Steel cage match alert!
Well, it would be a steel cage match, but some of the Democrat presidential contenders are AWOL:

The NAACP's top leadership lashed out Saturday at several of the major Democratic candidates for president, calling their intention to skip Monday's candidate forum an ''affront'' to the nation's oldest civil rights organization.

As many as four of the nine candidates have refused to participate in the forum, expressing reluctance to appear on stage with their rivals in a debate format, NAACP officials said.

As of late Saturday, Sens. John Edwards of North Carolina and Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Reps. Richard Gephardt of Missouri and Dennis Kucinich of Ohio were not expected to attend. Sen. Bob Graham of Florida was scheduled to attend, along with former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun and the Rev. Al Sharpton. Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry plans to go to the convention, but his campaign is pressing for a change in the debate format.

Since people who listen to the NAACP tend to march in lockstep to the polls to vote for Democrats, this must be serious!

The flap between the Democratic candidates and the leaders of one of the party's most important interest groups underscored a brewing conflict within the campaigns on the need to court critical black votes but avoid potentially risky events where the candidates cannot control the circumstances.

At other forums, including last month's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition event hosted by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the major candidates have been largely overshadowed by the more animated Sharpton.

Woohoo! They're hiding out from the Rev!

Or, as in South Carolina in May, the event was dominated by snippy exchanges between Dean and Kerry.

Hiding from Howie too? What a bunch of wimps.

The candidates recently signed an agreement with the Democratic National Committee establishing six officially sanctioned joint appearances before the primary elections begin in January.

Campaign officials argue that the agreement limits them to the six joint appearances.

Well that's really boring! And somehow, I don't think "an agreement" is going to carry much weight with the Kool-Aid drinkers. On the other hand, Al and Howie won't have anyone to kick around but each other. Should be amusing.