[phoenix0468]

On Friday, August 11, 2006, at a campaign stop in Breaks, Virginia, near the Kentucky border, U.S. Senator George Allen twice used a word that sounds like "macaca" to refer to S.R. Sidarth, who was filming the event as a "tracker" for the opposing Jim Webb campaign. Sidarth is of Indian ancestry, but was born and raised in Fairfax County, Virginia. The incident has resulted in a significant reduction in Allen's lead over Webb in most polls, and cast doubt upon the outcome of the November election.

This incident is an ALLEGATION, made by a supporter of his opponent.

On August 16, the National Journal reported that two Virginia Republicans who heard the word used by Allen's campaign staff said "macaca" was a neologism created from "Mohawk" and "caca," Spanish slang for excrement. "Said one Republican close to the campaign: 'In other words, [Sidarth] was a shit-head, an annoyance.'"

Which Sidarth most probably was.

[maica]

The reason that there is video of Allen's introduction of Sidarth to the crowd is because Allen was looking directly at Sidarth who was holding a video camera in front of his face.

It seems extremely unlikely to me that a seasoned pol would make an insulting remark directly into a working camera. I think you may be right that he was trying to say Mohawk and it came out garbled.

I have yet to meet anyone who knew the meaning of 'macaca' before August 2006.

How do we know we are not using words that are offensive in many languages every day? Movies have been made about double meanings to words. Meet the Fockers, for example.

People who are withdrawing their endorsement of Allen for this are exhibiting a shallowness of their previous support of him.

[steve-b]

This incident is an ALLEGATION

The videotape is a fake?