Bush again skips NAACP convention but plans outreach

[maddezmom]

By William Douglas

Knight Ridder Newspapers



WASHINGTON - President Bush is skipping this week's annual NAACP convention for the fifth straight year, but that isn't preventing the White House and Republican Party from waging a drive to woo African-American voters.


The outreach effort, which began shortly after Bush's re-election, will be on display Thursday as the president addresses about 3,200 people at the Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration luncheon in Indianapolis and Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman speaks at the NAACP convention in Milwaukee.


In Indianapolis, Bush will tout his "ownership society" theme, noting gains that African-Americans have made in homeownership and small business on his watch. He'll also cite progress that African-American students have made under his education policies and highlight the billions of dollars in aid that he pledged to struggling African nations by 2010 at last week's G-8 summit.


Mehlman will speak to the NAACP about how the Republican Party of Abraham Lincoln lost its way with African-American voters over the years and how determined the party is to get them back, Republican National Committee officials said.

more:http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/nation/12125106.htm

[fooj]

1. The FIFTH straight year?

:wtf:

[merwin]

10. I can't stand to be in the same room as you people but please vote for me!

[Orion The Hunter]

11. RE: Priceless!!

Merwin, that title was priceless!!

[merwin]

13. I try my hardest to be as offensive as possible

At least offensive to the RNC and the rest of the neocons.

[derby378]

2. African-Americans remember the "ownership society" all too well

Especially since their ancestors were the ones who were owned.

[journalist3072]

5. Ding ding, we have a winner! eom

[Carla in Ca]

16. Why would he even choose such a name

that can be taken so negatively? Unbelievable.

[DanCa]

3. Amazing

Bush alienates and he still gets votes.

[knowbody0]

4. this proves it

he is afraid of black and brown people. last year he was given his Indian name "walking eagle"
translated, eagle so full of shit it cannot fly.

[psychopomp]

7. That story would be even funnier if true

From Snopes:

In February 2005 we began seeing a version aimed at President Bush land in our inbox:


President Bush was invited to address a major gathering of the American Indian Nation last weekend in Arizona. He spoke for almost an hour on his future plans for increasing every Native American's present standard of living. He referred to his career as Governor of Texas, how he had signed "YES" 1,237 times - for every Indian issue that came to his desk for approval.

Although the President was vague on the details of his plan, he seemed most enthusiastic about his future ideas for helping his "red brothers".

At the conclusion of his speech, the Tribes presented the President with a plaque inscribed with his new Indian name - Walking Eagle. The proud President then departed in his motorcade, waving to the crowds.

A news reporter later inquired to the group of chiefs of how they come to select the new name given to the President

They explained that Walking Eagle is the name given to a bird so full of shit it can no longer fly.
/snip
"Status: False. "
http://www.snopes.com/politics/kerry/eagle.asp

[merwin]

14. I LOVE THAT PICTURE on your signature line.

Cracks me up!

[MissB]

6. Wow.

I'm not surprised, but wow.

[Erika]

8. W only talks to screened audiences who support him

He's their president.

[MisterP]

9. "lost its way with African-American voters" well, that's when they went

pro-slavery

[Orion The Hunter]

12. RE: GOP

I guess the RNC Chair forgot what GOP used to stand for back in the '60s when white people yelled it at black people:

"Get Offmy Property!!!"

The "ownership" society....what a laugh...Blacks have made good inroads into rising in the middle class IN SPITE of policies by the Republican Party.

[amber dog democrat]

15. He's afraid of them.

That's why. Might get questions to which he can't respond.

When the Party of Abraham Lincoln picked up millions of Dixicrats who resented the Civil Rights Movement and desegregation of the 60s , its whole philosophical identity flipped 180 degrees. - but I don't think beyond the Radical Republicans of the post Civil War era, that repugs were that concerned about the welfare of African - American voters any more than Democrats were.

That kind of ended in 1876.

[Judi Lynn]

17. This is truly odd. It's from "The Conservative Voice"

Note the time of posting is 3:57 a.m., Thursday, EST:

President Bush Tries to Draw Black Voters While GOP Chair Apologizes for Past Snubs
Thursday, July 14, 2005 03:06:42 AM

President Bush set out to woo black voters in Indiana on Thursday while the Republican Party chairman was at the NAACP national convention confronting the GOP's uneasy history with blacks.

Bush was appearing in Indianapolis at the Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration, which promotes jobs, health care, education and other opportunities for blacks. About 250 miles away, GOP chairman Ken Mehlman was addressing the annual convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Milwaukee.

For the fifth consecutive year, Bush declined an invitation to the NAACP's annual convention, attended by more than 8,000 blacks from across the country. The White House said it couldn't fit the event onto his schedule.

NAACP Chairman Julian Bond accused Bush of snubbing the group and said national leaders were rolling back past civil rights gains.
(snip/...)

http://www.theconservativevoice.com/ap/article.html?mi=D8BB0U100&apc=9008

On edit: They published this story BEFORE he will appear in Indianapolis. They are all so slimey, aren't they? My God.

I can't believe _Bush has the audacity to show up anywhere the same day as he is rejecting the FIFTH INVITATION to speak to the NAACP. What an ugly, ugly man.