Bush's Meeting(s) with the Congressional Black Caucus?? 

Thursday, October 14, 2004 at 03:11AM
TheSpook

• Oh, the one 3 years ago and the one where they refused to leave until Bush met with them.

During the debate Kerry "misspoke" (or by design) said that Bush had never met with the CBC. However, Bush has met with the CBC once officially and once unoffocially.  The Washington Post says that Kerry's overall charge was correct: Bush has repeatedly turned down requests to meet with the group since then. Caucus members have complained that not only has Bush refused to meet with them on specific issues, including his plans to attack Iraq, but also the White House often has not even responded to their letters. Bush dropped by a meeting that national security adviser Condoleezza Rice had with the caucus earlier this year. [more ] The caucus met with Bush 11 days after he was inaugurated on Jan. 31, 2001 -- at which time the president told them, "I hope you come back, and I'll certainly be inviting," according to the White House transcript. [here ]

• Bush has turned down or not responded to at least 6 such meeting requests [more ]
  
• On July  15, 2003 The Congressional Black Caucus Chair, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) was invited by the White House to join a group of Congressional members to meet with Bush to discuss the President's trip to Africa. Chairman Cummings respectfully declined and explained "I respectfully declined an invitation to meet with the President today. The CBC has requested a meeting with the President for over two-and-a-half years and, unfortunately, each time he has refused. I appreciate the President's gesture to include me as a part of a group of congressional members to be briefed on his recent trip to Africa.However, I would hope that the President would meet with the CBC, as a whole, on the many pressing domestic and international challenges facing this country. As public servants, we have a duty to put aside our differences and come together for the good of the country. I hope the President feels the same way." [more ]
• Wait at the Gate. Last February the caucus members got to see Bush only after showing up at the White House gate and refusing to leave until the president agreed to meet with them, according to Cummings. The session came about after the White House declined the group's repeated requests for meetings, Cummings said after the debate Wednesday. Cummings said the group wanted to meet with Bush to discuss the crisis in Haiti and called White House chief of staff Andrew H. Card Jr. to tell him, "We're coming to the White House." About 20 members of the caucus then boarded a bus at the Capitol and traveled up Pennsylvania Avenue.
  
• Caucus members were greeted by Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and national security advisor Condoleezza Rice. But they were told flatly, "The president is not on the premises," recalled Candice Tolliver, the group's communications director.
  
• Caucus members then said they wouldn't leave until they could meet with Bush. Fifteen minutes later, the president showed up. After the meeting, the White House issued a statement saying Bush "welcomed the opportunity" to visit with the caucus.[here ] "This president has basically not given the Congressional Black Caucus any respect. None," Cummings said after Wednesday's debate. [more]
• The Congressional Black Caucus consists on 39 Democrats. There are no Black Republicans in Congress.

Article originally appeared on (http://brownwatch.com/).