"Race relations are awful," says a frustrated former black political appointee.

The selection of Mr. Paige, who is Mr. Bush's second black appointee to his cabinet, after General Powell, was intriguing.

CNN Reporter Considered The Bush transition is casting a wide net in its search for black appointees.

Among other things, they list the names of black appointees to the Administration, calling them "20 of the African-Americans who are making a difference."

Diversity among blacks themselves was evident in Brooklyn, where black mayoral appointees to the commission tried to unseat a number of black incumbents tied to the Democratic organization.

A black appointee to the Committee, Kirk W. Peters, assistant dean of students at Trinity, said the task facing Dr. Gerety is monumental.

And however he deals with a black appointee, Mr. Dinkins risks either alienating his core constituency or being seen as too forgiving.

Recently, according to the Musgrove campaign, handbills have been mailed out that say "Some of Ronnie Musgrove's important appointments" and show photographs of his black appointees.

He integrated government with more black and Hispanic appointees who began to reflect the city's rapidly changing population.

Mr. Friedman said earlier this week that he favored a black appointee.