Sen. Allen's Remarks Spark Ire

[cal04]

Virginia Sen. George Allen (R) apologized Monday for what his opponent's campaign said were demeaning and insensitive comments the senator made to a 20-year-old volunteer of Indian descent.

At a campaign rally in southwest Virginia on Friday, Allen repeatedly called a volunteer for Democrat James Webb "macaca." During the speech in Breaks, near the Kentucky border, Allen began by saying that he was "going to run this campaign on positive, constructive ideas" and then pointed at S.R. Sidarth in the crowd.

"This fellow here, over here with the yellow shirt, macaca, or whatever his name is. He's with my opponent. He's following us around everywhere. And it's just great," Allen said, as his supporters began to laugh. After saying that Webb was raising money in California with a "bunch of Hollywood movie moguls," Allen said, "Let's give a welcome to macaca, here. Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia." Allen then began talking about the "war on terror."

Depending on how it is spelled, the word macaca could mean either a monkey that inhabits the Eastern Hemisphere or a town in South Africa. In some European cultures, macaca is also considered a racial slur against African immigrants, according to several Web sites that track ethnic slurs.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/14/AR2006081400589.html

[saltpoint]

1. Perhaps Cement-Head Allen was just trying to get in touch with his inner

Klansman.

[liberaldemocrat7]

10. That's why I call it the REPUBLIKLAN Party.

REPUBLIKLAN


Some Southern white dumf*cks have gone from slaveowners to wage slave drivers, union busters, poorbashers, racists, religious oppressors, polarizers and government dismantlers.

[saltpoint]

18. Yeah -- it's hard for me to say anything positive about George Allen.

Real hard.

Insurmountably hard.

Really, really, really, really hard.

I would love to see Webb whup Allen in this Senate match-up in Virginia. Webb's behind, and he's a "Reagan Democrat," but Allen is so repulsive that I'd vote for just about anybody over him.

And I think a Webb win in Virginia would give us the Senate.

[napi21]

2. Thanks for the explaination. I watched a clip at youtube, and

dumb shit that I am, I didn't understand what everyone was talking about. The youtube link was posted here on DU. I never heard the word macaca, and had you not explained it, I'd have never had any idea what people were upset about. Sorry, I guess I live in a coocoon.

[deminks]

3. So Allen apologizes to the reporter that called him.

Otherwise, he would not have said anything. And his dolt campaign manager does worse:

(snip)

But the apology, which came hours after Allen's campaign manager dismissed the issue with an expletive and insisted the senator has "nothing to apologize for," did little to mollify Webb's campaign or Sidarth, who said he suspects Allen singled him out because his was the only nonwhite face among about 100 Republican supporters.

(end snip)

[sandnsea]

4. demeaning and racist

Not insensitive, not offensive - RACIST Just say it already and quit letting them off the hook.

[stevietheman]

5. Perhaps "macaca" is a common mispronunciation of Sidarth...

give Senator Allen a break!

:silly:

[LibDemAlways]

6. Allen has a long history of racism. Hell, he was

spraying school walls with racial epithets over 35 years ago. I saw it firsthand, and back in April the story was reprinted in The New Republic with corroboration from several other classmates and a school administrator.

This is a guy who was raised in Southern California and lived a very privileged life in well-to-do Palos Verdes Estates, not far from those Hollywood moguls. However, even then he identified with the Confederate flag - even wearing a Confederate flag pin in his Palos Verdes High yearbook photo. And of course participating in the aforementioned graffiti incident.

I've read arguments that this was all youthful indiscretions. But no, it continued through college and into adulthood. He displayed a noose in his law office and a large Confederate flag in his living room. He named his three children for his favorite confederate heroes, one (Forrest) a Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard.

It seems to me this latest slip creates a hell of an opening for Webb. Allen's racial skeletons have been rattling around in the closet long enough. Webb should unleash them.

[Armstead]

12. Raised in So Cal? Is his Southern accent fake like Bush's?

[LibDemAlways]

15. Allen didn't set foot in VA until he was

a college sophomore. Born in Whittier, CA. Raised mostly in the CA suburbs except for a few years in the Chicago suburbs (when his dad was head coach of the Bears.) Attended Palos Verdes HS 1966-70. Entered UCLA as a freshman fall of 70. Finally moved to VA in 71 when dad became Redskins Coach.

Yes, his accent is phony. And so is the cowboy crap. Complete fraud perpetrated on the citizens of VA.

[Boo Boo]

7. It's a racial slur used in Europe. He called the guy a monkey.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/009416.php

As far as I can tell, it's the equivelent of the "N" word, and the fact that Allen is aware of it is damning. It's the first time I've ever heard the word used that way, but if you hang out on White Supremist web sites you'd probably know what it means.

Allen needs to be reemed hard with this.

[Virginia Dare]

8. Felix Allen could be the Chimp's twin brother...

in fact, I think they were separated at birth. Every once in a while he forgets himself and lets his true colors show.

He was speaking in front of his racist xenophobic white fundie adoring fans, and forgot that what he was saying would get out. Which is why Webb had the guy (Sidarth) trailing him in the first place. What a stupid putz.

[magellan]

9. If this country were in its right mind

...Allen would be thrown out of office. Literally.

[Virginia Dare]

14. Sadly, Virginia is infested with kool-aid drinkers...n/t

[oc2002]

11. what an asshole! To call him a racists is an insult to racists!

Allen is done. He will be voted out for looking more like a GOP Cynthia Mciney that nobody wants to associate with.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

13. Dupe thread.

[liberalpragmatist]

16. I swear, if Allen becomes President, I WILL Leave the Country

At least for the duration of his term. I'm young and I'll have finished college by then, so I'd be happy to go live and work for a few years in England, France, Australia, or India.

I know we all said this with Bush, but I'm quite serious about this. Allen is 10 times WORSE than Bush. And where Bush is simplistic, Allen is absolutely one of the dumbest minds in politics and a racist to boot. I think my head might explode if he is elected. PLEASE, Virginia, do him in in November so we don't have to face that threat, even though I realize he'd be easier to beat in a presidential election than, say, McCain.

[AspenRose]

17. It's pretty disturbing seeing the comments at WaPo

defending him.

He knew exactly what he was saying. His mom's of French North African extraction. (Tunisia)