"The Right Stuff"
Posted on 07/14/2005 12:05:42 PM PDT by Happy2BMe
President Bush argued Thursday that he has built a government that expands opportunities for black Americans as he tried to win more Republican votes from one of the most reliably Democratic groups.
Bush told the Indiana Black Expo that he believes in an America where all people, including blacks, have the chance to own homes and businesses and share in the country's prosperity. He also took credit for narrowing the gap in test scores between black and white elementary school students, according to test results released Thursday by his Education Department.
"I see an America where every citizen owns a stake in the future of our country and where a growing economy creates jobs and opportunity for everyone," the president said, his voice echoing in the cavernous RCA Dome, where more than 3,000 people packed luncheon tables on the floor below empty stands.
Bush appeared in Indianapolis instead of attending the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's national convention, which he has avoided since taking office. The White House said again that he couldn't attend because of a scheduling conflict.
Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman attended the NAACP convention in Milwaukee Thursday. He planned to express regrets for Republican attitudes toward blacks in the past.
"Some Republicans gave up on winning the African-American vote, looking the other way or trying to benefit politically from racial polarization," Mehlman said in remarks prepared for delivery. "I am here today as the Republican chairman to tell you we were wrong."
White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Bush agreed with Mehlman, even though the president didn't express any regrets during his speech in Indiana.
Mehlman also was trying to persuade blacks _ who vote overwhelmingly Democratic _ to switch political alliances. He said Democrats have been taking blacks for granted in recent years.
"It's not healthy for the country for our political parties to be so racially polarized," he said. "Just as the Democrats came to this community in 1964 with something real to offer, today we Republicans have something that should cause you to take another look at the party of Lincoln."
Bush touted his efforts to improve education, health care and Social Security and to increase aid to Africa and religious organizations that provide social services. The group presented Bush with a lifetime achievement award, citing his efforts to help former prisoners become productive members of society and other programs benefiting minorities.
"I see an America where every person of every race has the opportunity to strive for a better future and to take part in the promise of America _ that's what I see," Bush said.
"And I believe the government has a role to play in helping people gain the tools they need to build lives of dignity and purpose," he said. "That's at the heart of what I call compassionate conservatism."
Republicans made a similar pitch for black votes in last year's campaign, but Bush received just 11 percent of the black vote.
Bush has not spoken to the NAACP since the 2000 campaign, when the NAACP National Voter Fund ran an ad that portrayed him as unsympathetic to the dragging death of James Byrd in Texas.
Many blacks, especially in the pivotal state of Florida, complained they were disenfranchised by confusing ballots and mechanical errors. Since then, NAACP officials have called Bush an illegal president, compared his anti-abortion views to the Taliban and called his trip to Africa a photo-op.
The Internal Revenue Service is investigating whether NAACP officials' attacks on the Bush administration are partisan comments that violate the group's nonprofit status.
The NAACP's national board last month selected a new president, retired Verizon executive Bruce S. Gordon, who is expected to be confirmed Thursday and has pledged to build relationships with the White House. McClellan said that he was sure Bush would find time to sit down for a talk with Gordon.
Clinton's highest ranking black in his administration was the Monica Ferry, Betty Curry.
Actually, it's the Democrats that have long promoted and benefited from racial polarization.
Let's not forget Clinton's lady who wanted to put a condom in every 7th grader's lunch box.
Joycelyn Elders. She also wanted to teach masturbation to kindergartners.
Some of my best friends are--- nevermind.
"I see an America where every person of every race has the opportunity to strive for a better future and to take part in the promise of America _ that's what I see," Bush said.
"And I believe the government has a role to play in helping people gain the tools they need to build lives of dignity and purpose," he said. "That's at the heart of what I call compassionate conservatism."
In other words...Constitution? What Constitution?
March 3, 1817
To the House of Representatives of the United States: Having considered the bill this day presented to me entitled "An act to set apart and pledge certain funds for internal improvements," and which sets apart and pledges funds "for constructing roads and canals, and improving the navigation of water courses, in order to facilitate, promote, and give security to internal commerce among the several States, and to render more easy and less expensive the means and provisions for the common defense," I am constrained by the insuperable difficulty I feel in reconciling the bill with the Constitution of the United States to return it with that objection to the House of Representatives, in which it originated.
The legislative powers vested in Congress are specified and enumerated in the eighth section of the first article of the Constitution, and it does not appear that the power proposed to be exercised by the bill is among the enumerated powers, or that it falls by any just interpretation with the power to make laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution those or other powers vested by the Constitution in the Government of the United States.
"The power to regulate commerce among the several States" can not include a power to construct roads and canals, and to improve the navigation of water courses in order to facilitate, promote, and secure such commerce with a latitude of construction departing from the ordinary import of the terms strengthened by the known inconveniences which doubtless led to the grant of this remedial power to Congress.
To refer the power in question to the clause "to provide for common defense and general welfare" would be contrary to the established and consistent rules of interpretation, as rendering the special and careful enumeration of powers which follow the clause nugatory and improper. Such a view of the Constitution would have the effect of giving to Congress a general power of legislation instead of the defined and limited one hitherto understood to belong to them, the terms "common defense and general welfare" embracing every object and act within the purview of a legislative trust. It would have the effect of subjecting both the Constitution and laws of the several States in all cases not specifically exempted to be superseded by laws of Congress, it being expressly declared "that the Constitution of the United States and laws made in pursuance thereof shall be the supreme law of the land, and the judges of every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding." Such a view of the Constitution, finally, would have the effect of excluding the judicial authority of the United States from its participation in guarding the boundary between the legislative powers of the General and the State Governments, inasmuch as questions relating to the general welfare, being questions of policy and expediency, are unsusceptible of judicial cognizance and decision.
A restriction of the power "to provide for the common defense and general welfare" to cases which are to be provided for by the expenditure of money would still leave within the legislative power of Congress all the great and most important measures of Government, money being the ordinary and necessary means of carrying them into execution.
If a general power to construct roads and canals, and to improve the navigation of water courses, with the train of powers incident thereto, be not possessed by Congress, the assent of the States in the mode provided in the bill can not confer the power. The only cases in which the consent and cession of particular States can extend the power of Congress are those specified and provided for in the Constitution.
I am not unaware of the great importance of roads and canals and the improved navigation of water courses, and that a power in the National Legislature to provide for them might be exercised with signal advantage to the general prosperity. But seeing that such a power is not expressly given by the Constitution, and believing that it can not be deduced from any part of it without an inadmissible latitude of construction and reliance on insufficient precedents; believing also that the permanent success of the Constitution depends on a definite partition of powers between the General and the State Governments, and that no adequate landmarks would be left by the constructive extension of the powers of Congress as proposed in the bill, I have no option but to withhold my signature from it, and to cherishing the hope that its beneficial objects may be attained by a resort for the necessary powers to the same wisdom and virtue in the nation which established the Constitution in its actual form and providently marked out in the instrument itself a safe and practicable mode of improving it as experience might suggest.
James Madison,
President of the United States
...let's also not forget that "Bubba" (the first black president) also was fond of using the "N" word frequently and fomented the same kind of racial hate atmosphere that "did in" Texas dragging victim, James Byrd, when Clinton was governor of neighboring Arkansas.
Wooing this large voting block into the 'conservative' fold has become very important as more Black Americans have succeeded in career and social improvements and quality of life among Blacks has improved greatly over the last few decades.
However, another factor must now be injected into the political formula: The Mexican Vote.
...of course, race hustlers like Rep. John "Reparations Now" Conyers see nothing wrong with that notion (especially if can oversee little girls doing it).
Ron Paige too. You gotta like that guy...called the NEA a bunch of Nazis...pulling a page out of the liberal handbook.
"..let's also not forget that "Bubba" (the first black president) also was fond of using the "N" word frequently and fomented the same kind of racial hate atmosphere that "did in" Texas dragging victim, James Byrd, when Clinton was governor of neighboring Arkansas."
=====================
Hillary was/is very partial to the Jewish community as well . .
"Some of my best friends are--- nevermind."
My friends are my friends because I enjoy their company. Several of them happen to be black. All of them still cringe over the Clinton "first black president" thing. A few of them have actually stepped up and admitted that the Democrats do not reflect their beliefs, most specifically in the religious realm... the apparent hostility towards religiosity in general and Christianity in particular is becoming an issue. Only one will admit to voting anything other than Democrat, though. There's still a great deal of stigma attached to doing otherwise. They're quite proud of Colin Powell. Condi as well, but not quite as enthusiastic, she's a little aloof in their perception.
"The Right Stuff"
I liked Colin Powell as our CINC. He was very popular among the troops.
Correction: General Colin Powell, Joint Chief of Staff.
Unless President Bush hands over the country to black Liberal establishment, they will never believe a Republican has done anything for them.
Yeah, well don't rush into that, or anything. < /sarcasm> ;)
We've got a long way to go baby.
OMG, that was a good one! There was Alexia Herman. She was the color of women's hosiery: Barely Black
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