Free Republic

DID REPUBLICAN Sen. George Allen use racial slurs years ago? Did his Democratic challenger, James Webb? Does it matter, in a race between two candidates with long public records and substantial differences on Iraq, health care, the economy and other critical issues? Yes, it does matter. Mr. Allen said he does not recall having used what newspapers delicately call "the N-word." But at least a half-dozen people, including ones with upstanding reputations and no evident political agendas, have now told journalists that he did. The stories they have recounted about Mr. Allen's behavior raise disturbing questions about his character and...

The Sons of Confederate Veterans are demanding that Sen. George Allen apologize for apologizing. Allen has tried to mend fences with minorities over his use of the word "macaca," a racially-charged word, in part by saying he has regretted his infatuation with the Confederate flag. That touched off an angry response Thursday from two leaders of the 4,000-member Confederate group, who said Allen has turned his back on them. "We feel he's using our flag to wipe the muck from his shoes that he's now stepped in," said Frank Earnest of Virginia Beach, state division commander of the group.

"Felix Macacawitz." This nickname is presently haunting Virginia Sen. George Allen in his re-election bid, a campaign that has morphed from a battle between Allen and Democratic nominee Jim Webb into a contest pitting Allen's present against Allen's past. Allen's unraveling began in May, when The New Republic's Ryan Lizza wrote a cover piece chronicling the senator's fascination with the Confederacy, one which clearly exceeds that of a history buff. The article showed an old yearbook photo of Allen with a Confederate flag pin on his lapel. By midsummer, Webb campaign consultant Steve Jarding began calling Allen by his full...

Muslims For America Endorses Senator George Allen - The Senator Allen That We Know By Muhammad Ali Hasan As an American Muslim activist, I am growing upset over the accusations that Senator George Allen is facing. Granted, the use of the word “macaca” was completely inappropriate, but I forgive Senator Allen for good reason. I have met Senator Allen personally, our organization has provided advice to his campaign, and I want to confirm it now and for all – Senator Allen is not racist; in fact, he is one of the Senate’s most open-minded and unbigoted leaders. Senator Allen has...

ARLINGTON, VA – U.S. Senator George Allen released the following statement this afternoon: “Yesterday, I found it especially reprehensible that a reporter would impugn the attitudes of my mother, as Ms. Peggy Fox did in her first question at the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce Senate debate. My mother and father both taught me to abhor bigotry, and Ms. Fox’s suggestion to the contrary was deeply offensive. “The notion peddled by the Webb campaign that I am somehow embarrassed by my heritage is equally offensive, and also absurd. “I was raised as a Christian and my mother was raised as...

From the start, the Virginia Senate race was an emblematic campaign for 2006: combat boots vs. cowboy boots, in the inevitable shorthand. A highly decorated Vietnam veteran and former secretary of the Navy who opposed the war in Iraq (James Webb, Democrat) in an uphill battle against a paragon of sunbelt conservatism with national ambitions (Senator George Allen, Republican.) But in the past month, ever since Mr. Allen’s demeaning reference to a young man of Indian descent at a campaign event, this race has become more than an intriguing clash of symbols; according to the polls, it is now truly...

(CBS News) BELGRADE, Mont. -- Republican Sen. Conrad Burns, whose recent comments have stirred controversy, says the United States is up against a faceless enemy of terrorists who "drive taxi cabs in the daytime and kill at night." During a fundraiser Wednesday with first lady Laura Bush, the three-term Montana senator talked about terrorism, tax cuts and the money he has brought to his state. Burns is one of the more vulnerable Senate incumbents, facing a tough challenge from Democrat Jon Tester. He has drawn criticism in recent weeks for calling his house painter a "nice little Guatemalan man" during...

RICHMOND, Va. - A senator who had singled out an Indian man at a campaign event and referred to him as "Macaca" declined a leadership award from a minority scholarship fund Thursday after donors protested his selection. Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund donors had threatened to withhold contributions if Sen. George Allen, a Republican seeking re-election this fall, received the fund's Community Leadership Award. "The foundation told the senator that they've been catching a lot of static from members and some of their donors, and before it spins into a week of controversy, we just decided to decline it," Allen spokesman...

The 2006 MTV Video Music Awards are tonight at 8 PM eastern. Look forward to host Jack Black, an endless parade of shameless self-congratulations and drunken F-bombs, and maybe some cretins trying to out-gross past appearances. Scheduled performances: Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Christina Aguilera. Mayor Bloomberg announced that Shakira will win (no, I'm not kidding). To commemorate the show's return to New York City, MTV has produced VMANYC2006, which will be "the site that never sleeps," with a map showing favorite celebrity places in NY.

Our partners at the Daily Press are reporting that Democratic Senate candidate Jim Webb, down by more than 10 percentage points in late July, has pulled slightly ahead of Sen. George Allen, according to the latest Wall Street Journal/Zogby Poll.

WASHINGTON -- The Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Virginia has pulled ahead of his incumbent opponent. According to an independent Wall Street Journal/Zogby poll, Jim Webb is leading over Republican Senator George Allen. The poll puts Webb at 47.9 percent and Allen at 46.6 percent. The new poll shows a 12 point swing since mid-July, when Zogby had Senator Allen leading over Webb by 11 points. The Wall Street Journal reports that John Zogby attributes the swing to comments that Allen made on August 11. During a campaign rally, Allen called a rival campaign worker of Indian descent "macaca,"...

One Republican senator described his house painter as a "little Guatemalan man." Another called an Indian man a "macaca," a type of monkey. Just as the GOP is pushing for minority voters, the two recent gaffes have fed the perception among some blacks, Hispanics and Asian-Americans that Republicans are out of touch with the changing face of the nation. "There is disconnect at some level," said Michael K. Fauntroy, a professor of public policy at George Mason University. "The country is becoming browner and new voters, particularly new immigrant voters, don't respond favorably to (offensive) comments. "They may have already...

Sen. George Allen of Virginia was born in Southern California, is the son of a former football legend, and is a political conservative. He's strong on national defense, favors tax cuts, and, as a former governor, has a record of being tough on crime. He is also a budding GOP presidential candidate who has been considered a top contender for the top job. But while campaigning for re-election to the Senate recently, Mr. Allen stumbled to reveal a weakness that could keep him from a spot on the national ticket. At a stop near the Kentucky border, Mr. Allen poked...

"Fairfax Native Says Allen's Words Stung" By Fredrick Kunkle Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, August 25, 2006; Page B01 S.R. Sidarth had built an impressive record of achievements for such a young man: straight-A student at one of Fairfax County's finest high schools, a tournament chess player, a quiz team captain, a sportswriter at his college newspaper, a Capitol Hill intern and an active member of the Hindu temple his parents helped establish in Maryland. But for all his achievements, the moment that thrust him into the national spotlight this month came when Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) called him "macaca."...

GOP Allen's Once Large Lead Evaporates: In an election for the United States Senate in Virginia today, 8/21/06, incumbent Republican George Allen edges Democrat challenger James Webb 48% to 45%, according to an exclusive SurveyUSA poll conducted for W*USA-TV in Washington, DC. Since an identical SurveyUSA poll released 6/28/06, Allen has lost 8 points and Webb has gained 8 points. Allen's lead has shrunk from 19 points to 3 points. Interviewing for this poll began 8/18/06, one week after Allen singled out a Webb campaign worker at an Allen rally. Allen has lost support across all demographic groups, but in...

ARLINGTON, Va. - Sen. George Allen met Wednesday with Indian-American political leaders concerned that he referred to a rival's campaign staffer as "macaca" and told the Virginia native of Indian descent, "Welcome to America." Members of the US Indian Political Action Committee said they have received hundreds of e-mails about the comments Allen made Friday at a speech that S.R. Sidarth was videotaping for his Democratic challenger, Jim Webb. "Obviously this is something that has us very, very concerned," said Sanjay Puri, a northern Virginia businessman and founder and director of the committee, which claims 30,000 members. "The remarks are...

Sen. George Allen's mental journey to the imaginary land of Macaca has brought the one-term Virginia Republican -- considered a presidential hopeful for 2008 -- more national attention than ever before. But not in a good way...... The Macaca incident became a sensation on the video-sharing Web site YouTube.com, where some visitors helpfully posted clips of macaques, which are monkeys. It spawned a host of predictable jokes -- "Funny, you don't look Macacan" -- and inspired a hilarious bit on "The Daily Show" that ended with a potty-humor punch line not entirely suitable for the opinion pages of a distinguished...

"Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, left, helps hold up a portrait of his family which was presented to him by Indian delegate Gori Kumar Makaria, center, after delivering a speech at the 16th World AIDS Conference in Toronto, Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2006"

What does Macaca really mean? Three Virginia Republicans confirmed to the Hotline that several Allen campaign aides and advisers are telling allies that the word was a made-up, off-the-cuff neologism that these aides occasionally used to refer to tracker S.R. Sidarth well before last Saturday's videotaped encounter. According to two Republicans who heard the word used, "macaca" was a mash-up of "Mohawk," referring to Sidarth's distinctive hair, and "caca," Spanish slang for excrement, or "shit." Said one Republican close to the campaign: "In other words, he was a shit-head, an annoyance." Allen, according to Republicans, heard members of his traveling...

by Mark Finkelstein August 16, 2006 - 08:02 We all remember how the MSM climbed all over Hillary Clinton when a few years ago she thought it was funny to claim that Mahatma Gandhi "ran a gas station down in St. Louis." Or more recently when she made her "plantation" remark. And of course we recall the liberal media saying it was a career-ender for Joe Biden to have said "you cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking," Or not. But let George Allen make a similarly insensitive...

RICHMOND, Aug. 14 -- 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....