George Allen Needs Help

Chris Lacivita is turning to Chad Dotson to turn around the blogosphere for George Allen, according to this story in the Hotline Blog.

Allen's problem isn't a lack of support in the blogosphere, every GOP blog was enthusiastically supporting him two weeks ago.  The problem is with the comments he made and whether any young blogger wants to be tagged and associated with those comments for the rest of their political lives.

It will be interesting to see who is hired, and any changes we see after that in the Virginia blogosphere.  Dick Wadhams has a personal history with secret internet operations in South Dakota, and I hope we won't allow him to bring Virginia discourse to that disgusting level.

Welcome to the new Virginia where young Republicans, and Democrats from the suburbs won't stand for racial slurs- apology or not.  There have been so many Republicans that have gained credibility from this situation by condemning the words unequivocally- and they are the winners in this whole mess.  The ones who chose to embrace or attempt to explain a racial slur in 2006 will have to live with that in the future.

Comments

[GinterParked]

Bring it on!

[phriendlyjaime]

Think they will be on the lookout for blogger shills at the Martinsville conference?

Dirty, dirty money....

[JPTERP]

You mean Chad isn't already on the payroll?

[Shaun]

Welcome to the new Virginia where young Republicans, and Democrats from the suburbs won't stand for racial slurs- apology or not.

... that is a bridge too far, Ben.

Apology accepted IMO, and shame on anyone who doesn't have the character to accept one.

Thus what makes a Virginian stand out in a crowd. Honor and chivalry are still alive south of the Rappahannock, my friend.

Word is that Allen staff is offering to pay some of the more influential voices in the blogosphere to put out information that the blogger would be fed.

[Virginia Centrist]

Keep your eyes on the FEC reports!

[JPTERP]

Shaun has George Allen actually apologized? His campaign manager was once again, saying something completely different this weekend.

[Shaun]

He most certainly did, and in a much more direct fashion than Webb ever apologized for the anti-Semitic flyer...

Back to the topic though, why is it that we can't accept an apology from George Allen? Has political discourse really coarsened to this degree?

Perhaps it's this way in New York and New Jersey politics, but certainly not in the Virginia I grew up in...

Is Ben being paid by Webb??

They clearly leaked this story to him from the beginning and used him so they could be removed from the story.

[brimur]

Nice end line in that article - Bush "has no qualms about helping Allen"! What about those 4 out of 5 undecideds who disapprove of Bush. Do THEY have any qualms with Allen accepting Bush's help?

Mr. 97% proves once again that he's just Bush's little dog.

[Not Huey Long]

How does 'macaca' and the context it was said in correlate to:

"Honor and chivalry are still alive south of the Rappahannock, my friend...Perhaps it's this way in New York and New Jersey politics, but certainly not in the Virginia I grew up in..."?

Utterly ridiculous statements.

[Dannyboy]

I have to agree that getting Bush to come out is an interesting choice for the Allen team. By looking at polls recently, that's exactly what he doesn't need to pull solidly ahead of Webb.

As for apologies, Shaun, I don't think you're the one George Allen needs to apologize too. He doesn't need to apologize to me either. He needs to personally apologize to Siddarth, and not through a press conference. He needs to pick up the phone and contact the kid to personally apologize. According to Sid, he has yet to do this.

[Insider]

NLS is complaining that a campaign enlisted the help of a blogger?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I'm gonna laugh all night at that hypocrisy.

HELP WANTED

Wanted: Bloggers willing to trade integrity for $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
If you have a reasonably well established blog site and have up until now been viewed as non-aligned, then have we got a deal for you!
Here's how the program works:
We will send you information that will prove that our opponent is a liberal racist, God hating, Mexican loving abortionist who wants to take your guns away and force men to marry men, and who is an anti-American terrorist supporter who never even was really in the Marines or had any association with Ronald Reagan.

In return we will make sure that you receive bundles of TWENTY DOLLAR BILLS in brown paper bags!

Hey, no problem!

Get your piece of the American dream before all the non-whites take over America!

If you'd like to be involved, without "being connected"....... Just contact the Re-Elect Allen headquarters and ask to speak to Chris Lacivita. A good ole 'Merican boy. Not like that Macaca import....

Or call: 1-800-RAC-ISTS

[Shaun]

Dannyboy, I disagree that he owed the body politic an apology.

Still, Allen has indeed offered to apologize to Sidharth the next time they see each other, yes? Isn't that what the WaPo reported?

I just don't understand why someone would say an apology isn't enough.

I hate to keep bringing up Webb's non-apology for the flyer (because it should have no bearing on how Allen conducts himself), but a comparison of the two gaffes just makes one wonder why Allen is held up to a different standard than Webb by pruportedly objective and outraged citizens.

Just a thought.

[JPTERP]

HAHAHAHAHA!!!

Here's another one Anon 7:40 PM

Wanted: Online Klogger and Klundraiser for Klan backed Klanididate.

People of color and the educated need not apply.

HELP WANTED continued:

We will also provide participating bloggers with PROOF that our opponent is the real racist in this contest!
Just like the 14 excuses (so far) that we've come up with to defend our candidate, we will give you SOLID evidence that we've made up about our opponent's racist past and activities.

Again, that number is:
1-800-RAC-ISTS

Wouldn't you like to have some help paying your car payment while working to save the world from homo-sexual Islamo-Facists?

Call now, BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!!!!!

[Anon 7:40]

Thanks JPTERP! Let's win this thing!

[Jews4Webb]

Maybe Webb hasn't apologized because the flyer wasn't anti semitic? At a minimum to compare the two is awful. Webb's flyer is debateable at best, while Allen's comment is a racial slur in the dictionary in his mother's native tounge.

The stuff coming from "Shaun" cheapens what Jews have really been through.

[JPTERP]

Amen Anon 7:40!

[jews4allen]

I disagree, jews4webb... but then again, you knew that.

[charles]

NLS, I'm not young but I've got no fear of being connected to "those comments", and more than you feared being linked to Webb's inappropriate use of the term "anti-christ".

I know we're supposed to cower at the fear of being labelled racist, but I know what is in my heart and I don't care what a bunch of political opportunists trumps up about me.

But you make the point about how the left uses charges of racism to discourage political discourse and win an argument they can't win with the force of their ideas. If all you have is name-calling, I guess that's what you do.

And the idea that Wadhams could drag the internet any lower than it already is makes me laugh. Not that I want anybody to pull down the discourse, but that ship flew when Webb entered the race.

[Jews4Gail]

Rail is the answer to anti-Semitism, the war in Iraq, AIDS, global warming, racism, and every other problem. Go Gail for Rail!

[JPTERP]

Correction:

"And the idea that WADHAMS could drag the internet any lower . . ."

Should read:

"And the idea that the INTERNET could drag ALLEN any lower . . ."

"anti-semetic" ??? It was anti-fat cat. Does Allen stand by his "macaca" statement?

[Anon 7:40]

Charles,
You've been listening to Bortz again haven't you?

"I know we're supposed to cower at the fear of being labelled racist, but I know what is in my heart and I don't care what a bunch of political opportunists trumps up about me." was on today's program! I heard it too!

Hey, did you call in to pay $179.00 for the "Spend Your Way to Prosperity" get rich now program that helps to pay for the Bortz program? The Neo-Cons have sure invested alot into that idea!!! You go Charles! Reality be damned, full spead ahead!!!!

[Interested Observer]

While I think that the left overuses the term "racist" when perhaps they mean "racially insensitive", this case seems to be somewhat different. The fact is that George Allen, at best, has a shady past on race relations. I think that his continued missteps highlight the lengthy history of being on the wrong side of racial issues and that is a legitimate discussion in this election and in the new Virginia.

I can't say for sure what is in your heart, or George Allen's. However, there seems to be sizeable evidence that George Allen has no interest in what impression he leaves with people on racial issues. Or maybe he does and it isn't a pretty picture. After all, one of the other reasons the left has been able to throw around the term "racist" in the general direction of the Republican Party is because that is where all the "mainstream" racists went when the Democratic Party decided they were going in a different direction.

[plunge]

Sounds like the strategy is to change the message of the campaign to one of whiny victimhood. Is that really the strategy Chad wants to hand his hat on as a professional consultant though?

[Shaun]

Interested Observer,

Given the history of the Dixiecrats, is the statement that the "racists" went to the GOP really a valid claim?

It's neat and clean, but certainly isn't the truth of the matter, is it?

[W.K.Armistead]

If you guys would do your homework, and stop editing Wikipedia, you would know that the monkey and the "racial slur" are both two syllables. Pronounced "makak". (Or, to make it more relateable to most of you, compare it to the playground taunt, "bite makak".)

[Not Condi Rice]

oh dear W.K. you never studied in France like I did. Oh and I know French. Macaque, spelled the same in French and English, is pronounced Macaca very clearly in the south of france. But keep trying, hon.

Now my husband (wink) calls me his sweet little china berry, but its all abou context now isn't it?

[Fan of Integrity]

This is so funny and pathetic at the same time.

[Bacchus]

Shaun,

First of all the drawing of miller was clearly traced from a photo that has been available online for some time.

Secondly, When did Allen offer an apology. Has he made a direct apopolgy in person to the offended party that I am not aware of?

Thirdly, does an apology really fix anything. Does VA reall want someone with these ideas, latent or not representing them? Or for that matter someone without the good sense to keep his mouth shut if he does. Surely at that point it becomes a question of competence.

[read a book]

what history books did shaun read? strom thurmond ran for prez as a dixiecrat years before nixon's so.strategy and the mcgovernite takeover of the national party wooed/pushed the racists from d to r. It didn't happen overnight but one sure proceeded the other.

[Not Don Rumsfeld]

Where in the dickens is Not Ted Stevens? The joint chiefs locked me in a closet the last two days and all I could hear outside was Lieberman like cackling.

What have I missed? Who painted my office pink?

[Shaun]

Bacchus

I agree entirely on the point of competence, and Webb has shown very little of this given (a) his campaign staff, (b) his on-camera remarks to fellow Democrat Harris Miller, and (c) personally approving the anti-Semitic comic before it went out.

Your third point is quite valid.

On your second point, Allen did indeed issue an apology (reported in the WaPo), and has offered to apologize to Sidharth in person... though probably not in the staged and crafted manner the Webb campaign would prefer, which instantly places in question the veracity and sincerity of the request for an apology IMO.

On the first point, this has been roundly refuted to the point of absurdity. If someone can show me the photograph, I'll be more than happy to reconsider. Otherwise, I'm curious as to why point #1 is offered at all (the defense protest too much).

My point in all this (and Ben will tell you -- rarely do I get into post conversations here) is to question why an apology isn't good enough? What is good enough if not an apology, and secondly why would Webb be held to a different standard than Allen considering both have made these gaffes?

(and no, I am not in the paid employ of George Allen)

[Not Don Rumsfeld]

Shawn [sic], I really like the cut of your jib. Your hold on the facts are right on track- a) Dick Waddhamsy is numbero uno campaign honcho, 2) On camera, George is no henny penny on camera- it's crazy the things he'll say to cover for Webb's oh so many gaffes, iii) Damn the Washington Post and them showing that dang flyer to all the jews (love you isreal! ) and them saying great flyer- plus it was clearly a weapon of mass destruction.

As always, free cheetos to those now joining the army.

[W.K.Armistead]

Oh, Sweet China Berry. I love that term of endearment, btw. It's pronounced with two syllables in Tunisia, isn't that where the deception begins?

[Virginia Centrist]

Ok Shaun. I'll play your game.

I graciously accept Allen's apology...

...NOW back to using the macaca issue in the campaign.

Feel better?

[Not Huey Long]

Shaun,

You're making things up!GFA's "apology" was the classic non-apology apology. And no it wasn't personal.

What a load of crap, but it's not surprising considering how much of it you're hauling around.

[Not Musgrave]

I guess the question is this...

If you're such a great politico, Shaun, why couldn't you get a job in your own state. I mean family is so near and dear to your Southernly genteel heart, why go 3,000 miles for a job in Colorado?

If Virginia means so much to you and you are so knowledgeable about politics here, why leave?

Fredericksburg is surrounded by Republican candidates running for office, why not help them?

[Not Larry Sabato]

I don't like the direction this is going in. Cool it guys.

Wow, Not Musgrave, what a dick!

Shaun Kenney is a hack, plain and simple. Allen's non-apology shouldn't even be debated.
Incredibly laughable that Shaun Kenney was on a panel discussing "ethics". But I know plenty have had their laughs about that one.

[Doug]

W.K., no it is not. Basic French from l'Universite de Nice, in the south and in colonies like Tunisian is that the Que in French is a Ka. As in these examples:

Q'est Que C'est?

Middle word, more of a ka, but just a tad for a native speaker. but for all French speakers the same

Macaque is three syllables, but JUST barely in Paris. They are a bit snobby, no?

But if you want the real dirty scoop, and you don't want to see Stephen Colbert throw it out last night, just lookup macaca online at say technocrati.com and you find all these wacky videos involving racial jibes at folks who are a tad darker than white. They tend to be themed upon dances or hated african soccer players. The dances are oh so silly, and the african soccer players- well what is not to hate, eh?

The entire linguistic crescent (oh, is that a poor choice, despite the geographic similarity?) of the Barcelona to Italian riviara pronounces the ethnic slur macaca, macaque, etc. the same. Three syllables, very off hand, very directed at those darker than white, very similar to what our senator said.

I'm sorry , unless you want to call me and tell me of your long life in Tunisia, it's going to be hard for me to believe you are not Dick Wadhams having a poke at fun.

Information Week was the publication that leveled the "anti-christ" charges against Harris Miller. The charge was not off base.

http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=175802293

Webb simply refered to it.

[Bubby]

Interested Observer! Best Comment - I'm giving it a rescue.

"I can't say for sure what is in your heart, or George Allen's. However, there seems to be sizeable evidence that George Allen has no interest in what impression he leaves with people on racial issues. Or maybe he does and it isn't a pretty picture. After all, one of the other reasons the left has been able to throw around the term "racist" in the general direction of the Republican Party is because that is where all the "mainstream" racists went when the Democratic Party decided they were going in a different direction."

Now read it again.

[Webb Defeats Allen]

I'm not sure who's more pissed about the whole M-word debacle:
the middle and left of the spectrum suddenly realizing that the Senator is a bully,

or

the right, suddenly realizing that he's from California and speaks french.

[Josh Chernila]

Or the RPV who now have to face the fact that their guy will henceforth be known as the FORMER frontrunner for the 2008 Republican party nomination.

Ultimately, I think the most disappointed here is the general public who suddenly realize that George Allen is not the nice guy they've believed him to be.

Nobody likes to be fooled, and nobody likes a phony.

I thought Shaun moved to Fluvanna. No?

As an aside, isn't it interesting how many wannabe politicos move out of the district that they so dearly loved and so desperately wanted to represent, right after they lose.

[NovaInd]

The question isn't has Allen appologized, it's has he attoned? Shouldn't there be some sanction for making the remarks he made? I unhappy that this is such a "political" issue this is a simple matter of human decency. To allow him to simply appologize and move on, is to simply give him a pass. On the other hand this isn't a capital crime; perhaps ruining the man is too great. There is a deep question of character here and I'm deeply disappointed that partisans are reducing this to a game of old fashioned mudslinging. Where are the intellectually honest conservatives and liberals? Are we just going to let the blogs become echo chambers for talking points and swift boat campaigns?

[JPTERP]

NovaInd--excellent point.

It definitely isn't a crime, but it also isn't an act becoming of a Senator. In three months though I don't know what type of atonement would suffice.

Allen made the right moves over the past year or so--going to a Civil Rights event in Alabama, meeting with VA civil rights leaders, signing on to the anti-lynching legislation. All of those gestures now seem tainted.

For a precedent I'd look to someone like Alabama Gov. George Wallace. I believe Wallace's transformation was sincere and heartfelt, but it didn't take place overnight. Wallace had to earn back the public trust over the course of years. As you note this is as much a matter of actions as words.

It doesn't help Allen that his legislative record is less than distinguished. On economic and national security issues, I'm especially disappointed in his performance. This event in SWVA was simply the last straw. Allen's actions crystalized a number of concerns that I, and I suspect many others feel: that George Allen is out of touch, unconcerned, and at times openly hostile to the dreams and concerns of a large cross-section of his constituents.

He can earn back that trust, but I don't believe it should be as a US Senator--not this year, not this election.

[NotLarrySabato'sLawnboy]

yo holmes its only nutbags like us that read this stuff anyways.... and also when did this blog's only job become beating down George Allen...even the tabloids move on after a while

[JPTERP]

NLSLawnboy--you may be right about the readership.

The VA Senate race though is the story right now. As long as George Allen remains George Allen, I suspect these stories are going to continue to be covered.

If you're looking to diversify your blog reading I highly recommend the following.

(George Allen turned me on to this great story in the Rhode Island ProJo)

http://www.projo.com/cgi-bin/include.pl/blogs/shenews/gardenblogs.htm

[Doug in Mount Vernon]

"Honor and chivalry are still alive south of the Rappahannock, my friend."

Ahhhhh, yes, you mean the REAL Virginia, Shaun?

You know, Senator Allen's comments where very offensive to people not just because of the racial slur. The idea that "real" Virginia must be white, rural, Republican, that the remark inflected was incredibly and personally offensive to me.

Me, a gay guy and Northern Virginian, and proudly progressive (or liberal, or whatever you want to call standing for peace, equality, with ANCESTORS that settled Bedford County, VA and with an ANCESTOR who was the personal aide of General Washington in the Revolutionary War.

Nope, guess I'm just not a real Virginian. Probably because I am gay macaca.

[charles]

Anon 7:40 -- maybe he stole it from me. :-)

Seriously, I don't listen to Bortz. I don't listen to much of any radio talk shows, since I'm at work all day most days.

Yesterday I was in a car with my family driving back from Columbus, listening to the book "Artemus Fowl and the Opel Deception" on CD. I love books on CD.

I think it's just a truism that you can't live you life based on what other people might say about you. That's true for being called a racist, and that's true for being the target of racial slurs.

Make your own esteem. Don't pay money for it. Self-esteem is supposed to come from self-worth, which comes from self, not from what others say or think about you.

[charles]

Anon at 11:19. The phrase Webb used: "The anti-christ of outsourcing" appears NOWHERE in the information week story, and was instead invented by James Webb himself.

The article cited simply says "Harris Miller, aka the Antichrist if you're an unemployed IT worker".

Further, you certainly aren't going to argue that inappropriate slurs are OK if someone else used them first now, are you?

This canard that James Webb was "quoting" from somebody's else's statements was false, and proves that the Webb supporters knew what Webb did was wrong, and therefore tried to make excuses for him.

Lastly, since the phrase "The anti-christ of outsourcing" makes NO SENSE, it is cruel to claim that a real writer would have been so clueless as to write that phrase for James to steal.

Nope, it was James Webb who came up with the non-sensical and offensive phrase "the anti-christ of outsourcing".

And not only didn't he apologize, but he used it again later, and all his webbsters who are so supremely sensitive about obscure foreign-language slurs defended him and called those complaining names.

[John]

This web site has already brought VA politics to the level of a sewer with its constant character assassination and unsubstantiated charges against Senator George Allen.

[JPTERP]

"Unsubstantiated charges" are on the tape John. See for yourself.

Welcome to Virginia.

[JPTERP]

"Unsubstantiated charges" are on the tape John. See for yourself.

Welcome to Virginia.

[John]

The Senator was speaking to the Webb campaign and Suddarth was it's representative at the rally. You are deliberately taking his quote out of context to fit your fevered imagination.

[Anon 7:40]

John,

How are George Allen's comments being taken out of context?
What is this, is excuse number 15 now?

He clearly said, "Welcome to America Macaca."

He was not speaking to Webb.

I have dealt with discipline issues involving 13 year old girls who conducted themselves in a more mature manner than the followers of George Felix Allen.

[JPTERP]

George Allen, the California native, was bullying a 20 year old constituent who was born in Virginia. There it is on tape.

67% of the people in Virginia who've seen this think George Allen's comment was inappropriate. 46% believe it was racist. Whatever it was, it definitely wasn't senatorial. The shifting explanations, apologies and non-apologies have been absolutely laughable.

[Anon 7:40]

You go JPTERP!

[Fan of Integrity]

You have to admit Allenites have tried reeeaaaallly hard at diversion:

Oh yeah. Now Dick W is saying it's all the Dems fault and Allen says he's sorry. Dual action tactics - and waaaay too contrived, waaaay too late.

They really think that we are just plain stupid. Good for the MSM (and most every Dem or Repub I know)for not buying it.

[Doug in Mount Vernon]

Actually, Allen himself succeeded at diversion yesterday as he Bushwhacked Virginians with a visit from 40% approved The Decider himself, but the press ignored that event by in large in favor of a brilliantly timed successive non-contrite apology.

That's one little plus tick for Allen. Against about 45 for Webb the last week.