Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Sen. Allen Acknowledges He is Jewish; Why Was He So Upset?
Virginia Republican Senator George Allen reacted angrily when a Fox reporter asked him during a recent debate with Democratic candidate Jim Webb about the fact that his mother is Jewish.
His anger seemed a bit overblown. It seemed that he might have thought his being Jewish would not play well with his conservative Christian constituents in rural Western and Southern Virginia, whom he is counting on. He even accused the reporter of "making aspersions" about his mother, as if he felt her and his being Jewish was negative.
According to the Washington Post:
Now he says he is "embracing" his Jewish heritage.
Perhaps he is hoping to kill the coverage by admitting he is Jewish so there is no longer a controversy -- exactly what he did NOT do after his "macaca" comment, which continues to receive coverage.
Or perhaps he is assuming his right-wing Christian base will think it's just another vicious lie being spread by the liberal media.
Any way you look at it, Virginia deserves better. Jim Webb would be a much better Senator.
His anger seemed a bit overblown. It seemed that he might have thought his being Jewish would not play well with his conservative Christian constituents in rural Western and Southern Virginia, whom he is counting on. He even accused the reporter of "making aspersions" about his mother, as if he felt her and his being Jewish was negative.
According to the Washington Post:
Allen's campaign manager said the senator believed the question was hostile because it followed another one about whether Allen had learned the word "macaca" from his mother. The word, which Allen used last month to describe a Webb volunteer, is a French slur for a dark-skinned person. Allen's mother, Henrietta "Etty" Allen, is a native of Tunisia and speaks French.
Now he says he is "embracing" his Jewish heritage.
Perhaps he is hoping to kill the coverage by admitting he is Jewish so there is no longer a controversy -- exactly what he did NOT do after his "macaca" comment, which continues to receive coverage.
Or perhaps he is assuming his right-wing Christian base will think it's just another vicious lie being spread by the liberal media.
Any way you look at it, Virginia deserves better. Jim Webb would be a much better Senator.
