Free Republic

Getting on the right government list can make you wealthy. That's the gist of what Alphonso Jackson, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, told a group of influential minority business leaders in Dallas on April 28. During that talk Jackson warned HUD contractors against criticizing President Bush. A Dallas Business Journal report on his comments has led to a political firestorm, calls for his resignation, a formal probe by the HUD Inspector General and an apology from Jackson. Because of intense interest in that April 28 talk, here are additional details of Jackson's comments, which included the story of...

HUD secretary booed at Baptist convention By JANET McCONNAUGHEY Associated Press writer NEW ORLEANS -- The nation's largest black church group interrupted President Bush's housing secretary with sustained boos when he said Thursday that the Republican Party is committed to helping blacks. Alphonso Jackson, who is black, appeared at the annual meeting of the National Baptist Convention USA a few hours before Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry was scheduled. "Kerry's not going to say anything about what's better about his party -- he's going to make an emotional speech and blame the Republican Party," Jackson predicted. As such things go,...