Good Lord, it really is all about appearances for these Bush people, isn't it?

One of Mr. Bush's prominent African-American supporters called the White House to say he was aghast at the images from the president's first trip to the region, on Sept. 2, when Mr. Bush stood next to Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi and Gov. Bob Riley of Alabama, both white Republicans, and praised them for a job well done. Mr. Bush did not go into the heart of New Orleans to meet with black victims.

"I said, 'Grab some black people who look like they might be preachers,' " said the supporter, who asked not to be named because he did not want to be identified as criticizing the White House.

Hug a black minister, George! We don't care if you save any black people, just hug a black minister! Yeah, that's what African-Americans wanted.

And that's exactly what followed:

Three days later, on Mr. Bush's next trip to the region, the president appeared in Baton Rouge at the side of T. D. Jakes, the conservative African-American television evangelist and the founder of a 30,000-member megachurch in southwest Dallas.

Bishop Jakes, a multimillionaire and best-selling author, is to deliver the sermon this Friday at the Washington National Cathedral, his office said, where Mr. Bush will mark a national day of prayer for Hurricane Katrina's victims.



Er, I don't think this is going to impress a lot of African Americans. I think the Legendary K.O.'s song, based on Kanye West's denunciation of Bush (and on West's song "Golddigger"), is a bit closer to the mark:

"George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People."

Preach, K.O.

(Hat tip: Greg T.)