Posted on 08/17/2006 6:31:46 AM PDT by areafiftyone
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 very insensitive." Sidarth and others consider the remark offensive. Macaca is a genus of monkeys including macaques, but Allen has said he just made up a word that sounds similar to "Mohawk," a nickname Allen staffers gave Sidarth because of his partially cropped hair. Allen, who is positioning himself for a possible presidential run in 2008, has said he apologizes to Sidarth if he took any offense, but the 20-year-old college student has said he thinks Allen's remarks were an attempt to highlight Sidarth's race in what he says was an all-white crowd. Puri, who described himself as nonpartisan, said his committee has had good relations with Allen and he has been receptive to the group's political interests on issues including the economy and immigration. But he added that Allen has a "lot of bridges to be mended." Allen's campaign declined to comment, deferring to Puri and other organizers.
Just out of curiosity, did they require the same thing of Hilliary after her Gandhi joke?
This is such a tempest in a teapot. I certainly never heard of a Macaca before this incident. It's just the running dogs in the LameStreaMedia going after a Republican. I personally would adivse George to get this stupid meeting over with and then to say he's done with it and the pathetic loser who was tailing him needs to get something resembling a life.
Oh, FGS. Was this REALLY necessary?
Nope but Indian American Leaders were pissed off and she did have to apologize.
Allen is not presidential material. He's a good Senator for Virginia and I hope he wins. (I personally think he will win his seat!)
He must have. By doing all this he is giving credence to his supposed racism. He should have just apologized and that was that! He doesn't have to make a big production out of it!
What a load of Macaca!
Losing respect for Allen by the minute.
Thanks!
Oddly enough, though, I don't recall any of that being bruited about in the MSM. Go figure.
Actully to be honest I didn't think she apologized either but I had to google search and I found out she did. BUT Hillary was smarter than Allen she did not kiss their butts by meeting with the Indian American leaders.
He has apologized and he should ABSOLUTELY refuse to any longer discuss the issue. The more he tries to "explain" the worse he will look.
Oh, FGS. Was this REALLY necessary?
_____
In this day and age, of 24 hour news cycles, and hypersensitivity, apparently, yes.
On the other hand, a possible presidential candidate of French Tunisian descent, who apparently speaks or has spoken French relatively well, and doesn't know the meaning of the words he is using is ripe for this kind of thing. It's not like politicians don't know that they are constantly under the microscope.
If as many Americans don't know that macaque refers to monkeys as is being suggested, well, I don't know what to say. Read a few books, turn on animal planet, watch discovery, or the history channel maybe.
This is one very big piece of BS - meeting with Indian leaders. Baloney. Mr. Allen shouldn't be doing this sort of thing.
Hillary didn't have to do that, nor did Joe Biden.
Republicans always apologize. Democrats get to skate.
What a suprise, another offended hyphenated American.
An apology was enough. Allen is giving credence to the idea that he purposely said that word as an ethnic insult. All he had to do was apologize and say sorry I had no idea that word was an insult and that's that. He's acting like he's guilty.
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