Bush spoke to the NAACP?s annual convention for the first time during his presidency. His speech drew both applause and silence as he addressed the group he has avoided for five years.

?I consider it a tragedy that the party of Abraham Lincoln let go of its historic ties with the African-American community,? he said.

The move is seen as an attempt to garner support for the Republican Party among black voters in advance of the midterm elections.

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