Doth he protest too much?
From Sen. Allen’s statement on his campaign website …
Yesterday, I found it especially reprehensible that a reporter would impugn the attitudes of my mother, as Ms. Peggy Fox 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. Foxâs suggestion to the contrary was deeply offensive.
Here’s the question Fox asked: “It has been reported … your grandfather Felix, whom you were given your middle name for, was Jewish. Could you please tell us whether your forebears include Jews and, if so, at which point Jewish identity might have ended?”
Is that reprehensible? Is she impugning the mom’s “attitudes”? She’s asking him whether some of his parentage/ancestry is Jewish.
Here’s the video of Allen’s reaction to the question from Fox at the forum.
Late Update: A friend of mine speculates that since Fox opened her questions with a reference to the Macaca imbroglio that Allen might have gotten all charged up for a pre-canned ‘enough Macaca we’ve all got to come together speech’ only to see her question had nothing to do with that. I think he may be on to something because Allen’s reaction, in addition to I think revealing a rather intense distaste for possible Jewish ancestry, the answer’s just weird.
Even Later Update: Kos rightly asks why, if Allen’s parents taught him to abhor bigotry, he’s out there getting his picture taken with the leaders of white supremacist groups.
Pretty Damn Late Update: Possible new Allen campaign slogan: “He’s here, he’s white, get used to it!”
