According the NY Post and Black America Web P. Diddy pulled out of Monday's dedication ceremony of the Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati because first lady Laura Bush's handlers refused to let her appear on stage with him. Mrs. Bush headlined the list of celebrities who took part in the ceremony for the $80 million museum, which marks the place where thousands of slaves took their first steps as free men and women a century and a half ago.The New York Post, quoting anonymous sources, said Mrs. Bush's representatives "made it very clear to Freedom Center that they would not have Laura Bush appearing in the same photo-op as rapper P. Diddy. The article speculated that Mrs. Bush's refusal to appear on stage with the rapper might have something to do with his "scandalous past" or the fact that last month he launched Citizen Change, an effort to "educate, motivate and empower" millions of unregistered young black and Latino voters, a bloc that historically has leaned heavily Democratic. [more
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