Sen George Allen's "Rebel Yell"

[kpete]

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 of Allen'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
http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?pt=C51alsXmhGkaX79wLnBOpS%3D%3D

[Sequoia]

1. Someone who went to school with him has posted before

and said this dude was way racist and everyone in the school knew it. Bucking authority my can.

[shain from kane]

2. Was he a rebel or a budding terrorist? He describes himself as

a rebel. Sounds like a terrorist to me.

[bryant69]

6. I wonder if he ever acted out these instincts.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[shain from kane]

12. Youthful indiscretions!? Does he now advocate that young people

buck the system or follow blind obedience to the Republican status quo? How can one buck the system now, when questioning Bush and the administration would make that person a terrorist under their popular definition? You're either with us or against us. Is there a statute of limitations for being a prick?
I think the s.o.b. just got caught, huddled together with his staff, put the spin on it, and is now hoping that it disappears.

[tularetom]

3. I used to hate people who moved to the south

and tried to "out redneck" the local politicians. Allen isn't a good ol boy he's from CA (just like somebody else we know who likes to pretend he's from Texas). It just sounded so phony for someone with a Brooklyn accent talk about "southern way of life", like they'd know.

[bpj1962]

11. George Allen

As a life long Virginian I find Allen's Southern twang and folksy way of talking not only disgusting but an insult to Virginians. He only came to Virginia because his late father was named head coach of the Redskins in 1971. He went to UVA and was the backup quarterback. What people need to do is start digging into his back round as a legislator in the Virginia House of Delegates in the late eighties. My mother was a lobbyist and she has some rather unkind words for him. Also he tried to use the death of Pat Tillman for his own personal gain by trying to promote legislation to force the NFL to honor Tillman. This was immediately after Tillman was killed and well before the military admitted that he was killed by friendly fire. He is a giant fraud and an mental midget. However he is a Bush clone and therefore is very appealing to the fundies. He must be defeated in the fall.

[LibDemAlways]

4. I feel vindicated.

I've posted this info about Allen many times. I was in his HS class and can verify that it is all true. Glad to see it in print. Keep this kicked. This is an article no DUer should miss. And e-mail it to your friends. What a weasel.

[leveymg]

5. Could you link the post that went up here 5-6 weeks ago? Thanks!

[LibDemAlways]

7. Here you go.

By the way, I was not interviewed for the New Republic article, but I recognize the names of the classmates who were. They are legit.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=794876

[leveymg]

14. You're welcome. 5th recommend. eom

[liberalpragmatist]

17. How did "Hurt Germany" get her name?

Sorry, that's WAY off the subject, but I couldn't help chuckling when I read her name. Was her dad an embittered WW2 vet?

[LibDemAlways]

22. No, actually her maiden name is

Linda Hurt, and her husband's last name is Germany. For real.

[liberalpragmatist]

24. ah

Thanks. Just interested, that's all.

About George Allen - how well did you know him? Was he an asshole or was he friendly (aside from his obvious racism :eyes:)?

You also said that you were not interviewed for Lizza's piece - was The Casual Observer? And are you in contact with other members of your high school class or ones who were interviewed in the piece? Like somebody suggested below, maybe you should all form a "Palos Verdes High School Alumni for Truth" :). OTOH, I kind of hope he does get the nomination so we can throw this at him in the general.

Also, do you know much about his siblings? Do you know if he and his sister Jennifer even have a relationship, given how she described him in the book? He's not estranged from his siblings, is he?

Sorry to ask you so much. I realize you may well not know all the details, but I thought I might as well ask, in case you did know.

[LibDemAlways]

25. I didn't know him personally, though I certainly

knew of him. He was well known on campus. His father was coach of the local NFL team and in the news a lot. I am not in touch with the specific people mentioned in the article but I remember them. I think I know who the school official is. It doesn't surprise me that he would consider voting for the creep. I don't know who else was interviewed. The article came as a complete surprise to me when I logged on DU today.

As for Allen's siblings, the daughter was much younger and probably still in elementary school when this was going on. His youngest brother Bruce was probably in junior high. Allen's brother Greg was only a couple of years younger and was also at PV High as a sophomore. He had a reputation for being an obnoxious jerk and may have been involved in the incident. I'm not sure.

Here's a link to an excerpt of the book written by Allen's sister. It has a photo of the family standing in front of their home in 1969:

http://partners.nytimes.com/library/magazine/home/20000924mag-allen.html

[Kingshakabobo]

20. I think we need "High school classmates for truth" once he ....

throws his hat in the ring.

[Ignacio Upton]

23. I'm glad that this is finally getting out

Allen could be the next President of the United States if 2008 is anything like 2000 (meaning if Allen's background goes unchecked the way Bush's was.) Unlike then, we have the blogs to remind voters that Allen is a racist.

[LibDemAlways]

8. Kick. Please keep this kicked.

[jukes]

9. complimentary

kick. & recommended.

[LibDemAlways]

10. Let's get this on the Greatest Page.

Please recommend. It's the best, most thorough expose of Allen ever in the media.

[LibDemAlways]

13. "When I was in high school in California, I

generally bucked authority and the rebel flag was just a way to express that attitude."

Uh, no. I remember you well, George. You were quarterback of the football team. Your girlfriend was a cheerleader. You belonged to clubs and took college prep courses. You were not generally one who "bucked" authority. What you were was a racist. I remember the rebel flag on your car. I remember seeing the hateful graffiti you spraypainted. You can run, George. But you can't hide. Looks like your classmates are calling you out.

[RedEarth]

15. Republicans will love him even more.... mean-spirited, hate-filled

sleaze ball.....maybe he could get David Duke to be his running mate.

[MissMarple]

16. He sounds like a sleazy bully, and probably applauded Abu Ghraib.

He probably has his own set of the pictures. Republicans can vote for him knowing he will fit right in with this corrupt and degenerate administration.

[Dora]

18. Oh, grody.

I snipped this from the TNR piece:


From his back pocket, he removes a tin of Copenhagen--"the brand of choice for adult consumers who identify with its rugged, individual and uncompromising image," according to the company--and taps a fat wad of the tobacco between his lip and gum using an impressive one-handed maneuver. As the scrum breaks up, Allen turns away and spits a long brown streak of saliva into the dirt, just missing one of his constituents, a carefully put-together, blonde, ponytailed woman approaching the senator for an autograph. She stops in her tracks and stares with disgust at the bubbly tobacco juice that almost landed on her feet. Without missing a beat, Allen's communications director, John Reid, reassures her: "That's just authenticity!"

[Stand and Fight]

19. Allen is a vile piece of trash.

He's insane if he thinks he stands a chance of winning the presidency without the aid of Diebold.

[spanone]

21. He's a moran.

[DanCa]

26. I thought Johnny Yuma was the Rebel.

Sorry I've been on a folk music kick lately.

[Jim Lane]

27. K&R

[Faryn Balyncd]

28. George Allen......

actually thinks Tony Snow, Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity represent the pulse of America !

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/04/27.html#a8075

[LibDemAlways]

29. Attn:Mods

This very worthy post linking to a New Republic article that provides an in-depth look at a probable 2008 GOP candidate has 11 greatest page votes. It really deserves to be there.