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Senator George Allen Watch: Allen Apologizes for Offensive Remarks – FLAP Part II

August 24, 2006 /

AP: Sen. Allen apologizes for ‘macaca’ jibe

Sen. George Allen (news, bio, voting record) personally called an opponent’s aide and apologized for singling the man out almost two weeks ago with an obscure comment that has cast a shadow over the senator’s White House ambitions, his campaign said.

S.R. Sidarth, a Democratic volunteer of Indian descent, was videotaping an Allen campaign event when the senator pointed to him and twice called him “Macaca.” Macaca is a genus of monkeys that includes macaques, and is also considered a racial slur in some parts of the world.

“This fellow over here with the yellow shirt — Macaca or whatever his name is — he’s with my opponent,” Allen said.

He noted that his opponent, Democrat Jim Webb, was raising money in California, then told the crowd of about 100 supporters: “Let’s give a welcome to Macaca here. Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia.”

Sidarth, who was born just outside Washington in Fairfax County, Va., said he felt Allen was singling him out by race.

The Video is here.

Earth to George Allen: You already apologized – let it go.

Now, you are going to stock the kid?

Allen on Wednesday tracked down a phone number for Sidarth at the University of Virginia, where the 20-year-old had returned for his senior year, and apologized to him, said campaign manager Dick Wadhams.

“Senator Allen made a heartfelt apology,” Wadhams said. “He told Sidarth he thought he would see him on the campaign trail, but Sidarth had headed back to U.Va., so we Googled his name, found his number and the senator called him this morning.”

Will Senator George Allen recover from this FLAP?

For the Senate: Maybe

For the Presidency: Forget about it.

Allah has more on “Macccagate.”

XRLQ says Allen should hire him to nuclear fisk James Webb and other Allen opponents.

Flap agrees…..

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Senator George Allen Watch: Allen Apologizes for Offensive Remarks – FLAP

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7 Comments

  • Xrlq

    August 24, 2006 at 1:17 pm

    Now, you are going to stock [sic] the kid?

    Nah, he had no choice but to track him down. Originally, Allen was asked why he didn’t apologize to the guy directly, and he said he planned to the next time he saw him – which, given the kid’s frequent appearances up to that point, everyone assumed would be Allen’s next campaign stop, or possibly the next one after that. Today’s paper has the kid accepting the apology, but wondering what took him so long. So Allen did what he had to do. At this point, though, I agree that the matter should drop.

    As to a Presidential run in ’08, who knows? He’ll have to do better than mi caca, but as you know polling numbers before Labor Day tell us relatively little about how this year’s election will pan out; they are completely worthless in predicting what will happen two years from now.

  • Brian

    August 25, 2006 at 12:48 am

    So, are you going to condemn him for calling someone a monkey and acting like only white people are from the real America, or just for the way he says he is sorry.

  • Aakash

    August 27, 2006 at 7:50 am

    Don’t count Senator Allen out of contention, for the presidential race, as of yet. People have survived worse, and still gone on to be strong candidates for that office.