Posted on 08/23/2006 12:58:59 PM PDT by Blackirish
SPRINGFIELD -- Shaken by charges of racial insensitivity, U.S. Sen. George Allen offered his most expansive public apology Tuesday for comments made to an Indian-American man. "I deeply regret those comments," Allen, R-Va., said Tuesday just before leaving the podium at a Northern Virginia retirement community. "I have no one to blame but myself. A person was insulted and others were. I'm fully responsible for it. ... I want to live up to all your expectations. I'm very sorry and I apologize."
(Excerpt) Read more at dailypress.com ...
The macacca is a type of monkey in India, I'm guessing that's the insult.
What's to question? He called a Democrat hack a monkey. It's a non-issue. An apology isn't necessary.
Unbeatable? Surely you jest!
In 2000, against the advice of the Granite State GOP primary, where he got 29%, we let you do the boob in the cowboy hat thing.
Never again.
Still, it's not a good thing to do politically. It doesn't matter what he said or who he said it to. Someone running for office shouldn't call someone a name while campaigning lol.
Whatever it takes to get elected.Sometimes,I feel ashamed for them.They give used car salesmen a good name.[No offence,some of my best friends are used car salesmen!]I can prove it.I have a yard full of used cars.Funny,they don't come over for BBQ's anymore.
Can't wait for the headline: Allen no longer gives apology for remark.
You wrote (loudly), "THEY SUCCEEDED IN GETTING CONSERVATIVES TO TURN AGAINST MR. ALLEN, IN FORUMS SUCH AS RIGHT HERE ON F.R. AND ELSEWHERE."
Nope, sorry. You can't blame liberals for Allen's seeming inability to keep his foot from his mouth or, for that matter, blame conservatives such as myself for feeling no enthusiasm whatsoever for his presidential aspirations.
Allen is in a close race with a tough opponent, and knew that he would be under a media microscope, yet somehow couldn't refrain from making an (admittedly) vague racial aspersion. Or association. Or whatever the heck it was.
I am tempted to believe, though, that Webb sent his man to innumerable Allen events on purpose: highly visible, always there, getting under Allen's skin, hoping to provoke a response--any response--from Allen. Since Webb's man is (evidently) obviously of Indian extraction, then any response by Allen to this kind of calculated pseudo-stalking could be tied to his supposedly racist sentiments. And it worked, probably better than Webb and his people could've dreamed.
Allen was outplayed. If he doesn't do well against Webb, a relative neophyte to electoral politics, imagine how he will do against someone like, say, Hillary. It would be like watching a duck swimming in the shark tank at the zoo.
So you made mistake, you apologized, end of story.
FWIW, this time we're in agreement.
I have an Indian friend, and he sends out email jokes about Indians and India every day. Every reference to a person's characteristics is not "racist". Sometimes it's just light hearted.
I am tempted to believe, though, that Webb sent his man to innumerable Allen events on purpose: highly visible, always there, getting under Allen's skin, hoping to provoke a response--any response--from Allen. Since Webb's man is (evidently) obviously of Indian extraction, then any response by Allen to this kind of calculated pseudo-stalking could be tied to his supposedly racist sentiments. And it worked, probably better than Webb and his people could've dreamed.
Allen apologized twice today - once to the guy with the camera and in front of a crowd. He needed to only apologize once for everyone to hear - END OF STORY! Go on with your campaigning and let it go.
I have to agree with you!... the whole thing was silly and sure Allen SHOULD LEARN from this one.. (Amazing professional politicians don't know these things by now!!), but ok, so he made a mistake... good thing he did now when it does not mean much rather than later in the campaing. He apologized (ok) and that should the end of the story. Doesn't Allen know that by blobbering to the MSM is like splashing blood in a oncen full of sharks???... AMAZING.
His reaction though... it's beginning to bother me. If there is one thing I want in a polician second to honesty and conviction is not to act as if they LOSE their position THEY WILL DIE and therefore demean themselves in their DESPERATION. Not pretty to watch.
This PC crap started in the 90's with the Clintons. After that it continued downhill all the way.
He may not be my 1st choice for prez but we cannot afford to lose him in the senate.
Because at this point he is the one keeping the story alive.
So again...enough already.
That's pretty much what I just told the campaign.
He lost my vote simply by being a whining apologist.
Well, truth be told, he never would have had my vote anyway.
He was all that I described him as even before this particular incident.
He is not POTUS/CINC material.
I saw the side view of that Webb lackey's head ~ guy is an Indian American with an American Indian haircut in profile.
Trying to steal (some of) my people's heritage again ~ we ought to eat his heart to express our disgust at his misuse of our ancient traditions.
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