RK ARCHIVE - Casting Aspersions?

Please, someone tell me asking when and how his forebears decided to cease being Jewish is "making aspersions because of their religious beliefs"?
My name is Bernstein. I was bar mitvah'd on May 23, 1959, my 13th birthday. I am by choice a Quaker, and my sister by choice is an Episcopalian. We can answer that question.

My wife's last name is Heckscher - part of the family in Europe remained jewish, and part converted to Christianity. As she has explored her geneology she has gotten to know distant cousins who remained Jewish even though the line from which she descends turned Christian in the 18th century. She would not consider exploring that question an issue of 'casting aspersions."

I think Allen's response does him more damage thatn "macaca." The way he phrased it, to raise an issue of the religious background of his family is somehow "casting aspersions." For Wes Clark, Madeline Albright, and John Kerry, discovering that an anecstor, - a recent ancestor - was Jeiwsh was in no way "casting aspersions" on anyone's religious beliefs.

For Allen to respond as he did, at the same time he wants to claim the presence of the grandfather from whom he derives his middle name of Felix was in a Concentration camp while denying the Jewish heritage that landed Felix Lumbroso in a camp is demean both Judaism and the Holocaust.

I do not know how others will react. I think as this gets played out, as it already is being played out -by Dana Milbank, at Wonkette, and elsewhere - will do serious damage to George Allen, and not to the reporter who asked the question.

Comments

This one is personal - and visceral (teacherken - 9/19/2006 12:49:55 AM)

I may no longer be Jewish by religious choice, but in no way do I deny my Jewish heritage. Allens's reaction is that somehow raising this issue about his background is "casting aspersions" about him. So having Jewish ancestors is somehow something not to be talked about, this from a man who wears his religion on his sleeve for political purposes?

I hope this does take him down. And now I feel absolute solidarity with Sidarth.

I don't care what you do with this diary. I had to write - and post - it.

Let it slide. (loboforestal - 9/19/2006 1:29:56 AM)

It's a personal decision he's made. The "aspersion" part may simply be a poor command of the language; he's probably not nimble when he's off script. If he was, he'd still have an outside shot at the Vice Presidency. Regardless, he's made it clear that part of life is private and we should respect that.

sorry I won't let it slide (teacherken - 9/19/2006 1:36:30 AM)

the guy wants reflected "glory" from his grandfather's time in a concentration camp, and then wants to deny / ignore that the same grandfather was probably born a Jews? I have a problem with that.

And that kind of attitude is of a piece with his racism and his being a bully.

I will NOT let it slide. I am NOT silent in the face of bullying, intolerance, bigotry. Yes, this happens to touch me personally, it is personal. But I think I have a pretty strong track record of speaking out against any bigotry, no matter how petty.

RE: "Incarcerated" (JPTERP - 9/19/2006 1:59:59 AM)

Didn't Allen use the term "incarcerated" by the Nazis? (Suggesting by implication that his grandfather might have been imprisoned for reasons other than his heritage?)

Allen's response to the question was simply bizarre. In and of itself the reporter's question wasn't newsworthy, but Allen's emotional charged response was.

Not "simply bizarre"... (mr science - 9/19/2006 2:16:03 AM)

Allen's response was quite defensive. He acted as though he was slapped in the face by the question of his Jewish ancestry. What was bizarre was invoking the 1st amendment as some kind of defense. There was clearly no intent to insult him, so why did he take it that way?

It is very, very NEWSWORTHY! (Mimi Schaeffer - 9/19/2006 2:32:41 AM)

If Mr. Allen had not earlier called a journalist and demanded he retract a story he wrote about his grandfather's heritage which was factually accurate, I might agree with you.

But...he did. And the fact that Allen went ballistic over the question shows there's a whole lot more going on besides an inopportune question.

It is that Allen has spend a lifetime building a phony Dixie flag, noose loving good ol' Southern boy persona; and now the jig is up.

You see, poor George has more in common with Jewish French John Kerry than he does to any Confederate soldier.

THE HORROR! the horror!

Link for That Information? (bb10 - 9/19/2006 9:13:00 AM)

So that other people can have it at hand, can you please post here one or more links for that information on Allen demanding a retraction to the story about his grandfather's heritage?

Let's add that item to our evidence on George Allen.

In advance, thanks for that.

Here's the Link (bb10 - 9/19/2006 3:27:02 PM)

Kos posted the link in a diary he did on DailyKos today. It's here, from "The New Republic."

Here's the key part:

Bob Gibson, a longtime columnist for the Charlottesville Daily Progress, relays the following anecdote, which seems to clear things up:
"It's funny, but the only time that George Allen ever wanted a correction from me in 27 years of covering his races was when I wrote about his mother's Jewish family origins. He insisted, through a press secretary, that his mother was raised a Christian."
--Ryan Lizza [White House correspondent for The New Republic]

master manipulator (vote-left - 9/19/2006 2:33:15 AM)

Allen's accusation of slander or defamation (casting aspersions) against Peggy Fox in response to her inquiry about his Jewish background, appeared to be intended to deflect attention away from her original, legitimate question.

Allen's avoidance tactic raises the question, "why has Allen avoided discussing his family's religion all these years?" And, "why did he become so defensive to what most people would consider a relatively minor question?"

Allen claims to be a Presbyterian. Does he attend a church? Which church(es)? How often? Or, like most everything else about Allen, is it simply another scam?

On MTP, virtually every response Allen gave to Timmy, was in fact, non-responsive. Allen is a master manipulator, including his response to Peggy Fox. He can give you a sh*t-eating tobacco-chewing grin, while simultaneously shaking your hand with one hand and picking your pocket with his other hand. He appears to have no moral conscience. His lies, manipulations and distortions come so natural to him, that I would never turn my back on him when I'm in the same room.

That's right... (Mimi Schaeffer - 9/19/2006 3:05:13 AM)

And the stupid crowd fell for it.

Every person who booed should be ashamed of themselves; it was a legitimate question and during the next debate, another reporter should rephrase the question and bombs away once more.

Especially after the ballistic response which was totally disproportionate and inappropriate.

The simple fact that (Jeff B - 9/19/2006 6:05:57 AM)

a sitting US Senator from the State of Virginia would incite and encourage the crowd to lash out at Ms. Fox in such a vicious and demeaning manner is disturbing. A United States Senator must be held to a higher standard of conduct. George Allen's behavour was very disapointing.

George Allen is a Jew?......... WOW! (Jeff B - 9/19/2006 5:42:33 AM)

Now that is truely shocking. Not that there is anything wrong with that but have the fellas down at the CCC heard this yet? I have read some of the things those CCC fellas have said about Jewish folk Allen must now be outraged. Surely George Allen will condemm those hatefull Jewish remarks by the CCC with the same passion and anger he berated Peggy Fox with yesterday.

This is a great opportunity for Allen to cut his ties to the CCC and embrace his new found Jewish heritage. Hopefully Rabbis from across Virginia will reach out to George in this hour of his enlightment to help guide him thru this awakening in his life.

How about asking him at next debate (teacherken - 9/19/2006 6:11:01 AM)

Surely George Allen will condemm those hatefull Jewish remarks by the CCC with the same passion and anger he berated Peggy Fox with yesterday.

NOT

Just to be fair (Doug Garnett-Deakin - 9/19/2006 6:51:45 AM)

I watched the debate again last night, especially this part. I think the rise from the crowd came from Peggy's tone vs. the entire content of the question. Some folks here have said Allen was inciting the crowd, but its clear they booed first, then he went after her. Now, was his reaction over the top? It sure seemed like it, but he seemed more emboldened by the crowd to go after her than vice versa.

I don't know what to make of the whole thing, but I wanted it to be factual here that the crowd clearly reacts first. Also, I was blogging while watching online and I posted a comment there BEFORE his reaction calling her question out of line. I was surprised as she said it and posted right away - maybe partly because I didn't want right wing folks who read and blog here to have free shots on us.

Personally, I wouldn't be offended being asked about my Jewish ancestory, my Jewish cousins or any of that stuff, but I might very well be miffed at Peggy Fox's tone and the manner in which she brought it up.

The context of Peggy Fox's question (Lowell - 9/19/2006 7:10:07 AM)

was Allen's continued, far-fetched claim that he has NO IDEA where the word "Macaca" comes from, in fact that he MADE IT UP on the spot! Well, pardon me if I am just a weeeee bit skeptical about that explanation. Let's think about this one: Allen just MADE UP a word that just so happens to be a common racial slur in his mother's native French Tunisia? But oh no no - mais non! certainment non! - Allen NEVER heard of this word before. Nope, never came up one time when he was growing up. Jamais. Uh huh. So where else did George Allen come up avec ce mot? Are we going back to Allen and Wadhams original, cockamamie "Mohawk" and "caca" explanations again? S'il vous plait, spare us.

Occam's Razor, anyone?

oh yes, I agree with that (Doug Garnett-Deakin - 9/19/2006 7:56:35 AM)

That question came first and I was really happy to hear it. It does speak directly to- was this just made up or did you learn the word somewhere. I studied at the University of Nice in southern France and knew the word in the 1980s, heard it openly. I was shouting about that when the video first broke and then someone pointed out where his mother grew up.

It is after that question that Peggy Fox is very clumsy and abrupt with her follow up question. And the crowd does boo first. And Allen does thank them and, sure, wants more from them.

For the record in here, I loved Jim Webb's composed rebuttal to this whole thing, he dismissed commenting on Allen's reaction then spoke to Sidarth and his roots in SWVA.

Peggy's tone? (Jeff B - 9/19/2006 7:16:58 AM)

look at it agian, the booing started and Allen encouraged it. Would you encourage an angry crowd to lash out at a woman in public? A United States Senator would be expected to defuse the situation not cheer on the angry crowd.

Would you be pissed if a sitting US Senator encouraged a crowd to lash out at your daughter on national TV. I would expect a sitting US Senator to defend Peggy Fox from that angry crowd no matter what he thought about the tone of her question.

She was "Macaced" right before our eyes.

Egg Zackly! (thaddaeus toad - 9/19/2006 2:06:42 PM)

If he wants to put himself before the people of Virginia for reelection, he will answer any questions we, or our surrogates, ask. If he wants to decline to answer, fine, that is his prerogative. But, he must go on the record with his non-answer.

How can he, after singling out Siddarth for ridicule, in a far more hostile environment, whine about the sensitivity of ANYONE ELSE?

And explain again how being of Jewish descent (religious or ethnic) is a blight, or an aspersion??

It seems obvious why he is so cranky on this issue; he doesn't want his "base" to find out.

He's has spent his entire life creating a fictious persona for himself: cowboy, Christian, white, southern, Virginian.

None of it is true, and so he lashes out at those who would expose him.

Great drama (Shenandoah Democrat - 9/19/2006 12:07:40 PM)

Watching George Allen seemingly self-destruct in the face of a highly informed and effective Jim Webb is some of the best political theatre in a long time!
You don't have to be Jewish to sincerely admire the views expressed in this blog this morning (teacherken)about how offensive Allen's behavior was/is in view of his apparent Jewish heritage. A few questions the Senator should be expecting:
1) Have you ever been to the Holocaust museum, (not counting congressional receptions)?
2) Since you don't seem to like authors, what was the last book you read, or better, do you have a reading list, like the President?
3) In view of your strong religious convictions, how often do you go to church?
I'd like to hear some more questions.
It will be interesting to see whether some smart reporter will pick up this story (if not already!!) and fully expose the charading Allen. On the other hand, parts of Virginia are in denial; this morning's Roanoke Times article on the Tyson's debate didn't even mention Peggy Fox's question nor Allen's response!