SOTU: I'm Sorry Mr. President: After Katrina, Talk is Cheap

This was published on AOL's Black Voices today...

After Katrina: What the President Needs to Say to African Americans in His State of The Union

The Democratic Point of View

By Jamal Simmons, Special to AOL Black Voices

When asked to describe George W. Bush's attitude toward African Americans a friend responded by paraphrasing his mother from North Carolina. "The President sure is trying, bless his heart, but he just can't seem to get it right." As most black folk know, the minute someone says "bless his heart" it is clear there is something wrong with the person in question.

George W. Bush deserves credit for doing a few things differently than his Republican predecessors. However, except for the truly historic appointments he has made including the first African-American man and woman to be Secretary of State, most of those things are rhetorical. He has spent years spouting the rhetoric of opportunity and ownership as his prescription for poverty while watching over 5 million more Americans fall below the poverty line. Bush then sent Republican Party Chairman Ken Mehlman out to barnstorm the nation touting their desire to "make the Party of Lincoln whole again" by welcoming African Americans back into the fold. Meanwhile he refused to even speak to an NAACP gathering since taking office.

Then came Katrina.

After Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and thousands of poor people, mostly African Americans, were left stranded and starving in New Orleans for days, Bush's poll ratings in the African American community went from mediocre to miserable. Clearly, his perceived indifference harmed his standing with blacks for a long time to come.

Tonight, when he makes his 5th State of the Union address, the President should try to heal this breach. He can start by accepting responsibility for the inaction of his government, apologize to those who were left in New Orleans and cooperate in the investigation of the Katrina response. After the tragedy of 9/11 and the billions of dollars spent on homeland defense, we should have been better prepared to respond to a crisis that was predicted for days.

Whether or not African Americans agree on staying the course in Iraq, they join the president in his desire to protect the nation from terrorists. That said, President Bush should also address the domestic crises facing the country and offer plans to replace the 2.8 million manufacturing jobs that have been lost and the pension benefits being discarded by American companies. He should follow that by committing funds for a plan to make America's schools places where students, especially struggling black children, are actually prepared to compete with kids in China and India for jobs.

While talking about these issues is important, the problem the President faces with African Americans is not one that words can solve. His problem, bless his heart, is a lack of action and there is nothing any speech can do about that.