Is repub. George 'Macaca' Allen ashamed of his Jewish heritage?

[Philosoraptor]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=2468837&page=1

The latest in a series of bizarre controversies centers on the Virginia Republican's recently discovered Jewish heritage. During a Monday debate with James Webb, his Democratic opponent, Allen snapped at a Washington, D.C., television reporter who asked whether his ancestors included Jews: "To be getting into what religion my mother is, I don't think it's relevant. So I'd like to ask you, why is that relevant?"

The exchange with the reporter quickly gained steam on the Internet, where bloggers called on Allen to answer the question.


On Tuesday Allen confirmed his Jewish connection in a written statement, slamming the reporter's question as "reprehensible." The reporter, Peggy Fox of WUSA-TV, said she got the idea from an article in the Jewish weekly newspaper The Forward, which has looked into Allen's possible connection to a Jewish family that moved to Italy centuries ago.

In his statement Allen wrote, "I was raised as a Christian, and my mother was raised as a Christian. And I embrace and take great pride in every aspect of my diverse heritage, including my Lumbruso family line's Jewish heritage, which I learned about from a recent magazine article and my mother confirmed."

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It almost sounds as if george allen was ashamed to admit he had Jewish blood in his veins. What's so reprehensible about bringing up one's cultural and religious heritage? It was so long ago, and certainly no source of shame.

I'll bet if you looked really hard, you'd find that the allen's also have some other blood flowing in their veins, maybe even Negro blood, it happens more than most folks realize. And george is right, what diff does it make? If it's true george then why is it reprehensible for a reporter to ask?

[wakeme2008]

1. I think he is hiding his Racist heritage

:grr:

[zonkers]

2. Self hating individuals have no business in public service. They just

have too many internal issues to be put in charge of others.

Allen he probably lost relatives in the holocaust yet does nothing to honor their memory -- how dreadful. The man is damaged to say the least. And to watch him implode, one step at a time on youtube.com is astonishing. He is so tormented. Wonder what his family is like. Does his mother have jewish cousins living? Where are they? Wonder what they think.

[Kutjara]

3. We are all mongrels.

I long for the day when genetic mapping technology is sufficiently developed to allow fine-grain analysis of racial heritage. Then we'll all discover that we're black/brown/white/yellow/red and any other 'color' you can name, all mixed up together.

Regarding Allen, a Rabbi acquaintance of mine put it best when he wrote to me today, "I guess it was too much to expect he'd inherit the Jewish guilt?"

[Leopolds Ghost]

4. Never mind that, what about his African French heritage?

Allen should be proud of his African French heritage.

Where d'you think he got the word macaca?

[Shipwack]

5. Not necessarily ashamed...

Admitting it might crimp his "good ol boy" style. Some of the base he is targeting might get antsy with voting for someone with "mixed blood" :eyes:

[NastyDiaper]

6. I don't think he's ashamed..

.. so much as simply worried that the bigots he caters to will turn against him.

Considering that bigotry is his platform, he should be worried.