Bush, the Republican presidential front-runner, has sidestepped a battle over use of the flag in South Carolina, saying a decision whether to fly it over that state's Capitol must come from voters there.

Texas flies the state flag under the American flag at the state Capitol.

In a letter, the NAACP asked Bush to state publicly that the flag is offensive to minority groups, who contend the flag represents slavery in the old South.

"We are not asking you to personally condemn the flag, but to say simply that it honestly offends a large segment of the population and therefore should not be used as an official public symbol, particularly in a location like our highest court where people go to try and obtain justice," wrote Gary Bledsoe, president of the Texas chapter of the NAACP.

Bledsoe wrote that the flag as become a symbol of "hate and division."

Bush was campaigning in Iowa Friday.

"Texas proudly flies the Texas and American flags over our state buildings," said Bush campaign spokesman Scott McClellan. "Throughout our capital complex, there are many historical representations of the six different governments that governed Texas in the past.

"Texas is a diverse state and we are proud of our diversity and we certainly hope people are not trying to politicize this is in the context of presidential campaign ... He recognizes there are strong emotions on both sides," McClellan said.

The building that houses the state Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals, Texas' two highest courts, has two bronze plaques inside that refer to the Confederacy. One has the seal of the Confederacy and the other includes an image of the stars and bars battle flag and quotes Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

"I rely upon Texas regiments in all tight places and fear I have to call upon them too often. They have fought grandly, nobly ...." the plaque reads.

Court spokesman Osler McCarthy said the building was built with money donated from a Confederate widows fund and was commissioned in 1955. The building is operated by the state general services department, not the court, he said.

"This is not the first time this has been raised," McCarthy said. "The court is sympathetic but it ain't our building."

The battle flag also is used by several school districts around the state, Bledsoe said. Nearby Hays County has been sharply divided in recent months over use of the flag at high school football games.