That’s a Defense?

Senator George Allen has a notoriously dubious history, one that pretty strongly suggests that he’s some kind of racist. Given that history, what is one to make of his explanation for yesterday’s antics?

You can see the film of Sen. Allen making at least a xenophobic if not racist comment about an aide to Democratic challenger Jim Webb — the clip is embedded in the Washington Post’s description of the gaffe, Allen Quip Provokes Outrage, Apology. S.R. Sidarth, a volunteer with the Webb campaign, was dogging the Allen campaign when Sen. Allen called the him a “macaca” — presumably a derogatory reference to either his dark skin or his Indian ancestry.

OK. That’s pretty dumb. On camera. But what really caught my eye was how the Allen campaign reacted to reporters’ questions.

Step one: “Allen’s campaign manager dismissed the issue with an expletive and insisted the senator has “nothing to apologize for.”

Step two: when it becomes clear this isn’t going away. Issue a statement described as an apology:

“Not many people in southwest Virginia would think it is derogatory,” Griffith said. “I didn’t have a clue what it meant, and I doubt Allen did, either.”

That’s right — one of the names often mentioned as a leading right-wing presidential candidate is explaining away his offensive remarks by saying he goes around giving public speeches saying stuff he doesn’t “have a clue what it meant.” (The other part, suggesting that people in a part of the state not noted for progressive racial views wouldn’t have a problem isn’t exactly an apology either.)

George Allen not only admits he doesn’t have a clue, he admits he says stuff he doesn’t understand.

Nah. Looks to me that the George Allen of old — the guy who used to affect a racist redneck persona, the guy who kept not just a Confederate flag but a noose in his office — got down to southern Va. and let down his hair. He relaxed among the good ol’ boys — Mr. Sidarth was the only dark face in the crowd — and let it rip.

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4 Responses to That’s a Defense?

  1. Joe says:

    If George Allen, Jr., was anything like his father, he would be smart enough to suppress his racist thoughts and tendencies. George Allen, Sr., would not have been a winning college and NFL football coach in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s with those racist attitudes. I hope that the voters of Virginia put that asshole George, jr., out of his misery and send him permanently home to his rocking chair next to Strom Thurmond.

    P.S. I also hear that George, jr., was a lousy quarterback at UVA.

  2. ed says:

    whoo! strong stuff indeed! i can only imagine what the furor might be if allen had been in……oh, i dunno…..the KKK or something.

    wouldn’t THAT be a national scandal? a senator who was an active member of the KKK?? can you imagine the OUTCRY, especially from the left? thankfully, though, there are NO senators who’ve ever been klan members, much less held a senior leadership role with them.

    hold on……wait a second!!

  3. Mojo says:

    I see ed’s point. Somebody who was a racist sixty years ago, even though they’ve repudiated that position and have shown for decades through word and deed that they no longer hold those views, is much worse than somebody who’s currently a racist and continues to live in denial. I can tell by the little (R) and (D) after their names.

  4. ed says:

    yeah, those little “r”‘s & “d”‘s are a handy guide, aren’t they? it’s real simple: if the “r” guy makes a bad joke, he’s immediately identified as a hardcore crossburning racist hater. “r” for “Racist”, i guess.

    whereas the “d” guy, even though he can be proven to have been a MEMBER of a hardcore crossburning racist organization, is forgiven because he….you know…..said he was “kind of sorry”. “d” for “Doesn’t count”?

    and why was the mississippi senator being blasted by dems again? even though he too said he was “kind of sorry”for his long-ago racial indiscretions, just like the other guy? wouldn’t have anything to do with that little “r” by his name, would it?

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