What’s missing in this photo?

Last night several of the Republican Presidential hopefuls showed up for a debate at the historically African-American Morgan State University in Maryland. The event was hosted by Tavis Smiley. The big story? The front-runners and big names who brazenly blew it off: Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson.

Of course, we knew it was going to happen, as it had already been reported. But for real? Those four actually skipped out on a chance to speak directly to African-Americans at a forum which would have allowed them to make their case to a huge votership, and show that they, as Kanye West simply put it, “care about black people.” Yes, they did. They had fund-raisers to attend.

Jon Robin Baitz, the openly gay playwright and creator/exec producer of TV’s Brothers and Sisters, has something to say about it all. Here’s a bit from his essay on The Huffington Post:

“The no-shows, off to their fund-raisers, etc, are betraying a spiritual compact which democracy relies on. Because every white politician in this country running for national office has a huge and terrible compact inherent in the job, an awesome and final responsibility to insist that minority children be thrust into a safe and shining future, an equal one — a more than equal one.”

And he’s just getting started… Read the entire post.

Agree much?