Blacks come out for Bush

WASHINGTON, July 16 (UPI) -- The Bush-Cheney campaign Friday announced an effort to woo black voters that will be spearheaded by 80 African-Americans.

The 80 will be introduced to the public in Detroit Monday by former National Football League star Lynn Swan, former Congressman J.C. Watts, actor Joseph Phillips, Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson.

"These people will oversee our outreach efforts to African-Americans throughout the country and make sure our message gets out there," a campaign official said. "Detroit was chosen for the announcement because Michigan is very important to us and Detroit is very important for African-American outreach."

Bush meets next week in Detroit with the National Urban League. He has been sharply criticized by the NAACP, which has accused him of ignoring civil rights and charged his economic policies have hurt black Americans. That criticism was turned up this week when Bush shunned the NAACP annual convention, where black supporters of Bush were described as sell-outs.

Bush garnered less than 10 percent of the black vote in the 2000 election.