It looked like it was dying down but it turns out the “Macaca” story lives on, thanks to the two-faced message coming out of Senator George Allen’s camp. Apparently the incident has severely harmed him in the polls, so he’s finally apologized to S.R. Sidarth, the Webb campaign worker whom he twice called “macaca” and asked an all-white audience to “welcome to America.” Allen actually got on the phone:
“He apologized for his comments,” said Mr. Sidarth, who is an American of Indian descent, in a telephone interview from the University of Virginia, where he has resumed his classes. “He took the blame for saying them, and he said he didn’t realize how offended I was until he heard my comments from the media.”
End of story, right? Politician says something stupid, pays price in the polls, apologizes, hopefully learns lesson. Except for one thing. At the same time that Allen is apologizing, his staff is telling Republicans worried that he’s going soft on them that the whole incident was what the papers call “a barnyard epithet” (that’s newscode for “bullshit”) and that it’s Allen who is actually the aggrieved party. [Update: Here’s the campaign manager’s memo.] Here’s today’s editorial in the Washington Post:
[Allen campaign manager] Mr. Wadhams, an itinerant political hit man known for his nasty attacks on opponents, told Republican leaders in a memo sent over the weekend that the Webb campaign and the media had ganged up “to create national news over something that did not warrant coverage in the first place.”
He continued: “Never in modern times has a statewide office holder and candidate been so vilified.” In other words, Mr. Allen is the victim — not the 20-year-old student whom he mocked with an insulting, possibly racist slur in front of scores of chortling supporters and demeaned by saying, “Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia!”
Unlike Mr. Allen, whose contrition has become increasingly abject over time, Mr. Wadhams has been consistent. His first pronouncement to journalists, a week and a half ago, was to refer to the “macaca” story with a barnyard epithet and insist that the senator had nothing to apologize for. He has stuck with that assessment.
With Mr. Allen plummeting in the polls and his reelection prospects now in doubt, he and Mr. Wadhams are in damage-control mode. They have dropped their far-fetched insistence that the word “macaca” referred to Mr. Sidarth’s hairstyle. But they ought to get their stories straight. Is the Allen campaign really sorry? Or are the senator’s adversaries just making a mountain out of “macaca”?
We report, you decide.
Word. I heart Siddhartha’s personal tidbits scattered all over the SM archives 🙂
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Sheesh, this guy’s explanations and clarifications alone could fill an entire Allen-to-English dictionary. Re-re-translated apology: I’m sorry that people aren’t able to appreciate how funny my jokes are.
In many parts of North India white people are referred to as “lal bandaron”.
Lal = Red Bandar = Monkey
If you notice the pink face tones of the monkeys common in Uttar Pradesh, yeah, alot of us white folks have similar tones, so that’s where U.P.ites came up with the term.
Maybe you can make T-shirts saying “LAL BANDAR” with a pic of Senator George Allen’s face underneath. That would be hilarious!
I think I’m gonna have a “Who You Callin Lal Bandar?” t-shirt made before my next trip to Bharat.
Pardesi,
LOL. My great granny used to use this term a lot, apparently. That T-shirt would be hilarious.
Where to begin with this pseudo-analysis? Have at them, guys, with your comments. Leaving out the “French connection,” again, for starters. Neglecting to tell the whole story about Allen’s past too.
Allen’s finally down in Virginia. New Wall Street Journal/Zogby poll. He was ahead by eleven points two months ago. Still, it’s close and action by you makes the difference.
Keep it going. Here’s how. S.R. Sidarth’s father and others are putting together a September 10 multiethnic fundraiser for Webb in Vienna, VA. If you are in the D.C./Virginia/Maryland area–please go. If you can’t afford full freight, get in touch with the campaign’s contact through the last link; they’ll see what they can do. If you are not in the area, please contribute toward the event.
First post-Macaca presidential straw poll reported at right-wing blog.
Macaca’s vindicated (well almost) … Webb is leading Allen in a recent poll. Wow, if Webb wins it will be a HUGE upset, because so far punditocracy is saying that the , macaca-gate has only hurt Allen’s 2008 chances but he is preety much thru in Senate race.
The Confederate flag is not a racist symbol, and it means just as much to a Southerner as the swastika does to an Indian. Obviously, no Indian will accept an American saying the swastika is a “racist hate symbol” because of Hitler. Please do not accept haters of the South teaching you incorrectly about the meaning of the Confederate flag.
This is an outrageous comparison. The Svastika symbol has existed for 1000s of years, was co-opted 60 years ago by one of the most brutal dictators of all time. The Confederate flag represents the confederacy’s motives for its existence, and a significant component of said motivation is lucidly explained by, for example, the Texas secessionists:
“We hold as undeniable truths that the government of the various states and of the (federal) confederacy itself, were established exclusively by the white race, for themselves and their posterity; that the African race had no agency in their establishment; that they were rightfully held and regarded as an inferior and dependent race, and in that condition only could their existence in this country be rendered beneficial or tolerable.”
Link
It couldn’t be any clearer, any attempt to say otherwise is an white-washing of history.
A symbol of racial self-preservation and self-defense is not “racist” in a negative sense. All people have a right to exist, even white Americans. Indians seem to be very interested in the color line to this day, as skin lightening cream ads on the Indian TV channels have shown me…..so don’t lecture to Americans on the meaning of “racism”. It is very hypocritical coming from a culture still revolving around caste.
self preservation and self defense? are you #)($(@$)(#)’ng kidding me?
So lets see, group A brings a another group of people from another continent, against their will, deems them inferior and dependent, subjects them to all kind of atrocities and when they object to being objectified, action against them is self preservation and defense?? WTF?
And the desire to subjugate human beings (or at least get behind a symbol that clearly, without a DOUBT represents that) somehow is equivalent to skin lightening cream?
And your very very Christian understanding of caste is readily apparent, and needn’t be debated here.
Please don’t feed the trolls…
Sorry for the confusion, but am I the feeder or the feedee?
Aww, HMF, you are the feeder, silly rabbit. Would you like Rajni to give you a kiss?
Oh got it, I’m not sure who Rajni is, but as long as she doesn’t have a Confederate Flag on her purse, sure why the heck not ?
This is Rajni. Pretty sure she doesn’t even own a purse. I have to carry all her bananas and cigs for her when we go out.
You know HMF, if you don’t like Americans you don’t have to live with them. There is a place called India where you won’t be too bothered with them.
Wasn’t Robert E. Lee a leading army officer of the Confederate forces during the American Civil War?
(if he is I’m amazed at my self – never learned a word of American history in high school!)
Yes.
“You know HMF, if you don’t like Americans you don’t have to live with them. There is a place called India where you won’t be too bothered with them.”
Wow. I think someone with “brown” skin was just told to go back where they came from. That’s gotta be a first!
And you don’t have to love your country/flag like a 4 year old loves his mother, with the presupposition that she’s perfect in every way and can do no wrong.
Allen apology 3.0 (via the news tab):
Translation: “I’m in free fall in the polls….”
Translation: “I still think I’m right and that everyone’s making a big deal about nothing.”
By the way, his “football background”? Because his dad was a coach?? Hmmm, maybe I should start talking about my background in neuroscience. George Allen, you’re no Jack Kemp. Um, except to the extent that you are: