Bush and the NAACP

President Bush is taking some heat this week for his statement that his relationship with the NAACP leadership is "basically non-existent" and for declining their invitation to speak to them. This does make Bush the first president to not speak at this convention while in office since the 1930s (he did speak there as a candidate in 2000). However, why should he?

Bush could show up to kiss the ring of an organization which has lost much of its relevant power and prestige in recent years. Many of its leaders are still trading on their accomplishments of the 1960s and have little progress to show recently. They spend too much time trying to stay in power, and not enough trying to share it with others. They are not going to support Bush anyway, so why go to get beat up? Julian Bond, the NAACP chairman said back on June 2nd, "Their idea of equal rights is the American flag and the Confederate swastika flying side by side. They've written a new constitution for Iraq and ignore the Constitution here at home. They draw their most rabid supporters from the Taliban wing of American politics. Now they want to write bigotry back into the Constitution [gay marriage amendment]."

Gee, guys, I appreciate the invitation, but...thanks but no thanks.

After Bush stated he would not be attending, Bond blasted the Republican Party as "playing the race card in election after election." The Republicans appeal "to the dark underside of American culture, to the minority of Americans who reject democracy and equality," Bond said. "They preach neutrality and practice racial division."

If you were compared to the Nazis, the Taliban, and accused of being racist, would you go? If I were the president, I would not dignify this by attending. Good for him. Let's give him a pass on this one.