[Note Nader was also politely received by a notably sparser crowd of delegates who emphasied while they liked his positions, they were supporting Gore because of his long association with their issues and for tactical reasons. Not that the NAACP can't be challenged on its decisions, but I would think some folks would be a bit more circumspect in saying voting for Gore is supporting a racist position, since that puts you in the position of saying you know the pure antiracist position better than a lot of folks representing a lot of other black and other folks directly suffering under racism. When NAACP and most labor leaders are strongly supporting Gore, it is a serious kind of sectarian vanguardism to say unequivocably that such support is not the pro-labor or pro-civil rights position. Note that the WIlliam Lucy mentioned is also the Secretary-Treasurer of AFSCME, the highest elected black union leader of an international union.-- Nathan]
July 12, 2000 Gore Swipes Bush at NAACP Convention Filed at 11:25 a.m. EDT By The Associated Press
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Democrat Al Gore swiped at George W. Bush before a cheering NAACP audience Wednesday, suggesting the Republican presidential candidate's interest in black voters is pure politics.
``I am a member of the NAACP. It's good to be home,'' Gore told the annual convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Speaking two days after Bush addressed the civil rights group, Gore said, ``I have come here not just in an election year, but year after year. I have worked with you. I have stood with you. I am proud to have won some battles alongside you.''
Gore, who also challenged Bush to prod the GOP-led Congress to clean up abandoned urban property, was welcomed to the convention center by cheers.
Hundreds of NAACP members leapt atop chairs as Gore entered the hall with a dance in his step, grabbing hands, hugs and high-fives two or three at a time.
Board member William Lucy introduced Gore as someone who, ``unlike a lot of people, has not just discovered the NAACP, has not just discovered the problems of poor people, African-American people and people of color.''
When Bush spoke to this same convention on Monday, he heralded the contrast between himself and other Republicans who ``have avoided the NAACP.''
The vice president, who is expected to receive the Democrats' presidential nomination next month, won several standing ovations Wednesday with talk of his commitment to public schools, hate-crimes legislation and an end to racial profiling -- where police target minority members.
He repeatedly referred to ``our people,'' as in: ``Welcome immigrants, yes. But educate our people.''
While Bush acknowledged his party's history with black Americans was not good and he promised to do better, he did not specify how to combat racism.
``I don't want to offer you generalities,'' Gore said Wednesday. ``I want to offer you specifics.''
Gore, who has strong support among black voters, spoke of how Baltimore and other urban areas could be helped by revitalization of ``brownfields,'' patches of land contaminated enough that developers are unwilling to buy them but not polluted enough to qualify for cleanup under the federal Superfund program.
After the NAACP speech, Gore was touring a former soap and detergent plant that will be remade into an office complex through a $67 million renovation by a private company.
He supports a bipartisan bill announced last month to remove obstacles that have kept similar private businesses from buying and restoring the land.
``Unfortunately pollution has some pretty powerful allies,'' Gore said in remarks prepared for Wednesday's tour.
Gore has spent the week trying to tie Bush to GOP congressional leaders, saying they're stalling popular legislation to aid special interests.