Dean calls republicans hypocritical for courting black voters

Howard Dean isn't backing off one bit after the recent criticisms. Look at what Dean was up to today at a Rainbow PUSH Coalition conference held in Chicago:

Until President Bush and top Republicans reaffirm their support for the Voting Rights Act, they should stop courting black voters and showing up in black churches, Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean said Sunday.

Dean went on to issue a direct challenge to the president and republicans:

"I think it's hypocritical for the Republicans to pretend to reach out to the African-American community unless they say they are going to reauthorize what gave the African-American community political power," Dean said in an interview. "I'd love to have the president say whether he's going to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act."

"The chairman of the Republican Party as you know has made a big deal about attracting African-American voters," Dean said to conference attendees. "And this is a litmus test. If you aren't going to support the extension of the Voting Rights Act, I don't know what right you have to go to a black church and show your face."

Gotta love that Dean continues to put republicans on the defensive, that he's doing it with substance, and that he continues to lead the charge for voters' rights.

As an added bonus, he took a shot at Fox, too, when asked to respond to Cheney's comments on Fox earlier in the day:

"My view is FOX News is a propaganda outlet for the Republican Party and I don't comment on FOX News," Dean said.