We, as progressives, must and should challenge the marginalization of the opposition and point out the beam in the other's side eye.

[markses]

18. Bush is (ostensibly) the President of the United States

The NAACP is one of the most venerable civil rights organizations in this country, and - oh yeah - this country has a gaping race problem. Mr. Bush should attend the function in his role as President, whatever his personal feelings or political commitments. When he publicly snubs this organization, he basically declares open season on African Americans.

He's the fucking President. He has speech writers. He should find something to say. He must cue in his rabid base that racial dialogue is a necessity.

[quaoar]

23. This is just another manifestation

of Bush throwing red meat to his base.

He has no desire and no interest in instructing his base on the need for racial dialogue.

He has drifted further and further into right-wing fantasyland as the years have gone by. And now he is dropping all pretense of being everybody's president.

He doesn't give a shit about the NAACP or about blacks. And at least he's being honest about it.

[Prodemsouth]

7. Two thoughts, Someone there is bound to make Bush look foolish- so it

is a great risk for him. The NAACP is right to keep pressure on him- tells voters what kind of person Bush is for avoiding them.

[Solly Mack]

9. He's writing everyone off except his "base" ..you know..the have and have

mores..

always has...

[Crachet2004]

16. Yes he is, and if we win, we need to do the same thing to them!

If we win we need to do things for OUR base, like they do! I don't want to hear that we have to be 'more like them' or we will lose the NEXT election.

To the WINNER goes the spoils...that is the way the GOP does it, and we should too!

I applaud the NAACP for showing, and continuing to show the whole world just what a racist divider that little sob is.

If we win, and I believe we are going to, our Party had better not forget the people who stood up when it counted!

[Piperay]

20. Yes, for the last 3 and a half years

he has basically been telling all of us who aren't part of his "dirty 30%" (that always show up up in polls supporting him, even if they saw him murder someone in cold blood in front of their very eyes) to "go fuck ourselves". :-(

[Massacure]

10. Will Kerry be speaking at the convention at all?

[pinerow]

11. Kerry will address the convention on Thursday.

nt

[Massacure]

13. Good.

[cliss]

15. Why would they want him?

And after he's rejected them, to boot? Come on guys, show some dignity. Ask some prominent black person (who undoubtedly has a lot more class than BeelzeBush) to come and speak.

They need him like a hole in the head.

[markses]

21. You misunderstand

They invited the President. It is important for whoever fills that particular role to participate in the dialogue on race that this country needs. The President is refusing to undertake one of his major job functions. They are correct to ask him again for two reasons. First, it displays for their members the President's refusal to support a major constituency. Second, they must be concerned about that refusal and its real effects on their own constituency. The first is a political point, the second a practical necessity.

[truthisfreedom]

22. hahahahaha... their own phrase turned on them. "get over it." hahahaha.

don't worry, everybody. bushco can't get over it. they're incapable... they're stiff as a board... completely inflexible when it comes to blacks.

[Name removed]

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