Will Al Gore get the black vote? Yeah. Will Gore have to worry and make sure those voters turn out? Yeah, he has to worry a lot.

They can't be much more united than in the past -- it's nearly impossible -- but they will certainly be unified.

Republicans always think that if they make some small [outreach] gestures, that African Americans will applaud their good intentions, ... They still don't understand that African Americans would look at those Bush moves and conclude: 'Those people really don't like us.'

Act as though a pandemic influenza will start tomorrow. Don't think we can wait around and not worry it won't start for six months or one year. Once, it starts it is too late to prepare.

Officials should have realized that the poor were not going to be able to evacuate the way everybody evacuated and some special provisions should have involved community leaders, ... People in those poor, black communities in New Orleans don't trust the government very much. If pastors, doctors and other trusted leaders had been involved, they would have pressured for a plan for people who rely on public transportation.

potentially make Texas more competitive in the not-too-distant future.