Being a black Republican.(INSIDE POLITICS)

In this year of scandal and general distaste toward the Grand Old Party, it's difficult to be a Republican. It's even harder to be a black Republican, because the odds are stacked against them; 90 percent of blacks traditionally vote Democratic, and only 11 percent voted for President Bush in 2004, up slightly from 8 percent in 2000.

Still, a group of GOP black candidates are feeling optimistic. The three best known are Ken Blackwell, who's running for Ohio governor; Michael Steele, Maryland's lieutenant governor who is running for the U.S. Senate; and Lynn Swann, the f