Bush misleads about race relations-uses MLK day visit to cover campaign$'s

[papau]

http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1338421&l=45441

BUSH MISLEADS ABOUT RACE RELATIONS

In 2000, Presidential candidate George W. Bush courageously chastised his own conservative colleagues saying "while some in my party have avoided the NAACP, and while some in the NAACP have avoided my party, I'm proud to be here...I believe we can find common ground." But after refusing to speak at yesterday's NAACP's annual convention, President Bush became the first President since Herbert Hoover not to attend an NAACP convention.<1>

According to NAACP President Kweisi Mfume, the NAACP "has reached out to Bush numerous times in hopes of meeting with him,"<2> but the President never responded to the NAACP. Instead, the President chose to mark key civil rights holidays with racially-insensitive announcements and behavior. For instance, last year, the President chose the Martin Luther King holiday to announce the Administration's stance against affirmative action.<3> This year, the President used the same holiday to unilaterally elevate Charles Pickering to the federal appellate bench<4> in the face of what Mfume noted was "Pickering's hostility to civil rights and leniency to cross burners."<5> This year he also used a visit to Martin Luther King's grave to force taxpayers to foot the travel costs for a $2,000-a-plate political fundraiser in Atlanta, Georgia.<6>

Sources:

1. "Bush says no to NAACP speech," NewsDay.com, 7/09/04,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1338421&l=45442.
2. "NAACP chairman calls for Bush's ouster," CNN.com, 7/13/04,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1338421&l=45443.
3. Presidential Remarks, WhiteHouse.gov, 1/15/03,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1338421&l=45444.
4. "Bush Gives Recess Appointment to Pickering," Fox News, 1/16/04,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1338421&l=45445.
5. "NAACP chairman calls for Bush's ouster," CNN.com, 7/13/04,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1338421&l=45443.
6. "Bush Exploits MLK's Grave For Political Fundraiser," Misleader.org,
1/15/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1338421&l=45446.