Cartoon

I saw this cartoon about George Allen- but I was caught off guard by one thing in small print:

"Yes, he actually had a noose hanging from a ficus tree in his law office".

I had always heard about the noose and Confederate flag in Allen's law office- but I did not realize the noose was hanging out of a tree. 

Can anyone confirm this? 

A noose hanging out of a tree is far different than a noose on the wall, although both are insensitive and ridiculous.

Comments

[Not Ted Stevens]

I as usual will take option three, now once I unstick the poor people from the bottom of my Hummer, I shall go and make sure my house servants all know who's the maste....err...boss...

Now, where did I put my Kla...er...Business outfit...

I have interracial marriages stop...

TED STEVENS...AWAYYYY!!!!

Emporer Ted Stevens
"Where there's a tube, there's a way"

[Not Huey Long]

I always understood it was a tree branch with a noose. I bet there's a photo somewhere in a deep, dark, dank basement.

[Not Larry Sabato]

With George Allen's recent comments, he needs to release the photos of his law office so we can judge for ourselves.

I always understood it to be above the doorway.

[Bubby]

Campaigning for governor in 1993, he admitted to prominently displaying a Confederate flag in his living room. He said it was part of a flag collection--and had been removed at the start of his gubernatorial bid. When it was learned that he kept a noose hanging on a ficus tree in his law office, he said it was part of a Western memorabilia collection.

GEORGE ALLEN'S RACE PROBLEM.
Pin Prick
by Ryan Lizza, The New Republic
Post date 04.27.06

[GOPHokie]

You know folks, people other than just blacks were hung from trees.
Like, you know, criminals.

Also, maybe he had it in his office to remind people why defense attorneys are needed, so everyone gets a fair trial.

Why does everything have to be racist with you people?

BC the GOP is racist.

[Not Harry F. Byrd, Sr.]

As for the noose in the fiscus tree:

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20060508&s=lizza050806

http://www.brendan-nyhan.com/blog/2005/02/george_allen_an.html

*****

Or, if you trust the Richmond Times-Dispatch.....

September 10, 2000, Sunday, CITY EDITION

SECTION: AREA/STATE, Pg. A-1

LENGTH: 1860 words

HEADLINE: ROBB, ALLEN RECORDS ON CRIME EVALUATED

BYLINE: Michael Hardy; Times-Dispatch Staff Writer; Contact Michael Hardy at (804) 649-6810 or mhardy@timesdispatch.com

BODY:
U.S. Senate candidate George Allen wears his conservative heart on the sleeve of his cowboy shirt and makes no bones about his commitment to law and order.

Visitors to his old law office near downtown Charlottesville used to see a grim and graphic reminder of his view of criminals.

Dangling from a ficus tree in the corner was a noose, a reminder that the Republican politician saw some justification in frontier justice.....

*****

OR if you trust the Washington Post...

The Washington Post

July 24, 2005 Sunday
Final Edition

SECTION: Loudoun Extra; T01

LENGTH: 2236 words

HEADLINE: A Landscape Scarred by Lynchings;
Va. Lives With Legacy Of Terror and Grief

BYLINE: Avis Thomas-Lester, Washington Post Staff Writer

BODY:

.....Allen's support of the apology may also help him mend fences with black Virginians who, during his governorship, accused him of racial insensitivity for the Confederate flag he once hung in his home and the hangman's noose that was in his law office. As a member of the House of Delegates, Allen voted against giving the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. his own holiday separate from the day honoring Confederates Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. And, while governor, he proclaimed April Confederate History Month.

[plunge]

Yes he hung a noose off a tree branch. Later, he claimed that it was "more of a lasso" even though there are many many references by him and people who worked for him calling it a noose and joking about it being a symbol of frontier justice.

Was it that? Or was it a symbol of dual-meaning? You decide.

I keep a noose in my house in case a Libral tries to break in.

[Jon]

Ya'll just won't give up will you? Since you all know that Webb has no shot to beat Allen based on policy and level of knowledge (which was clearly evident at the first debate), this is your best shot. Quite amusing to watch.

I'm sorry, but to hang a noose from a tree in one's office -- especially in the South -- displays astonishing ignorance of this country's history.

"Clearly evident"?

Ha ha, you weren't there.

[Jon]

Ano: 2:04 - and to assume the only reason is because he is a racist is equally ignorant.

[Al Rodgers]

It's all about the Internet for Allen

Campaign hits up 'blogosphere' for some good buzz -- By Garren Shipley (Daily Staff Writer)

How did one videotape blow up so fast? It's all about the Internet.

Ben Tribbett, the blogger behind "Not Larry Sabato" and a vocal Webb supporter, was the first to print with the story, where it was picked up by "Raising Kaine" and other pro-Webb sites.

The campaign posted the video on video-sharing site YouTube, and one short news cycle later Allen's name was linked with "macaca."

"This event was historic, as it was the first time blogs had enough traffic on their own to create the scandal themselves," Tribbett said.

So called "new media" have only been a force in politics since 2004, when Democrat Howard Dean's presidential bid made wide use of "netroots" to raise money and organize.

--For the complete story ...
http://www.nvdaily.com/News/286910347979508.bsp

Webb leads Sen. Allen slightly in latest poll
It's the first survey with the Democrat ahead in Virginia's U.S. Senate race.
BY JIM HODGES
247-4633
August 29, 2006

Democratic Senate candidate James Webb, down by more than 10 percentage points in the polls in late July, has moved ahead of Sen. George Allen in the latest Wall Street Journal/Zogby Poll.

Webb, from Falls Church, leads Allen 47.9 percent to 46.6 percent, according to the poll, which was conducted Aug. 15-21 and has a 3.2 percentage point margin of error.

For the Webb camp, there's also a sense that the timing couldn't be better.

"It's small, but we're very encouraged," said Kristian Denny Todd, speaking for the Webb campaign Monday. "The more people come to see the real George Allen, the more they don't like what they see."

The Zogby poll "falls right in line with the other two polls," said Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia and one of Sidarth's classroom instructors.

Those include the Rasmussen poll, which showed a week ago that the gap between Allen and Webb had narrowed from 11 points to five from mid-July to mid-August. And SurveyUSA showed that Allen's lead had shrunk from 19 points to 3 from late June to Aug. 21.

--For the complete story ...
http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-12030sy0aug29,0,1482694.story?coll=dp-widget-news

[Bubby]

Is this ignorance or bigotry? Who cares, we're full up on both. Time for a change.

[michael]

that's the story i've always heard. noose hanging from a ficus tree.

[Jon]

I'm suprised we haven't seen an ABA (anybody but allen) logo anywhere. I mean, I have yet to see on this blog (perhaps I am mistaken) anyone talking about how Webb is better on this policy or this policy with actual substance. Its only, Allen sucks, so Webb will suffice. Or, Allen votes with Bush, Webb won't. Shit then, why not nominate Ben (outside of the whole age thing). Come on folks, I mean if you want to vote for Webb over Allen fine, but at least have some sense as to why you think he would be better for Va over Allen. This is nothing but blogosphere muddslinging...

[Matt in VA]

Quick fact that I looked up a while back: Virginia stopped hanging criminals in 1909.

[Bubby]

Yo Jon:
Where do you want to start?

"Webb Outlines Failure of Operational Leadership During Response to Hurricane Katrina"
http://www.webbforsenate.com/press/release.php?id=125

...or Jim Webb on Iraq, and National Security?
http://www.webbforsenate.com/issues/issues.php#iraq

We know why Webb is better than Allen. What's your excuse? The whole range of Webb positions is at the link (URL provided). Good luck!

[Jon]

Yo Bubby,

Try re-reading my last statement. If you notice, it said on "this blog". I sure as hell hope he would have his positions on his web site.....but thanks for proving my point, much appreciated!

[brimur]

GOPHokie: It's the totality of circumstances brother. If it were just a noose with a sensible explanation then maybe. But he has had far too many of these things with far too few sensible explanations. At some point reasonable people stop automatically attributing innocent motives.

[Dannyboy]

Jon:

Webb has no chance of winning? Have you seen the latest polls? Webb is right there with Allen, dude. I'd say he has a fair shot at winning.

Noose? Whew! Good thing he didn't have a cross. That was used for crucifictions: the Roman racists used it lynch uppity people back in the old days.

[Jon]

Man, what is it today with people not actually reading the posts? Dannyboy, what I said was, based on policy and level of knowledge he has no shot of winning, which is a far cry from saying he has no shot of winning. I think it always possible for muddslinging and dirty tricks to get someone out of office, look what you all did to poor Tom DeLay :)