We Democrats don't usually look to the right-wing Washington Times for help, but today, George Allen and his minions have gone too far even for the Times. One of their bloggers, Scott Galupo, has an absolutely scathing column entitled, "Allen's 'Lolita' Smear." The column begins, "George Allen is an opportunistic philistine," and gets worse (if you're an Allen supporter) from there. Check it out:
At first, Allen's aggressive push to peel off women from Webb's base of support -- which began with the unearthing of an article Webb had written that was argued (perfectly justifiably) against allowing women in combat -- was tolerable in a certain tactical sense.This latest salvo would be silly, if it weren't so demeaning -- not to women, as Allen would very much like us to believe of Webb's fiction writing, but rather to the basic idea of narrative art.
This is an even cruder variation of the literal-minded smear that attached to Vladimir Nabokov after he published his brilliant "Lolita." Some readers refused to accept that someone who wrote in a fictional context about pedophilia did not approve of pedophilia -- or, worse, was a pedophile himself.
If, today, anyone is scandalized by what Webb wrote, that's their right -- and their folly.
Earlier this week I floated the scenario that if he wins Nov. 7, Allen might come out of the race an even stronger, steelier contender for the 2008 presidential nomination. This may or may not eventually prove true.
What I know for sure is that is I can't now vote for Allen in good conscience.
Ouch.
By the way, yet ANOTHER distortion is being circulated by Allen supporters, based on Jim Webb's comment this morning that it was inappropriate for Mark Plotkin to read sexually explicit passages from his books on the air. The whole point here was that people seek out novels to read, but radio is a public medium that anyone might just stumble across.
Also, I would add that Plotkin simply fed into the disgusting game the Allen people are playing, taking quotes completely out of their literary context.
What is the POINT of all this? I mean, it's not like any of these quotes, all from critically acclaimed books, are new or anything. Could it be that the Allen campaign is trying to DISTRACT us from something? Like, say, Allen's miserable record of failure the past 6 years? Like, say the IRAQ WAR? Like, say, the fact that Allen is all about helping ExxonMobil and other rich corporations, but for screwing over the rest of us? Like "macaca." Like the multiple allegations by numerous, independent sources of Allen's racically...er, "questionable" behavior? Like Allen's corrupt dealings with regards to Jack Abramoff, Xybernaut, etc? Like Allen's 97% rubberstamp of George W. Bush. Like, like, like...
Yeah, I think Allen's trying to distract us from something alright - the fact that he's a godawful Senator who richly deserves to be booted back to HIS "real America" of Southern California (or Iowa, or wherever he wishes he had been born besides Virginia!) on November 7.
[UPDATE: Thanks to J.C. Wilmore for pointing out that other conservative writers, like Bart Hinkle of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, are skewering Allen for this garbage. According to Hinkle, by the Allen camp's line of "reasoning," Sophocles endorsed incest, Dostoyevsky endorsed murder, "Mary Shelley endorsed stitching cadavers together to make monsters..." ROFLMAO!!!]
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.
I keep hoping these two sides join forces to get something changed on the twin deficits.
Anyway, I don't really know this group, but someone wants any women who have been spit at by Allen to come forward.
Now that to me is a relevant inquiry. (Anyone who accepts the offer should turn down the money.)
It's easy enough to find these people. One is Jimmy Carter's graddaughter. Another is a part-time reporter for the Smyth County Messenger who wrote a big article on meth abuse.
Anyway, I agree that women who have been spit at by Mr. Allen should come forward. But it's going to take more than that to fight back against any allegation involving sexual content. You know how the American public is-- war, torture, gruesome killings? No big deal. Discrimination? Eh, it happens. Sex? Oooooooooooh, how scandalous! How immoral! How, how . . . how fascinating!
(October 27, 2006 -- 02:55 PM EST // link)
The Allen campaign refuses to return our calls asking whether Sen. Allen will release his sealed divorce records. We're not the only news outlet asking, just the only one telling you how the Allen campaign is responding. Heck, one major national daily had a reporter out in LA for at least week trying to nail down the story. It's what every Washington insider is talking about: what's inside those sealed records down in Albemarle County. Now that the Allen campaign is about to go on the airwaves about sex scenes in Jim Webb's books, maybe you should know about this too.
Not sure how I feel abouut this stuff. To me, the public record says enough about Allen.
This may explain Allen's misguided attack on Webb.
Pay attention to who is joining in this last minute smear effort, versus who won't join in. The groups who are denouncing Webb look like an obviously coordinated effort. It's instructive - groups like the "Traditional Values [sic] Coalition" and the Drudge Report are completely in concert with the Republican Party. Honest conservatives are not. But then, honest conservatives will have already distanced themselves as far as possible from the Republicans and their swift-boat smear tactics.
Here's a good way to register dispproval of the latest smears:
http://www.actblue.c...