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Black Republicans Returning to Their GOP Roots
NewsMax.com ^ | 2-3-2006 | Dave Eberhart

Posted on 02/08/2006 8:01:27 PM PST by JulieRNR21

ARLINGTON, Va. --

When the 33rd Annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) gets underway in Washington, D.C., this week, the new National Black Republicans Association (NBRA) will be there in force, marking the first time a black Republican group co-sponsored what is perennially billed as America's premier conservative event.

NewsMax caught up with the energetic chairperson of NBRA, Frances Rice, on the evening of Feb. 6 as she was gearing up for two days of special "grass-roots" training events for her group that precede the formal CPAC kickoff.

Rice, who retired from the Army in 1984 after 20 years of active service as a judge advocate and who served as a member of President Ronald Reagan's Private Sector Initiatives Task Force, is proud of the rapid progress of her organization – noting that President Bush was publishing a special greeting to the group that was to be read Wednesday evening in conjunction with the group's Pioneer Dinner at this year's CPAC venue at the Omni-Shoreham Hotel in Washington. D.C.

Congresswoman Katherine Harris, R-Fla., will read the presidential greeting honoring the NBRA, which was formed just this past August. The NBRA has endorsed Harris in her run for the U.S. Senate, emphasizing, as Rice tells NewsMax, "her consistent support of black Republicans in Florida and black communities in her district."

Rice, who describes her organization as "committed to returning African-Americans to their Republican Party roots," tells NewsMax that the NBRA hopes, among other things, to move Republican political activism away from the use of traditional "paid political operatives" and into the hands of rank-and-file Republicans who are networked and who beat the Republican drum in America's neighborhoods – particularly black neighborhoods:

"There's nothing like having your neighbors come to talk with you," she says.

The message: "To return black Americans to their Republican Party roots by enlightening them about how Republicans fought for their freedom and civil rights, and are now fighting for their educational and economic advancement."

To this end, Rice was instrumental in getting CPAC linked up with Arlington-based The Leadership Institute (TLI), which, since 1979, has been a training ground for tomorrow's conservative leaders.

Participants at CPAC 2006 will have the opportunity to participate in five of their most popular seminars, including a Grass Roots Communications Workshop, an Effective Television Techniques Workshop, a Blogging workshop, a Public Speaking Workshop, and a Campus Action Workshop.

Some 100 NBRA volunteers from around the country will not only be attending the workshops during the formal CPAC sessions, but will be on hand for a special "Grass Roots Activist Campaign School" at TLI's Arlington campus.

"We want blacks to be effective in the political process," Rice says.


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: blackrepublicans; cpac; florida; francesrice; gop; grassroots; katherineharris; nbra; washingtondc
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To: USS Alaska

Imagine if you will:

It is 9 P.M. election night Tuesday Nov. 7, 2006. Deep within the bowel that is the MSNBC studios in Secaucus, New Jersey, Chris Matthews is hosting election night edition of "Whiffleball".The camera cuts to CM after the top of the hour news break. Our fearless lib looks very frazzled, brow wrinkled, hair a mess, etc. We now join the action already in progress:

CM---News is breaking from Ohio and Pa. It looks like Lynn Swann in a landslide over incumbent Ed Rendall, a stunning 15 point lead. Are we sure this is right????
Swann has been saying all along that Gov. Rendall would like to be a sportscaster and it looks like he is going to get his wish. And in Ohio, Sec. of State Ken Blackwell is easily defeating Mayor Coleman from Columbus, an impressive 12 point lead with 1/2 the vote counted. Wait I see a flash coming out of Maryland. It looks like we can call the Senate race already. Lt Gov. Michael Steele in a runaway, a double- digit lead with 65% in. Let's get some comments from our panel, Mike Barnacle....
MB-----NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! This can't be happening!!! Hey Alec Baldwin, can I borrow you private jet and get outta here!!!!
CM----Mike it isn't that bad yet. We still have Hillary to get the Dems back in '08. James Carville, anything you can read into this....
JC-----Hey honey would you keep it down over there. It's bad enough I've been with you all these years but would you please stop with the gloating.
CM---Ok, James, now that you've mentioned it Mary Matlin you have to be very excited about what is going on tonight.....
MM----Let me be direct and to the point, Chris, WOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CM----I get the picture, this isn't going very well now is it Sen. Kennedy.....
TK-----ummmmmm, ahhhhhhhhh. Lynn who???wasn't he a football player??? Who does he think he is ummmmm J.C. Watts!!!! And I don't know who the Heck that ahhhhh, Ken Blackwell is....
CM---Thanks, Sen. Kennedy. In the other studio is Tucker Carlson, Joe Scarbourgh and Monica Crowley. Guys, this is a night the GOP has been waiting for since the 2004 elections. What are your thoughts??????
TC----Hey Monica would you please crack open that bottle of crystal....
MC----A toast, to the GOP HIP, HIP, HURRAY!!!!!!!! Cheers!!!!
JS----Hey Chris was that on the air??? We only wanted to gloat off camera. Back to you...
CM----Time for a break. ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Meanwhile somewhere in midtown Manhattan, Alan Colmes stormed off the set of H&C when Bob Novak irritated him too much. It's now Hannity and Novak...all GOP, all the time............

Seems to hard to believe. We now know that Lynn Swann is unopposed in the Pa. party election. It's now down to Blackwell and Petro here in Ohio and we know how well Steele can do in MD...

THIS CAN HAPPEN-----BELEIVE IT!!!!!!


41 posted on 02/08/2006 9:47:24 PM PST by cleveland gop (BLACKWELL/SWANN FOR GOVS. IN 06!!!)
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To: Concerned; xJones

Found it.......

Go here:

http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/dennisprager/2003/01/21/169065.html


42 posted on 02/08/2006 9:49:59 PM PST by JulieRNR21 (Salus populi suprema lex. ~ The safety of the people is the highest law. ... Cicero)
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To: Rick_Michael

My main point was actually that Sharpton and Jackson are race-baiting poverty pimps, whereas MLK preached white and black, side by side, peacefully.


43 posted on 02/08/2006 9:50:34 PM PST by RockinRight (Attention RNC...we're the party of Reagan, not FDR...)
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To: xJones
Somehow, the majority of the Black and the Jewish vote remain die-hard Democrats.

That's true, but this is a start.

Make no mistake, this is a multi-decade project. But the approach is sound, and will grow to have a lasting impact.
44 posted on 02/08/2006 9:50:44 PM PST by tantiboh
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To: cleveland gop
Great Post......I BELIEVE!


45 posted on 02/08/2006 9:55:47 PM PST by JulieRNR21 (Salus populi suprema lex. ~ The safety of the people is the highest law. ... Cicero)
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To: RockinRight
Actually, IIRC 2004 saw both Jews and Blacks vote in higher percentages for Republicans than they have in many years.

I don't know how things were in previous elections but African Americans voted only 11% for Bush. It is only slightly better with 25% for Jewish voters.

In reality what this means is that we all have some work to do but we should be able to yield tremendous results.

If the GOP got 25% of the black vote and 40% of the Jewish vote the democratic party was cease being a national party.

46 posted on 02/08/2006 9:56:13 PM PST by Straight Vermonter (John 6: 31-69)
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To: JulieRNR21

PING!!!!!!!!


47 posted on 02/08/2006 9:59:32 PM PST by cleveland gop (BLACKWELL/SWANN FOR GOVS. IN 06!!!)
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To: demlosers

You might like to read post #35 which is relevant to your thread........PING


48 posted on 02/08/2006 10:05:04 PM PST by JulieRNR21 (Salus populi suprema lex. ~ The safety of the people is the highest law. ... Cicero)
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To: JulieRNR21

Bump for later read.


49 posted on 02/08/2006 10:12:02 PM PST by notpoliticallycorewrecked ( God Bless our Military)
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To: JulieRNR21

You know what would make this even cooler? If Thomas Sowell would run for an office. Awwwwww yeaaaaah.


50 posted on 02/08/2006 10:22:17 PM PST by Gordongekko909 (I know. Let's cut his WHOLE BODY off.)
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To: JulieRNR21
How cool is this ! ? ! Fantastic news. Apparently, I missed any previous articles covering this development. I've just been thinking what a great thing this is. A full, national organization of black Conservatives. This has the potential of something really big and something that will truly put the disadvantaged on a marked upswing in the whole gamut of being an American. Methinks education is a great starting point. (vouchers)

Nam Vet

51 posted on 02/08/2006 10:26:12 PM PST by Nam Vet (The Democrat Party of America is perfectly P.C. * .(* P.C. = Patriotically Challenged)
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To: Gordongekko909

Sowell has said many many times, that elected office is not his calling, and I believe him.


52 posted on 02/08/2006 10:44:10 PM PST by kylaka
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To: kylaka

Sucks, don't it?


53 posted on 02/08/2006 10:44:43 PM PST by Gordongekko909 (I know. Let's cut his WHOLE BODY off.)
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To: cleveland gop

BTW, Chris Matthews' brother, Jim, is Lynn Swann's choice for a running mate. Chris is going to be badly torn on election night.


54 posted on 02/09/2006 12:46:43 AM PST by fieldmarshaldj (Cheney X -- Destroying the Liberal Democrat Traitors By Any Means Necessary -- Ya Dig ? Sho 'Nuff.)
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To: JulieRNR21

Yeah, all three of them.


55 posted on 02/09/2006 2:58:24 AM PST by Joe Boucher (an enemy of islam)
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To: JulieRNR21

git dem linkum gumboats goin once more


56 posted on 02/09/2006 3:04:42 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck
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To: xJones
Actually, I think a significant number of blacks have to get elected before the blacbloc voters will take notice.If all of these fellows make it I think there will be a noticeable swing of black voters in the next election. If only one gets a win then there will be no change.
57 posted on 02/09/2006 3:47:00 AM PST by arthurus (Better to fight them OVER THERE than over here.)
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To: cleveland gop

I believe!!!!


58 posted on 02/09/2006 4:35:50 AM PST by SueRae
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To: JulieRNR21
The NBRA has endorsed Harris in her run for the U.S. Senate, emphasizing, as Rice tells NewsMax, "her consistent support of black Republicans in Florida and black communities in her district."

Very interesting; thanks for the ping, Julie.
59 posted on 02/09/2006 5:37:01 AM PST by summer
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To: Nam Vet

I think this puts the Republican Party ahead of the Democratic Party because it shows that if you have big ideas and are a person of character, we will support you regardless of your skin color.
This is the party of OPPORTUNITY!!! What you do with it is up to you.


60 posted on 02/09/2006 7:21:16 AM PST by griswold3 (Ken Blackwell, Ohio Governor in 2006- No!! You cannot have my governor in 2008.)
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