"We as a party have not done a good enough job of reaching out in recent years," Mehlman said to about 150 guests at the Trenton Marriott at Lafayette Yard. "I don’t care how many elections we win, the party of Lincoln will not be a legitimate majority until we do a better job of bringing in the African-American community."

Mehlman, who was picked to head the GOP last month after managing President George Bush’s successful reelection campaign in 2004, said blacks are beset by a kind of political limbo in which neither Republicans nor Democrats adequately represent them.

"I say humbly as a white man that I believe the African-American community is not well-served if one party takes you for granted and the other doesn’t go far enough in reaching out," he said.

Mehlman delivered his remarks at the 7th Annual Black Executive Corporate Awards sponsored by the Metropolitan Trenton African American Chamber of Commerce.

In an exclusive interview with The Trentonian before his speech, Mehlman said the Republican party has learned from lackluster minority turnout in the past several elections that it needs more dialogue with the largely Democratic black population.

"I think a lot of folks in the African-American community recognize sometimes the Democratic party doesn’t always represent their values and doesn’t stand up for their interests," Mehlman said. "This is part of a sustained, systematic, long-term effort to reach out. It’s for votes, but it’s also for building the (Republican) party."

Mehlman said President Bush and Republican leadership are trying to reduce government-imposed costs associated with opening new businesses and improve education through the No Child Left Behind Act, both of which he said would lead to a larger black presence in business and political spectrums.

African-Americans, he said, are currently 50 percent more likely to start their own small business.

"During the Civil Rights era, it was the right to sit at the counter," Mehlman said. "Now it’s the right to own the restaurant."

The black community, especially in urban areas like Trenton, would be better served if churches could receive funding for social programs as state, city, and municipal governments do. Many of those so-called "faith-based" initiatives are opposed by Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Mehlman was praised by Harry Alford, the president of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, and John Harmon, the president and CEO of the Metropolitan Trenton African American Chamber of Commerce, for contacting both organizations first.

Harmon, who hosted and sponsored the event, said just as entrepreneurs cannot afford to sell their product to only half of the market, the black community cannot afford to reject the Republicans’ message based on tradition.

"It is critical that we be open to different ideologies and different ideas if we are to uplift our businesses and enlighten our communities," he said.