George Bush: Back to The Party of Lincoln?

The most prominent black in the George Bush campaign was Willie Horton, the Massachusetts killer who raped a woman after he escaped from prison on a weekend furlough. The Bush camp relentlessly invoked Horton to portray Michael Dukakis as soft on crime -- but maybe also to make a not so subtle pitch to racial fears. In recent weeks, however, Bush has adroitly been mending fences. He moved quickly to meet with Jesse Jackson, Coretta Scott King and N.A.A.C.P. leader Benjamin Hooks. Jim Pinkerton, the director of policy development for the Bush transition team, promises, "The President-elect has a personal commitment...