Midterm elections closing in, Bush decides to address NAACP for first time

Bush to address NAACP meeting for 1st time

By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer


WASHINGTON - The White House announced Tuesday that President Bush plans to speak to the NAACP for the first time since taking office, after rejecting the civil rights group's invitations for five straight years.

White House spokesman Tony Snow said Bush decided to speak to the group Thursday because of "a moment of opportunity" for the president to tout his civil rights record and mend fences.

"He has an important role to play, not only in making the case for civil rights, but maybe more importantly, the case for unity," Snow said. "Because as long as we have a nation that's in any way divided along racial lines or where politics become a source of division rather one of civil debate and trying to perfect the democracy, that's a problem."

Bush's decision comes in a critical midterm election year, when Republicans fear losing control of Congress and Bush has been working to get more votes for the GOP. Bush received just 11 percent of the black vote in the 2004 election.

More: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060718/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_naacp_1

I can never criticize someone for opening up communication.

:wtf:

If you want to denegrate him for the past, I can understand, but I'm more concerned with making things better in the present and opening up communications is a great starting point.

Are you old enough to know that bush is what he is. And what he is, is a lying, smirking, insincere, "politician," who has never in his 60 years displayed any interest in helping the human condition of anyone who isn't a political contributor. PERIOD!!!! Pie in the sky may have its place, but it is never useful believe that they could never imagine the attacks on the twin towers on 9/11 or a category 4 or 5 storm demolishing New Orleans?

I disagree with the President on any number of issues, but not on this one and I refuse to criticize him on it or just ignore that he is making a move to communicate.

For all the railing I see about how Republicans hate things different than themselves, I only see the President trying to make a move of diplomacy in regards to this subject, you are refusing to look past your own self interest.

He knows he will be facing a very hostile crowd and he is going anyway. Its a step in the right direction.

I know you have deep mistrust of the President and it is well deserved, but I'm asking you to at least be willing to not close down all forms of understanding when it comes to him. We are already divided enough and he isn't just going to go away any time soon.

a load, and coming from such a newbie that I can't even begin to take it seriously.

Get your talking points straight now.

See Luntz:

http://www.zephoria.org/lakoff/files/Luntz.pdf

It's usually the case when dealing with absolutist.

Are there any moderates left anymore?

as black and white, but as shades of grey.

But when a thing is ashen grey year after year after year, and in every aspect of their behavior, speech, and policy, then the chances are that they are still going to be ashen grey today.

All they ever do is PR, photo ops, talking points.

I'd really like to see Democrats as a whole treat the President a little better. It would go far in helping moderates see our shades of grey better.

I'm a bit upset at the President today for something he hasn't even done yet. That being embryonic stem cell research. I don't like being hateful towards anyone and I'm trying to see some bit of good in him and I can respect him going into a hostile crowd to speak his point.

giving him the benefit of the doubt, I would do so.

I HATE the hatred and divisiveness.

But bullies such as he and his entourage do not respond to nice, except by seeing weakness and intensifying their attack.

Long time liberals and Democrats have taken time to awaken to this, but it is true.

Fareed Zakariah had an interesting column in Newsweek recently about Why Don't We Get No Respect? He quoted a European leader saying that any change, in this case towards multilateralism, comes out of failure for this crowd. Not out of conviction or principle.

I agree, and so there simply is not much there there to respect with this crowd.

..he would have been there LAST year explaining why it was more inportant to go to a fund-raiser than take charge of the Katrina situation...

This is pure, cynical, politicking and nothing more....

...don't be so rude to him as to bring up his administration's response to what was allowed to happen to New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, either.

He's afraid of going before a non-Bush Bot, non-Rove-pre-selected audience.

Bush is just trying to get the African-American vote, anything he says during this meeting will be forgotten by him the minute he walks out the door.

Besides if this plan doesn't work, the Repukes still have Diebold.

really been observing him these past five years.

...polls.

I remember he once went to...I think it was the Urban League...and the focus of his speech was that the Democratic party "might be taking African-Americans for granted," or something like that. Anyway, he was only trying to sow distrust by African-Americans for the Democratic party, rather than having the Republicans actually offer anything positive. Republicans know they can't fool/win over African-Americans because Republicans obviously have no sincere concern for the problems of African-Americans. For Republicans, just getting African-Americans to stay home and not vote is enough.

have a sincere bone in his body.

:rofl:

It makes no difference at this point.

How will Rove possibly be able to screen out all anti-Bush people from the audience? He can't do it. This may be another event like when Chimpy appeared at the minority journalists convention (Remember the famous "sovereign nation" rambling?)

Let's hope it's covered live and broadcast nationally. I can't wait. :)

Nauseating piece of crap!! Even my dog throws up after eating a piece of cat shit!!:puke: If I were the neocon repug right now, I wouldn't even let him out in public!! He's an embarrasment to our nation.

This is more of the same from right before the '04 election when W addressed a black group (forgot which one) with his "Questions". MSM ate it all up and said that this could affect the black vote.... no what this really did was not make it seem like complete steaming BS that W won and they followed it up with more BS about the inroads W made with the black voters.

It is all politics and all smoke and mirrors. Don't believe any of it.

going to be gaining any votes from African Americans by this stupid stunt.

Not after the dismal record he has on voting rights, social issues, New Orleans Katrina etc.

So it should be good game, but not much else.

Yo Bush, where were you the last 5 years?

Screw you. Go talk to the oil or pharmaceutical companies that you work for. Word.