To My Colleague Ron Christie, on the NAACP

It is interesting you turn the NAACP meeting into another defense of the Libby commutation, and ignore the one question you could be offering an important opinion about, which is this:

Don’t you agree with me, that it is profoundly unwise for Republican presidential candidates, with only one exception, to disrespect the NAACP and simply refuse to attend?

There have been other African American-related meetings, and there will be more, and the common denominator is that the Republican presidential candidates give them the back of their hand.

J.C. Watts, a conservative African American Republican who is widely respected, has made a point of urging Republicans to attend these meetings.  Do you agree or disagree with him?

I am not the smartest guy I ever met, or the dumbest guy, but this should be a no-brainer for Republicans.  If I were advising Republican candidates for president or Congress, I’d say, Go to these meetings, make your appeal, show your respect, and you would be greeted with respect in return.

This would be good for the Republican Party, to reach out to African Americans and all other groups with respect.

By the way, Ron, did you oppose the bigoted ad that was run against Harold Ford, and would you oppose that kind of ad in the future?

I respect you enough to think you did, and you would.

Do you oppose attacks on Barack Obama that are based on his name, with obvious implications, and did you criticize certain conservative media for reporting as news the lie that 6-year-old Obama went to a school friendly to terrorists?

I respect you enough to think you did, and would again, if such slanders emerge.

Regarding the Libby commutation that will lead to a pardon, I predict you will have ample opportunity to post about this again soon, when the issue reemerges on the front pages.

The truth is, everyone who reads the Pundits Blog knows your opinion and mine. No need to belabor the point here, though I welcome any Republican who keeps raising the issue, which only helps Democrats.

Here’s my offer: You and the Republicans can mobilize the full 19 percent of America that agrees with you, and I and the Democrats can win the rest of the country that agrees with me.

Of course that has nothing to do with the NAACP.

I agree with J.C. Watts. It is a major mistake for leading Republicans to refuse to attend these meetings and make their case.

Don’t you agree?