Guiliani, Romney, Thompson on appearances with Smiley on PBS. A NO-GO

[peacetalksforall]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/18/AR2007091801781_pf.html
The Republican candidates are too busy.

Washington Post

Debate No-Shows Worry GOP Leaders
Candidates Are Urged to Attend Forums Sponsored by Minorities

By Perry Bacon Jr.

Key Republican leaders are encouraging the party's presidential candidates to rethink their decision to skip presidential debates focusing on issues important to minorities, fearing a backlash that could further erode the party's standing with black and Latino voters.

The leading contenders for the Republican nomination have indicated they will not attend the "All American Presidential Forum" organized by black talk show host Tavis Smiley, scheduled for Sept. 27 at Morgan State University in Baltimore and airing on PBS. Former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, former senator Fred D. Thompson (Tenn.) and Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) all cited scheduling conflicts in forgoing the debate. The top Democratic contenders attended a similar event in June at Howard University.

_____ Mehlman is 'begging them'? My words

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/18/AR2007091801781_pf.html

[SoFlaJet]

1. I read this today

even Newt is amazed that the GOP hopefuls no longer seem to care for anybody except the 27%ers

[rurallib]

2. Maybe if they had a guest questioner dressed in a white sheet

with his face covered by a triangular hood the RepubliKlan leaders would feel more at ease?
(this is a joke folks)

[peacetalksforall]

3. or someone with a black hood andelectric cords hooked up to the fingers -s.

[Stop Cornyn]

4. They are worried this will erode the Repub's standing with black voters? That horse has already left

the barn.

[JPZenger]

5. They Stopped Even Pretending to Care About African Americans

Guliani was not exactly known as a friend of the minority communities in New York City when he was mayor.