President Bill Clinton told black religious leaders to urge the members of their communities to participate in the November 7 presidential election by voting for Democrats.
One week from the election, opinion surveys still indicate a race too close to call between Vice President Al Gore and Republican Texas Governor George W. Bush, who nevertheless holds a slight edge over his rival.
Meeting with some 250 African-American religious leaders at the White House, Clinton late Monday spoke of the current US economic prosperity, saying that they would "never have another time like this to build the future of our dreams for our children."
Clinton said that under Gore, the economy would continue to grow, while with the Republicans the country would slip back to budget deficits.
He described Gore as somebody "you know you can count on in case of crisis," directly hinting at Bush's lack of foreign policy experience.
"I can tell you that we've been through some" crises, Clinton said recalling the White House's response to the trouble in Bosnia and Kosovo, the financial woes of Mexico and the peace process in Northern Ireland and the Middle East.
"I can tell you what I have know for eight years," Clinton said of Gore, "he is a good person who will be a great president."
Clinton for several days has been campaigning for the country's African-American vote, representing 12 percent of the US population.
On Sunday, Clinton attended services at two Baptist churches here in Washington and outside the capital in Alexandria, where he urged black Americans to make their votes count on November 7 -- WASHINGTON (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
