Bush's Urban League appearance still not confirmed

The leader of the National Urban League said Monday he is still waiting to hear if President Bush will be in Pittsburgh next week to attend the organization's annual conference.

Urban League President Marc H. Morial said he expects to hear from the White House later this week about Bush's potential appearance.

"We pride ourselves on being a place where important people and influential policymakers can discuss issues that are of concern to African-Americans," said Morial, the former mayor of New Orleans. "Without question, the president is one of them."

The Urban League is the nation's oldest and largest community-based movement devoted to empowering blacks to enter the economic and social mainstream. Its annual conference begins Saturday at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson and pediatric surgeon Dr. Benjamin Carson, who recently assisted in a surgery to separate conjoined twins from Iran, are two of the speakers scheduled to appear.

The theme for the conference is "The Black Family: Building on Its Resilience." The event will include a career fair, an African-American marketplace and a health pavilion sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and GlaxoSmithKline.

Along with Bush, the Urban League has invited nine Democratic presidential contenders, Morial said.

Scott Stanzel, a White House spokesman, said Bush's schedule for next week will not be publicized until Friday.