Bob Dole's rejection of an offer to speak at Tuesday's convention of the NAACP is drawing fire from members of the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization.
Dole's presidential campaign issued a statement late Monday saying that a "major scheduling conflict" prevented the Republican presidential candidate from accepting the invitation. President Clinton has accepted an invitation to speak on Wednesday.President Bush declined an invitation to speak four years ago, and by doing the same thing this year, Dole has triggered disappointment and anger from some members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
"If he wants the support from blacks - Republicans and even Democrats - he's got to show, regardless of how he feels," said Sid Nelson, an NAACP member from Charleston, S.C., who is black and votes Republican.