Well, we know what he's doing . . . and so does Tom Toles (PM - 9/23/2006 10:29:04 AM)
This, to me, exemplifies Allen's hypocrisy.
That's right, George Allen is appearing this weekend at a gathering of ultra-conservatives like Katherine Harris, who stated recently that separation of church and state is "a lie we have been told," while adding that "if you're not electing Christians then in essence you are going to legislate sin." So much for Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Unitarians, Zoroastrians, Episcopalians, Mormons, Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, or anyone who doesn't qualify as "Christian" by Katherine Harris' standards.Also appearing at the "Values Voters Summit" with Allen will be the infamous Ann Coulter, who has:
...joked about poisoning a sitting Supreme Court Justice, regretted that Timothy McVeigh didnGÇÖt blow up the New York Times building, advocated for the killing of Representative John Murtha, a 37-year veteran of the Marines, and said of two 9/11 widows that sheGÇÖd GÇ£never seen people enjoying their husbandsGÇÖ deaths so much.GÇ¥
By appearing with Harris and Coulter, does George Allen condone their reprehsnsible, highly offensive views? Or, does Allen condemn the views of Harris and Coulter as the vast majority of Americans undoubtedly would do?
Lowell Feld is Netroots Coordinator for the Jim Webb for US Senate Campaign. The ideas expressed here belong to Lowell Feld alone, and do not represent those of Jim Webb, his advisors, staff, or supporters.
That being said, I should never be anywhere near Anne Coulter. It will get ugly, I assure you.
Meanwhile, I see the folks over at RedState are hopping mad about the World article, which Talking Points and Wonkette are discussing. http://breakingnews....
I have not had my coffee yet. What the heck is he trying to say in this quote?
Reading this entire quote as if it stems from Allen himself seems more likely to be misreading of it than not, and Wonkette and Marshall don't appear to have the kind of support that they need to make the definitive claims that they make.
I'll post this over at the jdawg thread.
If anyone could possibly not intuit the core beliefs of George Allen, then his association with, and alignment with the views and policies, of this ultra right zealot group, should be ample confirmation.
And George Allen has sought to cast himself as an uncomplicated conservative who wears cowboy boots with his suits, spits tobacco and talks in football metaphors. His father's move to coach the Washington Redskins brought the family to Virginia, and almost overnight Allen became a Southerner, transferring from UCLA to the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, where he also attended law school before he launched his political career.Despite his attempts to craft a new identity, he has spent the campaign mud-wrestling with who he is. A Virginian who isn't really from Virginia. A senator who says he is a paragon of tolerance but blurts what some perceive as a racial slur at his opponent's dark-skinned aide. And now, the product of a Christian family who has just found out he has Jewish ancestry.
***But political observers wondered why his response varied from angry to flip to proud. (After Allen's anger subsided, he characterized the new information to the Richmond, Va., Times-Dispatch as "just an interesting nuance to my background…. I still had a ham sandwich for lunch. And my mother made great pork chops.")
"The mystery is why this came as a great surprise and why he reacted so vociferously," Sabato said. "He has been asked this same question for years."
Allen's campaign is on the ropes in a Senate race that was supposed to be a cakewalk, causing some experts to wonder if he is ready for The Show.
"If Allen thinks it's tough now, it's going to be a lot tougher when he runs for president," said Merle Black, who teaches political science at Atlanta's Emory University and specializes in Southern politics.
Further complicating Allen's predicament is the fact that Republicans have grappled with the issue of race since the civil rights movement pushed most black voters into the arms of the Democratic Party.
"I have encountered Republicans all over the country who don't think it would be wise for the party to take on someone with so much racial baggage," Sabato said.
George Allen[Talking Points]: Began by discussing persecution of Christians in China. Played the football card again. "The Four F's of the Allen Family: Faith, Family, Freedom, Football" (or very close to that). The majority of Allen's speech was spent discussing his passage of the parental notification bill as governor of VA. Originally he vetoed the bill, b/c it was watered down. Then in '97, his last year as governor, he signed the bill. Then spent significant focus on unelected judges changing our laws. Discussed foundational issues - unelected federal judges, partial birth abortion bans, eminent domain. Family= Marriage is between one man and one woman.
Analysis: This was my first time seeing senator Allen in person. He was my governor growing up in NoVA. He was tall, good natured, and more articulate than I expected (though still a notch down from Pence, Romney, Huckabee).
Interesting point: I noticed throughout the speech Allen seemed to have a viewpoint of being a friend/ally of the value voter, rather than considering himself "one of us" to the conference attendees. Then he concluded his speech by asking us to see him as a "teammate or ally". My gut feel was confirmed apparently.
By the way, does anyone else find it interesting that the first pillar of Allen's upbringing was "faith," yet Allen now says it's off limits to ask him about it (and gets extremly angry when someone does)? Also interesting, the last "F" for Allen is "football," yet he talks about THAT incessantly! Priorities, priorities...
This, to me, exemplifies Allen's hypocrisy.