George Allen: 'Macaca' Was A 'Made Up Word,' Not A 'Racial Insult'

Former Sen. George Allen (R-Va.), fresh off an official comeback announcement, recently sought to address his use of the racial slur "macaca" during his reelection campaign in 2006.

"I made mistakes and I take responsibility for them," Allen said in an interview with Bearing Drift, before seemingly attempting to play off the slur as a fabricated word that other people had mistakenly interpreted as offensive, a move that he similarly attempted in 2006.

"I needlessly drew a college student who was following me around all over Virginia into the race, and I should not have. He was just doing his job and I should not have made him part of the issue," Allen said of S.R. Sidarth, the Democratic tracker of Indian descent he was addressing. "It was not done with malice, and if I had known that that made-up word would be connoted as a racial insult I would not have said it."

After Allen used the phrase in summer 2006, it quickly became a racially-charged ball and chain that is largely thought to have sunk him in his battle against his opponent, Democrat Jim Webb.

The Hill reported Monday that some Virginia Republicans, such as Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart, are less than enthusiastic about Allen's attempted resurgence.

Stewart, who is heading to Richmond, Va. on Tuesday to talk to party activists and court donors ahead of his own likely Senate bid, said he, along with other Republicans in the state, is "concerned that [Allen's] not going to be able to shake off the 'macaca' moment."

For more on the history of "macaca" and Allen's usage of the smear, read Blue Virginia's coverage.

 

 

Comments

[Boomerwoman]

01:51 PM on 01/29/2011

Georgie boy, I think it was pretty well documented at the time that Macaca is NOT a made up word and that you heard your mother say it. Trying to rewrite history?

[jojojo]

10:23 AM on 01/26/2011

His father would be ashamed of his making the slur, ashamed of the stupidity of making it on camera, and ashamed of the cowardice of this lame excuse.

[Robert A Stansbury]

09:45 AM on 01/26/2011

Perfectly plausible. I invented the term B.S., it stands for Bovine Scatology.

[Kelli Gongloff San Souci]

09:04 AM on 01/26/2011

I wonder what racial slur he'll "make up" this time around? So many possibilities...

[Querent]

01:53 AM on 01/26/2011

If George Allen had known that "macaca" would be RECOGNIZED as a racial insult, he would not have said what he said. He thought the word was obscure enough to be understood by his fellow racists without exciting comment from the rest of us. This is what happens when you use dogwhistle language. It may be true that only racists can hear it, but most likely other people are going to notice when you put the whistle to your lips.

[psmarc93]

01:23 AM on 01/26/2011

You go, George! Seriously, dude -- go.

[psmarc93]

01:15 AM on 01/26/2011

Wow. Really, George. Why... that makes perfect sense now that you point that out. Gee, I guess everyone thought it was racially charged because the reporter you referred to was a man of color, you referred to him at a point in your speech where you said outsiders didn't understand Virginia, and you obviously assumed Mr. Maccaca was a "colored" yankee journalist -- when in fact, Mr. Macacca was not only a citizen of Virginia, but he and his family had lived in Virigina longer than you and yours.
It's just amazing how people can misunderstand things, ain't it, Mr. McRacist? (madeup word).

[hdohighdesertobserver]

12:19 AM on 01/26/2011

He doesn't think much of us if he expects us to believe that.

[enigma2]

09:48 AM on 01/26/2011

More to the point he doesn't think much of himself, if he has to use name-calling to elevate his own levels of self-esteem.

[Giveadamn]

12:06 AM on 01/26/2011

"Macaca"is only demeaning to those who would let it be. It is only demeaning to the stupid man who said it!

[ggmome]

11:53 PM on 01/25/2011

When you truly represent Virginia, you use racial epitaphs, because it is expected of you to do so, by your Constituents.

[soapington]

11:49 PM on 01/25/2011

After five years in the wilderness, George Allen returns to the political arena and picks up where he left off... ... STILL trying to explain the ill-considered remark that brought about his withdrawl from serious political contention the first time.

And still failing.

[soapington]

11:48 PM on 01/25/2011

After five years in the wilderness, George Allen returns to the political arena, and picks up where he left off... ... STILL trying to explain the ill-considered remark that brought about his withdrawl from serious political the first time.

And still failing.

[soapington]

11:51 PM on 01/25/2011

Sorry, that should be "his withdrawl from serious political contention the first time."

[hdohighdesertobserver]

12:20 AM on 01/26/2011

This just in: Nixon still thinks he's not a crook.

[Dana Nicole]

11:34 PM on 01/25/2011

Whatever it was, it ended you. Whew!

[Scribe57]

11:29 PM on 01/25/2011

Didn't we hear that "macaca" was a racial slur used in parts of north Africa, and that by a strange coincidence, Allen's mother was raised in North Africa? You know, where they use that word? I am sure I heard that.
 
It's not even a good lie, George.

[qwr]

12:18 AM on 01/26/2011

Yes. I don't remember the specifics, but I did read a detailed, carefully argued article on the topic. What a liar George Allen is.

[fldemgirls]

11:15 PM on 01/25/2011

Please go back under your rock and stay this time!!!