Posted on 08/29/2006 7:14:38 AM PDT by mathprof
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 missed the boat on this."
Reports surfaced last week that Sen. Conrad Burns (news, bio, voting record), a Montana Republican, called his house painter a "nice little Guatemalan man" during a June speech. Burns, whose re-election campaign is pressing for tighter immigration controls, also suggested that the man might be an illegal immigrant. It turns out the worker is legal.
Earlier this month, George Allen, a Republican senator from Virginia, twice referred to an opponent's volunteer using a term for a monkey, considered by some to be a racial slur. "Let's give a welcome to Macaca here," Allen said. "Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia."
Allen has since apologized to S.R. Sidarth, who was born in Virginia and is of Indian descent. [snip]
But the comments by Burns and Allen have garnered heavy attention as their party is trying to improve its showing among minorities. Neither senator returned phone calls seeking comment.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Can't quite get over the chutzpah of this article.
I think it is called Stockholm Syndrome
Oh for cryin' out loud!
Did anyone bother to think that maybe he is a "nice little Guatemalan man"??? What on earth is offensive about that?
I'm not going to be surprised when the ultra-thin-skinned race baiters start to decry those who have tan leather interiors in their vehicles as equivalent to skinning "people of color" for their enjoyment!
Sheesh!
Exact quotes please?
WE could use these.
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