Protesters Disrupt Bush Appearance at N.A.A.C.P. Convention (NY Times)

["Brklyn Bombshell" <brklynbombshell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

July 10, 2000
Protesters Disrupt Bush Appearance at N.A.A.C.P. Convention
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON -- Death penalty protesters interrupted an introduction for
George W. Bush on Monday at the NAACP national convention, with one
shouting, "An innocent man was murdered by Governor Bush."
Security forces led the four or five protesters out after they waved signs
with picture of Gary Graham, who was executed June 22 in Texas. Graham, who
was convicted largely on the testimony of one witness, was the 135th
prisoner executed since Bush became governor in 1995.

"Remember Gary Graham! Remember Gary Graham!" the protesters shouted as Bush
was introduced, but before he began to speak.

The NAACP has called the execution of Graham a "gross travesty of justice"
and has called for a national moratorium on all executions.

In his speech, the Republican presidential candidate appeared to acknowledge
the protesters, saying, "For those of you who support me -- I see a couple
here, maybe more than a couple -- I hope you will not change your opinion."

Bush said he recognizes that the Republican Party has not always been seen
as friendly towards the NAACP or blacks.

"While some in my party have avoided the NAACP and some in the NAACP have
avoid my party, I am proud to be here," Bush said. "... There is no denying
that the party of Lincoln has not always carried the mantel of Lincoln."

Calling slavery "a blight on our past," Bush said that "racism still exists
to this day" and he urged blacks and whites to get along.

"Our nation is harmed when we let our differences divide us," he said.

Bush didn't announce any initiatives to address racism, but instead talked
about his plans to improve education, highlighting his record in Texas where
black fourth-graders have the highest math test scores in the nation,
Fleischer said.

NAACP President Kweisi Mfume said Bush must better define "compassionate
conservatism" and develop a plan to help end racial disparities in income,
health, education and other areas.

"We'd like some definition on 'compassionate conservatism,' quite frankly,"
Mfume said on "Fox News Sunday." "There are questions out there that really
have to be answered, not just rhetorically about education, but in terms of
a plan, an action plan."

With polls showing Bush trailing Democratic rival Vice President Al Gore
among minority voters, Bush has been courting blacks and Hispanics over the
last two weeks. He appeared before the Congress of Racial Equality, an
organization of conservative blacks, and two Hispanic groups, the League of
United Latin American Citizens and the National Council of La Raza.

In reaching out to minority audiences, Bush speaks often of improving
education so minority children can have a better chance in life. He favors
better accountability of and more training for teachers and has called for
giving parents of kids in failing schools federal vouchers to help pay
tuition at private schools of their choice.

Mfume said the plan would benefit only a small fraction of children and said
voucher systems could further weaken public schools.

"We believe in people having the right to choose, but we believe all people
should have that right and no child should be left behind," said Mfume.

On other fronts, Bush's positions have produced mixed opinions among blacks.

He was applauded when two plaques bearing Confederate symbols -- considered
racist by many blacks -- were removed from the lobby of the Texas Supreme
Court building, but was criticized for declining to call for the Confederate
flag to be removed from atop the South Carolina Capitol. Bush said the issue
was for South Carolinians to decide.

"We have had some healthy disagreements with him," said Gary Bledsoe,
president of the Texas NAACP. Despite this, Bush could win points by
indicating that he "supports our overall objectives in eliminating color
distinctions and discrimination."

Fleischer said Bush would stick to his positions, even when they are
unpopular among minority voters, and would continue to emphasize that his
brand of Republicanism is sensitive to their concerns.

That recipe seemed to work for Bush in Texas. In his 1994 campaign for
governor, he won 15 percent of the black vote, according to exit polls. In
1998, when he was re-elected, exit polls showed he had nearly doubled his
support among black voters to 27 percent.
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