Macacagate: Allen apologizes to aide for slur
posted at 12:38 pm on August 24, 2006 by Allahpundit
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WaPo’s been riding it for weeks, but the gravy train might finally have come to an end. Apology not really accepted:
“I still have some questions about why it took so long, but, yes, he did the right thing,” Sidarth said. Asked whether he thought the apology was sincere, Sidarth declined to comment.
Protesters have unleashed a devastating, irresistibly catchy slogan to shame Allen and his more high-profile supporters:
As Bush arrived in Virginia last night, Democrats waved signs that included phrases such as “Hey, George, macaca is a bad word.”
ALF says Allen can kiss his Senate seat goodbye — not because he used the word “macaca” but because he gave WaPo the satisfaction of seeing him apologize for it. Errrr…
Mary K and I were IMing last night about this and I suggested that Allen might be the guy liberals thought Bush was when he was nominated in 2000: famous father, looks the part, kind of dumb, contrivedly folksy. A completely generic Republican nominee, in other words, groomed for leadership because he’d look good behind the desk and wouldn’t rock the boat.
Just a theory.
Here’s an amateur campaign ad cooked up from the macaca incident by someone who’s either a leftist with no sense of subtlety or a righty goofing on leftist paranoia about racism. An even more troubling future!
Update: Sister Toldjah wonders how many apologies will it take until he’s forgiven. Answer: none. This is too useful politically to the Dems. Besides, all conservatives are racists. Don’t you know that?
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Alf? Wasn’t that an 80’s TV show about a lovable goofball alien (whose voice was secretly provided by a moonlighting Oliver North)?
This incident notwithstanding, I’d take Allen over McVain any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
thirteen28 on August 24, 2006 at 12:51 PM
It looks to me that more and more, the best people won’t be candidates, but the ones that survives the media gauntlet without being nicked will be. Once again, the lowest common denominator mentality prevails. Any real person that has lived for decades has slipped many times in their lives. If they haven’t, they are probably pretty creepy people. Look at Al Gore.
Shmo on August 24, 2006 at 12:51 PM
Mary K and I were IMing last night about this and I suggested that Allen might be the guy liberals thought Bush was when he was nominated in 2000…
Exactly.
I think this marks the end to his presidential ambitions in 2008 becuase anyone who can’t hold their office this year will be out.
Rudy/Mitt ‘08.
Catch the fever.
Slublog on August 24, 2006 at 12:52 PM
By the way, S.R. Sidarth seems like kind of a dink for not accepting what seemed like a heartfelt apology. Sure, what Allen did was stupid and hurtful, but refusing to accept an apology is just rude.
Slublog on August 24, 2006 at 12:55 PM
I said that last night too. Although a Catholic and a Mormon on the ticket? Hmm.
Allahpundit on August 24, 2006 at 12:56 PM
Whichever aide told him to apologize for calling someone a “macaca” (whatever that is) gave him terrible advice. If he really did apologize, then it shows he does not understand the nature of the liberal MSM. The last thing we need in 2008 is yet another Republican with no public relations sense.
I would say John Warner is the above but not George Allen (until he stupidly apologized). He has been extremely conservative on immigration, foreign policy, and domestic issues. You’ll never see his name on a “Gang of 14″ anything. He is not an old-fashioned Republican like McCain, Warner, Graham, etc.
januarius on August 24, 2006 at 12:58 PM
Its hard to tell nowadays, isn’t it?
JasonG on August 24, 2006 at 12:58 PM
Hey, political ecumenicalism.
Slublog on August 24, 2006 at 12:58 PM
Nope, nope, Mitt’s out. Google Current (which I watch to keep on top of what the enemy is thinking, just like watching LinkTV world news from the middle east)has already smeared the crap out of him.
They have a quote where he says (paraphrasing) “I don’t believe in marriage between and man and a man, I believe in marriage between a man and a woman, and a woman, and a woman….”
I’m sure Couric will do an in-depth investigation if Romney looks to be strong in the coming months.
We need some hawks with a sense of history to survive this war.
I say North/Gingrich or Gingrich/North ‘08.
Of course, I’m sure North’s out due to being raked over the coals way back when…
NTWR on August 24, 2006 at 1:07 PM
I’ve sent it up the chain to Mehlman, waiting to hear back. As a non-denominational kinda girl myself, a Catholic/Mormon ticket is a-ok with me, but they sure are a whole lotta potlucks short of a Protestant ticket. Slublog, start cooking! We’re gonna need much, much potato salad win people over.
marykatharine on August 24, 2006 at 1:09 PM
What we really need is a seance.
Lee Atwater…where are you?
Slublog on August 24, 2006 at 1:12 PM
C’mon, everybody knows that it all boils down to what Rove decides. It’s all part of his master plan.
Rick on August 24, 2006 at 1:14 PM
I once knew a Catholic Mormon. He would drink coffee but then confess about it later.
pjcomix on August 24, 2006 at 1:23 PM
Not to be confused with the Jewish Mormon. He would drink coffee and feel guilty about it later.
pjcomix on August 24, 2006 at 1:24 PM
I am sure that apologies are forthcoming from Andrew Young, Cynthia McKinney, Howard Dean, (for calling people from the south rednecks constantly), Murtha, and the list goes on and on. Why is it when Dems use all kind of vile terms to refer to people it is just dismissed out of hand? My G_d look at the price Trent Lott paid just for saying people should have voted for Jesse Helms I believe it was.
I want to know who it was taht went through the trouble of figuring up the word was derogatory but only to a small section over in Africa. The guy he said it to didn’t know about it, Mr Allen didn’t know about and as far as I can tell nobody in the audience knew about it.
John Kerry has done far worse to veterans and service members with his slanders and running down of service members then this stupid comment.
LakeRuins on August 24, 2006 at 1:26 PM
I haven’t been following this closely, because, well, I don’t care. But does this guy really seem like he’d know the Northern African slang for… anything?
Tanya on August 24, 2006 at 1:27 PM
His mother emigrated from Tunisia.
Allahpundit on August 24, 2006 at 1:28 PM
Hahahaha! Well nevermind, then.
Tanya on August 24, 2006 at 1:29 PM
Hmm. You know, the more I think about that, the uglier it gets.
Tanya on August 24, 2006 at 1:31 PM
LakeRuins, and what about Hillary’s joke about Gandhi owning a gas station?
And whoa, I didn’t know about the Tunisia part. I’d never heard the word before Rush talked about it last week. Whoops!
NTWR on August 24, 2006 at 1:39 PM
I am almost starting to feel sorry for Sidarth, but it is not because he may or may not have been the “victim” of racism. Rather, he has become a pawn in the little game that Democrats play every chance they get. They don’t care about Sidarth, they just hate Senator Allen enough to take advantage of him. This was never about racism; it was only a way to make Allen look bad, because James Webb will never be able to make a name for himself in Virginia if his campaign continues to be the black hole that it is. When will Sidarth learn and just pull himself from this situation?
CR UVa on August 24, 2006 at 1:46 PM
Well, “macaca” is my new favorite insult… unless it ends up being some sort of tarbaby for me.
frankj on August 24, 2006 at 1:47 PM
I said that last night too. Although a Catholic and a Mormon on the ticket? Hmm.
Don’t worry. Rudy’s not exactly the Pope.
Attila (Pillage Idiot) on August 24, 2006 at 1:48 PM
Uh, “I said that last night too. Although a Catholic and a Mormon on the ticket? Hmm.”
I was quoting Allah.
Formatting problem.
Attila (Pillage Idiot) on August 24, 2006 at 1:49 PM
I get the impression that Sidarth knows exactly what he’s doing and who it’s helping (Webb). Hence the “I still have questions about why it took so long …” etc etc.
SisterToldjah on August 24, 2006 at 1:50 PM
You just wanted to use macaca one last time.
Karol on August 24, 2006 at 1:52 PM
The good Sister took my thought. Sidarth is unlikely to pull himself from this, as long as the party he volunteers for benefits from the controversy.
Slublog on August 24, 2006 at 1:53 PM
“Macaca?” I’m sort of partial to Lake Titicaca myself. In my high school Spanish class, we would all crack up whenever that lake was mentioned.
pjcomix on August 24, 2006 at 1:58 PM
For all those who say:
Entelechy has posted this link on the McCain thread on Republican Michael Steele’s growing support among blacks.
Why on earth would conservatives and the Republican Party be so stupid as to nominate pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, probably “moderate” on immigration issues Rudy Giuliani in 2008? This would be even more boneheaded now that many Hispanics and blacks are turning to the Republican Party because of its conservative stance on school choice and vouchers, abortion, and family issues.
januarius on August 24, 2006 at 2:09 PM
Why on earth would conservatives and the Republican Party be so stupid as to nominate pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, probably “moderate” on immigration issues Rudy Giuliani in 2008?
Becuase the Bush presidency has shown me the limits of presidential power in those areas. If Rudy can convince me he’s going to nominate good judges, then he will be acceptable to this conservative voter.
Honestly, I think conservatives overall have spent too much time relying on the federal government to deal with these issues, which are more property handled on the state level.
Slublog on August 24, 2006 at 2:19 PM
Allen just went UP in my book because of this. It’s a lot better than what I would have called a douchebag following me around with a camera.
venmax on August 24, 2006 at 2:34 PM
I’d nominate a dog with a sign over its head if it means keeping McScrew the 1st Amendment out of the White House.
Kid from Brooklyn on August 24, 2006 at 2:39 PM
Slublog,
The point is many Catholic Hispanics and religious blacks are turning to the Republican Party because of SOCIAL issues. Don’t you remember what the exit polls in 2004 stated was the top issue for voters? If the Republican party nominates a pro-choice, pro-gay marriage “moderate,” we are no longer the party of conservative social issues.
This would be most unfortunate at a time when there could be a seismic shift in political allegiance.
All this for a candidate–Rudy Giuliani–who has a lot of baggage because of his cheating on his wife.
januarius on August 24, 2006 at 2:40 PM
Wait a minute…I’m confused. Who can and who cant be a racists now? If all conservatives are racists, and a black person(p.c. African American) is a conservative….can that person be a racists?
Does a man still say all the wrong things if a woman isnt around to hear him?
Who’s week is it to be free from being racists?
I am soooo confused.
shooter on August 24, 2006 at 2:43 PM
Darn, I forgot to say “macaca”.
shooter on August 24, 2006 at 2:44 PM
Slublog, you beat me to the punch. The best way to get around Roe v. Wade in a Presidential election is to frame it as a “State’s Rights” issue. After all, Dred Scott proved that Stare Decisis is not a mutual suicide pact, right? On the 1-10 scale of difficulty for Jedi mind tricks, that one’s a 99, but it can be done.
Kid from Brooklyn on August 24, 2006 at 2:47 PM
The point is many Catholic Hispanics and religious blacks are turning to the Republican Party because of SOCIAL issues. Don’t you remember what the exit polls in 2004 stated was the top issue for voters? If the Republican party nominates a pro-choice, pro-gay marriage “moderate,” we are no longer the party of conservative social issues.
I hate to tell you this, but the chances of getting those Catholic Hispanics is pretty slim. I have a lot of them in my family, and they are Democrats. Sure, they’re attracted to conservative views on abortion, but the Tancredo wing of the Republican party is making them feel unwanted.
My point is that advocating for social issues is fine, but let’s concentrate our resources where they will be effective – on the state level. Let’s put warriors like Rudy in the White House.
Slublog on August 24, 2006 at 2:58 PM
Conservative minorities are called “sell-outs”, “uncle Toms”, “house slaves”, and any other name liberals can think of. Liberals consider them the worse of the worst or bottom of the heap. Liberals also feel it’s okay to call them any racial slur in the book — they’ve earned it.
Rick on August 24, 2006 at 3:30 PM
In fact, I have heard a very respected professional liberal say that any Hispanic that votes for a Republican “ought to be taken out back and shot.”
Rick on August 24, 2006 at 3:32 PM
I would certainly be more inclined to vote for Guiliani then any of the other names I hear thrown around. What I want from a President
1. Strong National Security – Without it nothing else really matters. Identify the enemy for what it is.
2. Immigration – Do something. Stop the hemmoraging now. Shut the border and then we can figure out what to do with those here illegally. You can’t attack this problem in one fell swoop. Take it in pieces but do something.
3. Stop the reckless spending – Reagan wasn’t afraid to veto a budget and no president should. Get rid of the earmarks. We don’t need a teapot museum or study of the mating habits of 2 toed tree frogs.
4. Tax Reform – Give serious consideration to the Fair Tax
5. Social Security Reform – Just do it
There is my list and none of them are Social Issues unless that is how you classify Social Security. No stem cell, no abortion, no gay marriage. I want my federal goverment to protect me from real physical harm, not insults, spend the money they get from me wisely and frugly. Adapt a tax policy that reduces loopholes, not only on the rich but those on the other end whom I have to support.
Real simple.
LakeRuins on August 24, 2006 at 3:56 PM
Oh, reeeeeealllllyyyy? Well, then, come and get me, libs. Be warned, however, that I live in a Castle Law state.
Kid from Brooklyn on August 24, 2006 at 4:26 PM
LakeRuins, if that’s all you want, here’s your man. Sign up for his newsletter-he covers all those issues, and I must say I’m impressed.
NTWR on August 24, 2006 at 4:27 PM
“Although a Catholic and a Mormon on the ticket? Hmm.”
What about a New Yorker and a Bostonian? Not exactly the reddest states in the union we are talking about here.
Watcher on August 24, 2006 at 4:45 PM
LakeRuins…
1. I’m with you all the way on this one. (But isn’t it also worth floating the idea that Rudy might make a good Defense Secretary, or National Security Advisor, or maybe even head of the FBI?)
2. I think you will be very disappointed with Rudy’s position on immigration.
3. He might do ok here.
4. He has a pretty good record on cutting taxes, and would probably be more willing to get some actual reforms passed than Bush was… but not sure how far he would be willing to go.
5. I have no idea where Rudy stands on Social Security reform… do you know something I don’t? (It’s reasonable to assume that he might be in favor of it, but Bush’s proposal went absolutely nowhere with the spineless Senate.) You need someone really willing to commit to this and apply a great deal of pressure to make it happen. Does Rudy really have that kind of hard-on for this issue?
Watcher on August 24, 2006 at 5:07 PM
Mr. Allen, like our, yes unfortunately, our President, forget sometimes that their fraternity days are really over.
That said, Sidarth is the new addition to the Cindy Sheehan group of useful liberal idiots.
Decency in accepting mistakes, errors and apologies, in the MSM and on the Left, applies only to half-apologies from the Left. Ask Messrs Biden, Jackson et Co. and some already mentioned.
Even knowing how our resident diety feels about her, I’m glad A. Coulter never apologized to the 4 dames. Then again, she’s not running for re-election in the Senate either.
Entelechy on August 24, 2006 at 5:59 PM
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Macaca)
Macaca can mean multiple things:
Macaque, a species of monkey.
Macaca (slur), a racial slur.
If the word has two meanings and they are 1. MONKEY and 2. A RACIAL SLUR, how is this not completely racist? I mean, say he didn’t mean it as a “RACIAL” slur, wouldn’t it be just as bad if he called the guy a MONKEY? Wouldn’t that be a racial slur as well? Of course it would. The problem is that the confederate loving Sen Allen has been using the word to refer to people like Sidarth and I daresay, myself, since childhood. This was a word he would have heard quite often being the progeny of immigrants from TUNISIA.
Stick a fork in him…
And to all the libs I leave you with this quote..
The time for honoring yourselves will soon come to an end, what you do in this life….echoes through eternity. (Gladiator)
Soothsayer on August 24, 2006 at 7:17 PM
Wasn’t there a guy named Ducaca who ran for president?
pjcomix on August 24, 2006 at 7:37 PM
All who were pulling for this schlub: he always struck me as a flawed candidate headed for inevitable self-destruction. What did you see in the guy, seriously?
Don’t know about you – you may look at this character on TV and see a really great guy – but w/me he has never passed the ’split-second’ smell test. (The test is simple: if you look at a person and have instant misgivings about his integrity, they don’t pass.)
If the word is also racist within Tunisian society, then what does that suggest about his family upbringing? (I don’t mean to slander his parents; I don’t know anything about them, so it’s entirely possible that young George acquired the vocabulary and the sense to use it all on his own.)
… and watch the oil ooze out.
P.S. My bad & I will apologize if I really do have this guy pegged wrong.
RD on August 25, 2006 at 8:10 AM
Just saw the clip. Are those who authored it so sure the slur is a term for Muslims, or could the term used by Tunisian Arabs to refer to their African neighbors?
RD on August 25, 2006 at 8:14 AM
I don’t have a problem so much with Allen being a racist; I have a problem with Allen being stupid. His litany of excuses was actually painful to hear.
honora on August 25, 2006 at 12:30 PM
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