I Love Black People!
In an apparent attempt to control the fallout of his ostensibly racist "macaca" remark, Virginia Sen George Allen has updated his website with a picture of him embracing a woman with dark skin But the damage has been done He's losing in the polls to his rival for the Senate (and Allen was until recently being touted as presidential material) (h/t: HuffPo) Ana Marie Cox says historians will study this episode as an example of how NOT to do damage control.
In an apparent attempt to control the fallout of his ostensibly racist “macaca” remark, Virginia Sen. George Allen has updated his website with a picture of him embracing a woman with dark skin. But the damage has been done. He’s losing in the polls to his rival for the Senate (and Allen was until recently being touted as presidential material…).
(h/t: HuffPo)
Ana Marie Cox:
We did as much as we possibly could to keep the Macaca story afloat, we admit (come on, it?s August), but we are still fairly amazed by the results of the Wall Street Journal/Zogby Interactive poll showing whatsisface (you know, the Dragnet guy) ahead of a man who, up until this month, had been thought of as a good bet for the GOP Presidential nomination. Sure, it?s by one point, but who knew veiled racism had political consequences! In Virginia! Now all the challengers with nothing to lose will be getting their own Indian kids.
Smarting from the poll, the Allen team rushed into action and brought out the big guns on the campaign website:
Your support matters…Wonkette:
Someday political scientists will study the Allen campaign as an example of how not to do damage control. First, do NOT “dismiss…the issue with an expletive and insist…the senator has ‘nothing to apologize for.'” Second, do NOT try to “explain” the offensive remark (He said the word sounds similar to “mohawk,” a term that his campaign staff had nicknamed Sidarth because of his haircut.). Third, do NOT offer a SECOND, possibly more offensive, explanation after the first one proves inadequate. Fourth do NOT leak a campaign memo that blames the media for the offensive remark. Lastly, do NOT wait a week to actually apologize. Oh, and do NOT be an idiot.
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For the presidential candidates of this election cycle, as well as for their surrogates and supporters, all the world's a campaign stage.
George Allen, the man who some say could've been president, has finally conceded to challenger Jim Webb, at long last putting an end to speculation and granting the Democrats total control of both houses of Congress.
The Associated Press and MSNBC have both called the Va Senate race for Jim Webb, which would give Democrats control of the House and Senate for the first time since 1994
A source in the George Allen camp said the senator was "disinclined" to ask for a formal recount, but would probably not concede any earlier than Thursday
.
If James Webb prevails in the Senate race recount in Virginia, Dems will control both houses of Congress If Allen wins, the GOP retains the reins in the Senate So prepare yourself for a recount battle second in ferocity only to the 2000 Bush-Gore saga -- one replete with legal maneuvering, public posturing and, of course, dirty tricks
Update: We may be wrong about the above (mea culpa after the jump).
This week, our assemblage of Truthdig favorites includes a finger-wagging hypocritical evangelist; Andrew Sullivan flatly stating that Bush has come unhinged; and goons of Va. Sen. George Allen attacking a blogger.
The man whom staffers of Va. Sen. George Allen attacked on Tuesday for asking the senator combative questions is fighting back.
Watch the attack
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