ROLAND S. MARTIN: Bush can't take NAACP heat
By Roland S. Martin
July 29, 2004
 President George W. Bush's refusal to speak at the NAACP convention for the past four years, as well as a decision to not even meet with the nation's largest and oldest civil rights organization, deeply offends me.
But it's not for what you may think are the obvious reasons.
I'm a Texan. A native Texan -- born, bred and raised in the Lone Star state. From the moment we Texans emerge from the womb, it is ingrained in our psyche that we are independent-minded folks who are willing to stand up to any challenge that comes our way. Part of that stems from the fact that Texas was its own country prior to joining the United States in 1848.
The last thing we Texans refuse to be called is a coward. If we are facing heat from all sides, just like our boys at the Alamo, we suck it up, look 'em dead in the eye and say, "Take your best shot."
That's why I'm ticked at Bush. He used as an excuse some tough words from NAACP officials as justification for not wanting to appear at the group's annual convention for the past four years. Of course, he did speak to the group when he was running for president in 2000. But that was for his gain. Bush desperately needed to appear more compassionate than his fellow GOP buddies like Newt Gingrich and Tom DeLay. It was their racial rhetoric that not only turned off black voters, but also white suburban women who don't particularly like acrimony. Their husbands may have been saying, "Right on!" but their moderate wives, as polling continues to indicate, weren't happy. (That's why the GOP lost face in the 1998-mid-term election, facilitating Newt's departure as speaker of the U.S. House.)
But back to Bush.
The president talked openly in 2000 about how he wanted to bring the spirit of togetherness to the nation's capital. Unfortunately, Bush and his comrades in the White House have brought an even more closed mind to Washington, D.C. That is no more apparent than his dealings with traditional civil rights organizations.
The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) has repeatedly asked the White House for a formal meeting with the president. He has steadfastly refused, saying he would only meet with one or two representatives. Meanwhile, he has no problem meeting with other caucuses.
The only time more than two members of the CBC met with Bush was a couple of months ago when the Haitian president was removed from office. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), chairman of the CBC, and a couple of other members met with national security adviser Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of State Colin Powell to discuss the issue. After they made it clear that they were not leaving unless they had some face time with Bush, Rice relented and asked the president to step into the meeting. Of course, when she speaks, he listens, and complied with the request.
Bush's refusal to meet with these groups stems from the belief that are hostile. Do they hate Bush? No. They simply have their own agenda.
The president has said he is a president for all of America. If that is the case, why not meet with people who oppose you? Officials from the NAACP wouldn't slap him around or storm out of the meeting and cause a protest.
Republicans want to cast the non-partisan NAACP as an arm of the Democratic Party. The fact is there are lots of Republicans in the NAACP, but the organization champions a legislative agenda that is embraced by Democrats, and not the GOP.
Mr. Bush, real Texans don't run from a fight. You're acting as if you were raised with your father's patrician roots in Connecticut. So slip on your boots, straighten up that back, and call up NAACP chairman Julian Bond and CEO Kweisi Mfume for a good ol'-fashioned chat in the Oval Office.
Roland S. Martin is founder and editor of BlackAmericaToday.com. His columns are syndicated to newspapers nationwide by ©Creators Syndicate. He is author of Speak, Brother! A Black Man's View of America and is a contributor to The Paradox of Loyalty: An African American Response to the War on Terrorism. He can be reached at roland@blackamericatoday.com.
 Unrelenting, uncompromising and downright honest. That's Roland S. Martin in his new book, Speak, Brother! A Black Man's View of America. Martin has covered a variety of stories and newsmakers in his nearly dozen years as a journalist. And in the course of doing so he has gained a significant insight into the triumphs and failings of this country's best and brightest. He tackles a variety of issues with passions, knowledge and spirituality. Whether it's commentaries on sports, social justice, business or the media, Roland S. Martin refuses to be pigeonholed as a conservative or a liberal; Democrat or Republican. As he puts it, he is simply "a black man in America."
Purchase your $10 autographed copy at www.rolandsmartin.com . To order through the mail, send $10 (include $3.50 for shipping and handling) to: ROMAR Media Group; P.O. Box 763127; Dallas, TX 75376. Include name, complete address and to whom your book(s) should be signed.
| 
