Dick Kay reports that a meeting between Sen. James Meeks and 79 black ministers yesterday was “no love fest”.

Andy Shaw has this:

Reverend James Meeks fielded some tough questions Monday about his possible run for governor. Some African-American ministers are worried a Meeks candidacy might actually help the Republicans.

Some of the Chicago area’s most prominent African American ministers agree with Reverend and State Senator James Meeks that the Democratic Party’s taken the black vote for granted much too long and shortchanged their community when it comes to key issues like education. But the ministers say it’s too soon to even consider supporting an independent run for governor by Reverend Meeks until they’ve met with the other candidates, including Republican Judy Baar Topinka and Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich. “Meeks is a pastor. We are pastors. We love him as a pastor. We support him as a pastor as we understand him. His candidacy is all but a proposition. We have two candidates right now, Topinka and Blagojevich,” said Bishop Tavis Grant, Clergy Speaks.

Most of the 79 African American ministers who grilled Reverend Meeks for two intense hours during a meeting Monday morning are worried about an independent candidacy siphoning off enough votes from Democrats, including Governor Rod Blagojevich, to elect a slate of Republicans led by Judy Baar Topinka. They are inclined to support Blagojevich– but only if he meets their demands for more spending on education, prison reform and drug treatment.

“We need to hold the governor’s feet to the fire right now. And if we have not heard something from the governor by a certain date, then we may have to look at other options,” said Bishop Larry Trotter, Clergy Speaks.

Mike Flannery adds:

A few minutes later, Illinois’s highest-ranking African-American politician, Sen. Barack Obama, declined to take sides.

“Something I think would be great is for Meeks and Gov. Blagojevich to sit down and figure this thing out,” Obama said. […]

“Rev. Meeks’ proposals are gonna be helpful in the short term, and he’s also proposing ideas in the long term that ought to be discussed and need to have a hearing,” Blagojevich said.

“Well, and, If that’s true, the Democratic Party needs to sit down and find out what the African-American community need in order for me not to run,” Meeks said.

More here.