Could it Be???

And in bold the news article reads: President Bush Meets With NAACP Leader

President Bush and outgoing NAACP leader Kweisi Mfume met at the White House yesterday in what Mfume described as a frank, "man-to-man" discussion aimed at fixing the broken relationship between the president and the nation's oldest and largest civil-rights organization.

The two did not talk privately but were accompanied by political strategist, Karl Rove. The conversation was not terribly long...it lasted about 40 minutes and was a discussion on the strained relationship that Bush has experienced while in office.

Bush pointedly turned down an invitation to address the organization's national convention for the fourth consecutive year, calling his relationship with the group "basically nonexistent." The NAACP said Bush was the first president since Warren Harding who did not address the civil-rights group while in office.

After reelection, the NAACP called up Bush to reexamine their relationship and hopefully make it better during his second term.

Bush has refused to address the NAACP before because of what he perceived as its unfair criticism of his policies, from his decision to invade Iraq to his opposition to many affirmative-action programs. In yesterday's meeting, Bush explained that he refused to address the NAACP not because he personally feared a hostile reception from the group but because he thought such a reception would demean the presidency and embarrass the United States before the world.

Bush has generally avoided sit-downs with other established black civil-rights groups as well, for instance meeting only rarely with the Congressional Black Caucus. But he has reached out to carefully chosen minority audiences and to civil-rights advocates less critical of his policies such as the National Urban League.

OPINION

I always thought it to be awful that Bush would not speak with the NAACP. The NAACP is an organization that has gained respect for what it's done for the black community. Presidents should want to meet with them so they can hear about the issues affecting black people. But this goes beyond the NAACP, as the article said, Bush has a problem with other black civil rights' groups. He obviously couldn't talk face to face if he had to have his political strategist with him to carry on a meaningful discussion yesterday. I don't think Bush considers the needs of African-Americans like he should.

Now here's the catch...People say look at Colin Powell...look at Condoleezza Rice... I am. Just because you have had African-Americans in your cabinet doesn't mean you care about African-Americans like you should.