This is Argyn's blog. I comment on topics of my interests such as software, math, finance, and music. Also, I write about local events in Northern Virginia, USA and all things related to Kazakhstan

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Allen speaks out on his Jewish roots - Roanoke.com

n a statement released by his campaign, Allen said he learned about his Jewish ancestry in a recent newspaper article and had it confirmed by his mother, Etty Allen. The revelation came on the heels of what the incumbent described as "deeply offensive" questioning during a Monday debate in McLean with his Democratic challenger, James Webb.Allen erupted when a media panelist asked him to respond to Internet reports that his maternal grandfather was Jewish. The question, asked by Washington television reporter Peggy Fox, immediately followed a tense exchange about Allen's use of the word "macaca" to describe a Webb campaign volunteer of Indian descent.The same reporter had noted the French Tunisian roots of Allen's mother and challenged the senator's assertion that he had never heard the word "macaca" before uttering it at an August rally in far Southwest Virginia. The term "macaca" is considered a slur in some cultures. Allen, who apologized for the remark, said he made up the word. I found it unbelievable that Mr Allen didn't know what "macaca" means. Now he claims he didn't know his mother was jewish. He loves to speak about faith, why does he have a problem talking about his mother's faith then? This guy's weird, imho.

Read more at www.roanoke.com/politic...

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