Political Wire: "(George) Allen's Race Problem"

[Pirate Smile]

Allen's Race Problem

Political Wire received an advance copy of a New Republic profile of Sen. George Allen (R-VA) in which author Ryan Lizza finds many of Allen's high school classmates surprised that he's considering running for president because of the racist tendencies he displayed as a teenager. They say he "plastered the school with confederate flags" and drove a red Mustang with a confederate flag on the front. Then Lizza got a copy ofAllen's high school yearbook:

I stared closely at Allen’s smirk in his photo, weighing whether his old classmates were just out to destroy him. And then I noticed something on his collar. It’s hard to make out, but then it becomes obvious. Seventeen-year-old George Allen is wearing a Confederate flag pin.

When confronted with this evidence, Allen sent an email through an aide with this explanation: "When I was in high school in California, I generally bucked authority and the rebel flag was just a way to express that attitude.”

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2006/04/27/allens_race_problem.html

DU'ers who went to school with Allen have mentioned Allen's racist high school years. It looks like it is finally getting a little more coverage.

[babylonsister]

1. He's got to know his past is going to haunt him; that's the nature

of slimy politics, and he won't get a pass.

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. Once he's under the microscope we'll know everything about this creep

Wanna bet there's more juicy stuff in his closet?

[yellowcanine]

3. It wasn't just in high school. It was more than a "youthful indiscretion"

unless you are going to allow that excuse to apply to the period of time when George "Rebel" Allen was governor of Virginia. Link Here:

http://www.commondreams.org/views02/1223-04.htm

A few years ago, when he was governor of Virginia, Mr. Allen issued a proclamation declaring April "Confederate History and Heritage Month." From Mr. Allen's pro-Confederate perspective, the Civil War was a struggle for "independence and sovereign rights." Independence, in this case, does not refer to the independence of black slaves.

I'd like to know if Senator Allen feels we'd all have been better off if the South had won the Civil War. It's a fair enough question. Mr. Allen loved the old Confederacy so much he displayed the Confederate flag in his living room. He was a little touchy about it, though. When someone accused him of flying the flag in his living room, he took umbrage. "It was never flying," he said. "It was nailed to a wall."

[underpants]

4. Look, I am the LAST guy to give him any slack...but...

the Confederate flag in the early 70's (even the late 70's) was not widely used BY BOTH SIDES as a representation of support for slavery. Okay maybe it is just growing up around Richmond for much of that time but mostly it was meant (until later) as a "Look at me I'm a rebel" thing.

[vptpt]

5. It was on the General Lee

I don't know if the Dukes of Hazzard would help your arguement much, but I know exactly what you mean.

I used to be friends with a guy who had a confederate falg in his game room. He said he kept it back there so only his friends would see it, as opposed to just anybody who walked into his house. He had the flag to show his pride of being southern and wasn't at all racist. He hid the flag back there so people who didn't know him well wouldn't get the impression that he was racist.

As a matter of fact, I played a game of pool with a black guy under that flag. It didn't seem to bother him any.

My friend has since moved to New Jersey and I lost touch with him. I wonder if he still has that flag on his wall?

Having said all that, George Allen is a dick and I hope all the flag stuff brings him down.

[underpants]

6. LOL great last line

Yes that is what I meant. Hell there was one in Hoover's room in "Animal House".

Yes George is a dick

Did you see this?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2593310

[Sinti]

7. He is also said to have kept a lynching noose or some such in his office

when he was governor, all for his love of history of course.

Yep, here's the story in The Black Commentator

http://www.blackcommentator.com/142/142_freedom_rider_lynching.html

"Whether he becomes president or not, Allen should not be allowed to cynically claim regret for the American terrorism practiced by people he also claims to admire. If there is any doubt about Allen’s true feelings, the existence of a noose hanging from a tree in his office ought to dispel any doubt. The apology for lynching will be delivered by an apologist for lynching."