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Slur Shows Presidential Hopeful Unworthy
Times Union ^ | 8/22/06

Posted on 08/22/2006 5:44:40 AM PDT by areafiftyone

Republican Sen. George Allen, running for re-election in Virginia, can't wriggle out of this one with a Mel Gibson excuse.

The conservative lawmaker was cold sober when he deliberately insulted a young man of Indian descent with a racial slur. The man, S.R. Sidarth, was filming video of Allen's appearance at a public Republican rally in Breaks, Va., near the Kentucky border, as part of his work as a campaign volunteer for Allen's Democratic challenger, James Webb. Candidates of both parties commonly film their opponents' public appearances looking for gaffes and other campaign material.

Sidarth, 20, was apparently the only person of color in the small crowd.

This incident has especially dangerous implications for Allen's future political prospects because it revives his long history of racial insensitivity, which is unfortunate for a guy with presidential ambitions.

Allen, in the course of his remarks, singled out Sidarth and referred to him as "Macaca," adding that he welcomed him to America "and the real world of Virginia." The expression "macaca" was new to many of us, not a familiar word that trips easily from the tongue.

But it turns out the word is a common racist slur favored by French Tunisians; Allen's mother is of French Tunisian descent. The senator professed not to know what the word meant despite his mother's background.

Few people are buying that, including Sidarth and Webb. The Democratic candidate, a former Navy secretary, said bluntly that he thinks Allen "knew what he was saying."

Sidarth was even harsher. "He was doing it because he could and I was the only person of color there and it was useful for him in inciting his audience," he said. Indeed, the audience laughed at Allen's crude sally.

The Allen campaign, trying to stomp out the furor, explained defensively that the candidate had merely mangled the word Mohawk, a nickname he said his staff had given Sidarth to reflect the shaved sides of his unusual haircut.

Coiffure experts, however, said that excuse didn't work either. His haircut is a molette, a modified mohawk, but not properly defined as one.

To make matters worse for Allen's defense, Sidarth isn't a foreigner who needs to be introduced to Virginia. He grew up in Fairfax County and attended schools there and the University of Virginia. His father is a big Democratic contributor.

Ironically, it is Allen who did not spend his youth in Virginia. He was born in California, detoured to Chicago for eight years and moved back to California as a teenager, as the family followed his famous dad's football coaching career.

It was not until 1971, when his father was named to coach the Washington Redskins, that Allen became a genuine son of Virginia. But he had always been attracted to the notion of the Old Confederacy, driving around in high school in California with a Confederate-flag plate on the front of his car. He posed for his high school yearbook wearing a Confederate pin on his collar.

In his five years as senator, Allen has been a reliable part of the conservative Bush machine; party officials regard him as a logical presidential alternative if Sen. John McCain stumbles in 2008. Of course such a scenario assumes that he first wins re-election to the Senate.

But the sour GOP mood everywhere, even in Virginia, has made it necessary for Allen to concentrate on home base, skipping such early presidential sightings as the Iowa state fair, where several potential rivals were on display last week.

As governor of Virginia, Allen leaned heavily toward the old Strom Thurmond state's rights days. In his 1994 inaugural address as governor, he promised to "fight the beast of tyranny and oppression that our federal government has become." After his election, however, he took down the Confederate flag he had displayed in his living room, disingenuously saying it was merely part of a flag collection.

Allen semi-apologized for the "macaca" remark, saying he was sorry if the young Webb volunteer was offended. But he didn't say he was sorry he said it. There's a huge difference in the sincerity level involved here.

Consider how deliberately Allen used a word unfamiliar to most of us who do not have family roots in Tunisia. "This fellow over here with the yellow shirt, Macaca or whatever his name is, he's with my opponent. He's following us around everywhere." Allen said. "Let's give a welcome to Macaca here."

The video clip shows Allen smiling and enjoying ridiculing the young man. It also shows a man unworthy of becoming president. He's just a bully.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: allen2006; georgeallen; giulianiagitprop; mediafrenzy
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To: areafiftyone
Just a few days ago Andrew Young told a reporter that Jewish, Korean and Arab inner-city shopkeepers are guilty of "overcharging" minorities for inferior goods. Has anyone in the MSM media reported outrage over this? Why many here at FR cannot even remember this fiasco that occurred just the other day.

And that's the point, Allen, a Republican, gets keelhauled and is forced to trip over himself apologizing, and Young, a Democrat, who was infinitely more pointed in his racial comment gets a free pass from the MSM.

Republicans ought to wake up and not drool all over themselves to offer apologies that simply make them look like they really are racist at heart. Although the MSM demands such apologies, they are simply then used as a bludgeon to show how, "See, he really IS a racist at heart and his apology prooves it!"
81 posted on 08/22/2006 6:30:08 AM PDT by Obadiah
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To: Jedi Master Pikachu
I'm just tired of a stupid argument that has been rehashed over and over and over and over.

I know George Allen personally. I know people at the event. I know that region of the state. I know this is a manufactured story.

I'm not being rude at all. But a lot of FReepers are being pretty retentive.

82 posted on 08/22/2006 6:30:52 AM PDT by Corin Stormhands (HHD: Join the Hobbit Hole Troop Support - http://freeper.the-hobbit-hole.net/)
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To: areafiftyone
person of color

What color was he? Black, brown, white? (If blue, call EMS)
83 posted on 08/22/2006 6:31:58 AM PDT by P-40 (Al Qaeda was working in Iraq. They were just undocumented.)
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To: areafiftyone
>>>>Well personally I never thought he was qualified to run for president.

But a liberal northeast Republican like Rudy Giuliani is qualified to BE President. LOL

84 posted on 08/22/2006 6:32:54 AM PDT by Reagan Man (Conservatives don't support amnesty and conservatives don't vote for liberals!)
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To: onyx

"Wish it wasn't true..."


According to our liberal brethren, it's not...

Although, I've been waiting and waiting to hear the monstrous POP, that could quite possibly even register on the richter scale, only to be realized it's the collective sound of 56,373,514 democrat's heads exiting their asses at the same time....


85 posted on 08/22/2006 6:33:24 AM PDT by Hand em their arse
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To: claudiustg
you'll see that the definition of macaca as a racial slur only starts on 17Aug06.

Well Well Well How conveeeenient! Democrats created their own definition.

86 posted on 08/22/2006 6:33:36 AM PDT by areafiftyone (Politicians Are Like Diapers - Both Need To Be Changed Often And For The Same Reason)
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To: Hand em their arse


The allah and the wanker are meeting now, but it's almost the 23rd in their world.


87 posted on 08/22/2006 6:35:10 AM PDT by onyx (1 Billion Muslims -- "if" only 10% are radical, that's 100 Million who want to kill us.)
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To: Obadiah
inner-city shopkeepers are guilty of "overcharging" minorities for inferior goods.

That's been going on for years. If you go into any poor neighborhood and go to any market you will see alot of the produce is ready to be thrown out and the store owners have the nerve to sell it to the general public at high prices.

88 posted on 08/22/2006 6:35:30 AM PDT by areafiftyone (Politicians Are Like Diapers - Both Need To Be Changed Often And For The Same Reason)
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To: areafiftyone

Any word on Hillary and the Indian gas station owner? No?

Hmm.....


89 posted on 08/22/2006 6:35:35 AM PDT by EQAndyBuzz ("If you liked what Liberal Leadership did for Israel, you'll LOVE what it can do for America!")
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To: soloNYer

FTI: the TU stands for "Totally Useless" - even on the very best day.


90 posted on 08/22/2006 6:36:18 AM PDT by xcamel (Press to Test, Release to Detonate)
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To: onyx

Thanks.


91 posted on 08/22/2006 6:38:49 AM PDT by areafiftyone (Politicians Are Like Diapers - Both Need To Be Changed Often And For The Same Reason)
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To: claudiustg

see post #42


92 posted on 08/22/2006 6:39:47 AM PDT by xcamel (Press to Test, Release to Detonate)
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To: onyx

They both probably have ADD, and forgot...

My inside guy says that the next empty threat begins with:

"When the moon is in the Seventh House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars"

Not sure what that means, though.... LOL!


93 posted on 08/22/2006 6:40:32 AM PDT by Hand em their arse
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To: EQAndyBuzz

I believe from what I read - that Hillary apologized but she did not meet with Indian/American organizations after that like Allen. Allen went beyond an apology. Actually from what I've read Allen has been very pro-Indian for a long time because of tech jobs for Virginia. This guy who had the video camera should have known that if he was a Virginia resident.


94 posted on 08/22/2006 6:41:11 AM PDT by areafiftyone (Politicians Are Like Diapers - Both Need To Be Changed Often And For The Same Reason)
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To: areafiftyone

If I had a dollar for every person who made fun of my Polish heritage I'd be able to fire the Donald.


95 posted on 08/22/2006 6:41:39 AM PDT by NRA1995 (Zarqawi died, liberals cried....)
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To: Hand em their arse


LOL! Excellent! In fact, double excellent. No damn smilie faces from you!


96 posted on 08/22/2006 6:42:38 AM PDT by onyx (1 Billion Muslims -- "if" only 10% are radical, that's 100 Million who want to kill us.)
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To: NRA1995

Same here. So I've heard so many Italian American and New Yorker cracks aimed at me. I just ignore them or laugh at them if they are funny.


97 posted on 08/22/2006 6:43:08 AM PDT by areafiftyone (Politicians Are Like Diapers - Both Need To Be Changed Often And For The Same Reason)
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To: All

We need this Senate seat so he'll have to survive this there, but his 2008 presidential run is over and we need a credible mildly conservative alternative to Guilliani, Romney or McCain. It ain't Hagel, either.


98 posted on 08/22/2006 6:44:42 AM PDT by Owen
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To: onyx

Oh my love, it took every fiber of my being to not throw one in... hehe!


99 posted on 08/22/2006 6:46:58 AM PDT by Hand em their arse
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To: Hand em their arse


Oh my love, I so appreciate it.


100 posted on 08/22/2006 6:51:58 AM PDT by onyx (1 Billion Muslims -- "if" only 10% are radical, that's 100 Million who want to kill us.)
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