[Cross-posted at dailykos.]More shoes are dropping, and still more may be about to drop, on George Allen concerning his habitual past use of the n-word.
In tomorrow's Charlottesville Daily Progress, Bob Gibson devotes much of his column to the testimony of a nurse and a former classmate of Allen's, both of whom attended poker parties with then-law-student Allen and recall his habitual use of the slur.
GÇ£He just threw it around so casually, itGÇÖs like he didnGÇÖt know any better,GÇ¥ the nurse, identified by her maiden name of Leah Deason, recalls.
An Allen classmate recalls the same thing:
GÇ£It was part of his everyday speech,GÇ¥ he said. GÇ£It just rolled off his tongue. HeGÇÖd get a black card he didnGÇÖt like and heGÇÖd toss it back and say, GÇÿI donGÇÖt need that nig--- cardGÇÖGÇ¥
Shelton said Allen showed disrespect to UVa and the schoolGÇÖs mostly black cleaning staff by walking down the hallways of Newcomb Hall as a student and spitting tobacco juice GÇ£on the floors in the hallway and on the walls.GÇ¥
There may be more. So says Ryan Lizza of the New Republic, in TNR's blog, The Plank, tonight, alerting us that "new n-word accusers will step forward tomorrow".
Lizza has broken stories about Allen's racial insensitivity before--not once but twice.
So as the saying goes: stay tuned. This ugly story has not yet run its course.
It's high time George Allen began to tell the truth about his past, took responsibility for it, and showed Virginia that he has fully understood and repented of what he has done.
[Update: Yes, Lizza was referring to the Gibson column. Don't miss the devastating way he lays out the story so far, here.]
I wonder if Lizza was referring to the Gibson article? We'll see.
So I'm hedging my bets here.
There is a "Give your opinion on this story" link for the piece. Please go and leave your comments after you finish reading the story.
Don't let the Allen supporters try to spin the story away. The voters of Virginia deserve to know the complete truth about George Allen and his real character.
If its only outlet is the Daily Progress and three online blogs--The Plank, dailykos, and here at Raising Kaine--it won't make any difference.
You're right, though: it sure should.
For those keeping score at home:
"He used the N-word on a regular basis back then." --Dr. Ken Shelton
"It was so common with George when he was among his white friends. This is the terminology he used." --Edward J. Sabornie
"George said 'only the niggers around here eat em.'" --Dr. Chris Taylor
"I heard to my left the N-word and I heard it again and I looked around and I heard it again and there was this fellow sitting on the ground....I said to the boy beside me, a man, who is that kid? And he said, oh, that's George Allen." --Patricia Waring
"He just threw it around so casually, it's like he didn't know any better....[W]henever he'd get a black card that he didn't like, he would refer to it as a 'nig--- card' he needed to get rid of." --Leah Deason
"It was part of his everyday speech. It just rolled off his tongue. He'd get a black card he didn't like and he'd toss it back and say, 'I don't need that nig--- ten.'" --a former UVa classmate
"I do not remember ever using that word." --George Allen
--Ryan Lizza
It seems that a lot of Allen's current African American supporters are those who buy into his claims of increasing funding for minority colleges and support for affirmative action.
I think Webb's support for an increase in the minimum wage and his opposition to the president's immigration plan should be major talking points with African American leaders. This is the south. African American leaders are used to having to negotiate with and come to agreements with racist white leaders. This is clearly what happened with Lambert.
Here's a news article about Mr. Webb's visit to Norfolk last night:
First, I wish someone in the campaign will please ask Mr. Webb to avoid flying in bad weather any more. Better to be stuck for hours on the road than in a million pieces on the ground.
Second, it's clear that African Americans need to know why they should vote for Mr. Webb. It's useless to say "because Allen's a racist." Better instead to focus on some of the most pressing issues before the Afican American community in Virginia. This is where promoting the minimum wage legislation and working to curb illegal immigration strengthen Mr. Webb's position. Also, he needs to counter the harm done by the charge that he does not support affirmative action. And as for education, he needs to keep hammering on the message that Allen allowed the tuition tax credit to lapse, that Allen when he was governor CUT funds to black colleges in much larger percentages than he did for other colleges, that his so-called National Innovation Act was never passed.
We already know that Webb will receive the majority of African American votes, but without more outreach he's going to receive less of a percentage and he's going to see fewer African Americans even bothering to vote. This is a critical part of the voting public for him.
Same goes for his approach to other voting blocs in Virginia, for that matter.
Sorry DSCC, I love ya.. but I'm feeling neglected in Virginia.