So Allen has some Jewish ancestry

[aps]

Have people heard about this? During the debate with Webb in Virginia on Monday someone asked him about his Jewish heritage through his mother's side of the family. He got very upset and dismissed the question as not relevant. He has issued a statement regarding the question. Here it is in part:

"Yesterday [Sept. 18], I found it especially reprehensible that a reporter would impugn the attitudes of my mother, as Ms. Peggy Fox [of WUSA (Channel 9)] did in her first question at the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce Senate debate. My mother and father both taught me to abhor bigotry, and Ms. Fox's suggestion to the contrary was deeply offensive. . . .

"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 Lumbroso family line's Jewish heritage, which I learned about from a recent magazine article and my mother confirmed. . . .

"Some may find it odd that I have not probed deeply into the details of my family history, but it's a fact. We in the Allen household were simply taught that what matters is a person's character, integrity, effort, and performance -- not race, gender, ethnicity or religion. And so whenever we would ask my mother through the years about our family background on her side, the answer always was, 'Who cares about that?'

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/19/AR2006091901648.html

I agree that the question asked was irrelevant. However, Allen's reaction is surprising to me. He could have said it was irrelevant and then moved on. Why was he hostile except that he was upset that people were finding out that he had some Jewish ancestry? I was also surprised to see him say his mother and father taught him to "abhor bigotry." Oh really? That's why you owned a Confederate Flag AND had a NOOSE in your law office? That's why you called a dark-skinned man "macaca" and welcomed him to America and the "real" Virginia? Because you're not a bigot?

Allen was asked about the flag and the noose by Tim Russert. Allen never answered the question about the noose (we all know he could not have provided an answer that would have remotely justified such a despicable item). Frankly, I find it strange that (1) he recently learned of his Jewish heritage through a magazine no less and (2) that he didn't ask more questions while growing up (this is assuming such statement is true).

 

[ptsdkid]

It looks like you're overblowing this entire Allen/Webb ordeal. I watched the interview between the two and I didn't see Allen getting upset over anything. Bottom line....Allen wins the race going away from Webb..another anti-war candidate. Looks like people are getting nervous here by trying to bring the race issue into politics again. Lets not create another O.J. Simpson debacle again.

 

[aps]

It looks like you're overblowing this entire Allen/Webb ordeal. I watched the interview between the two and I didn't see Allen getting upset over anything. Bottom line....Allen wins the race going away from Webb..another anti-war candidate. Looks like people are getting nervous here by trying to bring the race issue into politics again. Lets not create another O.J. Simpson debacle again.

So why would he feel the need to issue a statement if it was insignificant?

Since Allen last won the election, Northern Virginia's population has increased significantly. As I stated previously, John Kerry won in Northern Virginia for the first time since Lyndon Johnson won in the 1960s. People are not happy with the current state of affairs. It is possible that Allen won't win.

 

[Stinger]

Your personal attacks on Allen have grown quite the bore. Why not stick to issues?

 

[aps]

Your personal attacks on Allen have grown quite the bore. Why not stick to issues?

So don't read them, Stinger. It's that simple. I am surprised by his reaction to his Jewish heritage being raised. I do LIVE in Virginia and thus I pay attention to character issues such as this.

 

[Adrian]

Your personal attacks on Allen have grown quite the bore. Why not stick to issues?

What do you consider the personal attack? The noose and confederate flag, or the idea that he has Jewish ancestry?

 

[ptsdkid]

So why would he feel the need to issue a statement if it was insignificant?

***probably because he wants to set the record straight so that Webb doesn't go on to win the election by pulling another Johnny Cocharan/O.J. stunt.

Since Allen last won the election, Northern Virginia's population has increased significantly. As I stated previously, John Kerry won in Northern Virginia for the first time since Lyndon Johnson won in the 1960s. People are not happy with the current state of affairs. It is possible that Allen won't win.

***People are not happy with the current state of affairs rhetoric is what I heard all throughout the 2000 and 2004 election cycle. I even heard how days before the elections that Algore and Kerry had had an insurmountable lead. Dems have been saying for months that they're going to take over the House, the Senate and the presidency respectively. Stick with me and my political acumen, Aps--the Dems are not going to control anything anytime soon, and that most certainly means that Allen has it all wrapped up.

 

[Navy Pride]

I personally think it was a done deal that Allen would be re elected prior to Webb's outrageous comments against women serving in the military and in combat and I now think its a slam dunk.........

Doesn't Webb know that 62 women have died in Iraq? How insensitive can you be?

 

[ptsdkid]

Owning a Confederate flag and a noose makes someone a racist? Hey, I have a white hooded sheet replete with cut out holes on the face side for use on Halloween--does that make me a racist?
The Confederate flag is used by Southerners to show pride in their Southern heritage, and the noose could very well symbolize Allen's support for Capital Punishment--done the old fashioned way by hanging em high from the old oak tree down by the Potomac River. "If the hood is white, he must be from the right"!

 

[aps]

Owning a Confederate flag and a noose makes someone a racist? Hey, I have a white hooded sheet replete with cut out holes on the face side for use on Halloween--does that make me a racist?
The Confederate flag is used by Southerners to show pride in their Southern heritage, and the noose could very well symbolize Allen's support for Capital Punishment--done the old fashioned way by hanging em high from the old oak tree down by the Potomac River. "If the hood is white, he must be from the right"!

Come on, ptsdkid, stop trying to make excuses for Allen. If his having a noose was truly based upon capital punishment, I believe he would have stated such, as opposed to completely ignoring that part of the question. And, yes, you are a racist.

 

[aps]

I personally think it was a done deal that Allen would be re elected prior to Webb's outrageous comments against women serving in the military and in combat and I now think its a slam dunk.........

Doesn't Webb know that 62 women have died in Iraq? How insensitive can you be?

Excuse me, sir, but if you want to talk about Webb and his sexism, why not stay in the other thread. This was about Allen's reaction to being asked about his Jewish heritage.

 

[Stinger]

So don't read them, Stinger. It's that simple. I am surprised by his reaction to his Jewish heritage being raised. I do LIVE in Virginia and thus I pay attention to character issues such as this.

I was appalled by the question, it was outrageous to question him about whether there are Jews in his linage. That's what the Nazi's did. I watched the video today and the audience deservedly boo'd the woman who made an arse out of herself.

Is this really how desperate you have become?

 

[Stinger]

Owning a Confederate flag and a noose makes someone a racist? ...........

I defer response to the person you were responding to, you stated it as well as I could. I would note that Allen collects western things and I understand the noose is part of a small statue or piece of western art and has do to with the justice that won the West.

 

[Stinger]

Excuse me, sir, but if you want to talk about Webb and his sexism, why not stay in the other thread. This was about Allen's reaction to being asked about his Jewish heritage.

And bogus accusations of him being a racist which was your real goal in this thread wasn't it.

 

[Mr. D]

And bogus accusations of him being a racist which was your real goal in this thread wasn't it.

It's always fun watching a person like Allen trying to weasle out of what has come out of his own mouth! Anyone who could watch that tape and not see the racism is not being objective! His irritation in being filmed broke through his veneer of political correctness and we got to see the real man! Alcohol will do that too! Right, Mel Gibson? He's not alone in this country!

 

[ptsdkid]

Excuse me, sir, but if you want to talk about Webb and his sexism, why not stay in the other thread. This was about Allen's reaction to being asked about his Jewish heritage.

**I know that Sammy Davis Junior changed his race from Black to Jewish. But do we know whether John Kerry is Irish as his name suggests, or is he French as he looks like one, or is he Jewish as part of his ancestral tree states? Oh, excuse me, I almost forgot we were talking about Allen's Jewishness. What was the final answer? Better yet, what was the question?

 

[Navy Pride]

Excuse me, sir, but if you want to talk about Webb and his sexism, why not stay in the other thread. This was about Allen's reaction to being asked about his Jewish heritage.

Why is it even relevent? Is someone that has jewish heritage not fit for public office according to democrats?

 

[Navy Pride]

It's always fun watching a person like Allen trying to weasle out of what has come out of his own mouth! Anyone who could watch that tape and not see the racism is not being objective! His irritation in being filmed broke through his veneer of political correctness and we got to see the real man! Alcohol will do that too! Right, Mel Gibson? He's not alone in this country!

Another Christian basher..........I don't know who is worse..Islamicr Radicals or so called Americans who are Christian bashers......sad.....

 

[aps]

I was appalled by the question, it was outrageous to question him about whether there are Jews in his linage. That's what the Nazi's did. I watched the video today and the audience deservedly boo'd the woman who made an arse out of herself.

Is this really how desperate you have become?

Stinger, it amazes me how little you must read my posts. I agreed that it was not relevant, although I thought Allen's anger was out of proportion. The only person who is desperate is you. I don't go out of my way to call you names and such. It's rather pathetic on your part, although I should remind myself that if my words meant nothing to you, you wouldn't react this way. :lol:

 

[aps]

So did people see this?

Then, when questioned by our media partner the Richmond Times Dispatch, Senator Allen said the new information about his heritage is "just an interesting nuance to my background." He added, "I still had a ham sandwich for lunch. And my mother made great pork chops."

http://www.wsls.com/servlet/Satelli...rticle&cid=1149190729322&path=!news!localnews

I find it rather odd that he went out of his way to say he eats ham and pork. You know what that tells me? He's uncomfortable about his Jewish ancestry (probably he is a bigot), so he has to say something that would insult religious Jews. Pathetic.

Webb was on Hardball and was asked questions about this issue. He refused to address it because he said it was not relelvant. I was very proud of him.

 

[CaptainCourtesy]

I know that Sammy Davis Junior changed his race from Black to Jewish.

Actually, he changed his faith/religion from a Christian sect (don't remember which one) to Jewish. One cannot change their race. Judaism is a religion not a race, kid.

 

[TurtleDude]

Actually, he changed his faith/religion from a Christian sect (don't remember which one) to Jewish. One cannot change their race. Judaism is a religion not a race, kid.

generally agree. No one considers being a Roman Catholic, or even a Muslim a race. Malcom X didn't change his race when he became a Muslim (I am not going to debate whether his brand of Islam was really Muslim). However, many Jews I know (some of whom are atheist and still call themselves Jews) see their heritage as ethnic in addition to being religious. You can practice the Jewish faith without being ethnically Jewish and there are Christians who are ethnically Jewish (Rabbi Wise-founder of the Reformed Judaism in Cincinnati-family is now Christian)

 

[Stinger]

Stinger, it amazes me how little you must read my posts. I agreed that it was not relevant, although I thought Allen's anger was out of proportion. The only person who is desperate is you. I don't go out of my way to call you names and such. It's rather pathetic on your part, although I should remind myself that if my words meant nothing to you, you wouldn't react this way. :lol:

I read you post in detail, if you want to withdraw the invectives you filled them with fine.

The question was not only irrelevant it was outrageous on it's face. Do you believe we should be questioning candidates on whether or not they have "Jewish Blood" in thier linage, perhaps we can come up with a formula like the Nazi's did so we know who the "real Jews" are. Your defense of it was that Allen has a Confederate flag in his collection and has a western statue with a noose.

Yes you post reeks of desperation.

 

[Stinger]

Webb was on Hardball and was asked questions about this issue. He refused to address it because he said it was not relelvant. I was very proud of him.

But you have no problem coming here and slamming him about it.

 

[Captain America]

I can't remember where I heard this but wasn't there a politician who had a Jewish father and a Christian mother and when he went to the country club, they would only let him play 9 holes? :rofl

Did I read that here?