Keyes endorsed by New York groups

By Shannon Troetel/CNN

February 16, 2000
Web posted at: 2:05 p.m. EST (1905 GMT)

NEW YORK (CNN) -- At a news conference here Wednesday, Republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes received endorsements from the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and Jews for Morality.

CORE chairman and civil rights leader, Roy Innis, blasted The New York Times and the Daily News for choosing South Carolina debate photos for their Wednesday editions where Keyes is not visible. Keyes is the only African-American GOP or Democratic Party candidate.

"That brilliant performance last night of Dr. Keyes is not reflected in the headline of one of the most important dailies in America," Innis said, holding up the Daily News. "What ingenuity must have gone into the photo editor of this major newspaper to X out the dominant partner in a three-way debate last night."

Keyes categorized the New York press as "basically Communist-style media."

"There is a sad effort in the media to censor the existence of the campaign," Keyes said of the media. "They do it quite consistently."

Jews for Morality is a Brooklyn-based organization that describes itself as "concerned with preserving traditional morality and decency in America." Rabbi Yehuda Levin, spokesman for the organization, gave Keyes the endorsement.

When asked about his expectations for the South Carolina primary Saturday, Keyes said "it's in the hands of God."