Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) has been approached about taking the helm of the NAACP when current President Kweisi Mfume steps down at the end of the year. Cummings, who succeeded Mfume in the House in 1996, said he's happy in Congress but wouldn't rule out a bid to head the nation's most prominent civil rights organizations. The Maryland lawmaker is nearing the end of his term as the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, and the NAACP job could afford him the opportunity to maintain a high-profile political role, sources in and outside of Congress said. "It's certainly something I would have to take a look at," Cummings said. "It would be a rare opportunity to come along, a rare opportunity to move into a position like that."  Cummings said it is a critical time in the history of the civil rights organization - a time that requires a strong leader, whomever that may be. The next president, he said, must be politically savvy, possess a strong voice on civil rights and bring a "strong sense of the organization's history." The NAACP is based in Baltimore, Cummings' home town. Rep. Albert Wynn (D-Md.) said that if Cummings is interested in the post, he would be "an excellent candidate" and "a good voice for the NAACP." As the 95-year-old civil rights organization begins its search for a new leader, Cummings is considered the strongest pick among Members of Congress. Reps. John Lewis (D-Ga.) and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) have also been mentioned as possible candidates, although sources said Lewis is not interested. Regardless of what Cummings does, Mfume's announcement last week signals the beginning of Maryland's 2006 election season.  [more]

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