Bob Gibson: GÇ£I Learned of AllenGÇÖs Jewish Family Roots Years AgoGÇ¥

So did Etty AllenGÇÖs poignant confession last week of fear and historical silence absolve her son of the apparent dissimulation, shame, and lurking bigotry that had clouded his acknowledgement of his familyGÇÖs remarkable Jewish roots? 

Well, maybe not.  Bob Gibson, the columnist for the Charlottesville Daily Progress who has known and written about Sen. George Allen as long and as well as anyone in the Commonwealth, published a column in SundayGÇÖs paper that clarifies AllenGÇÖs attempts to hide his heritage as perhaps no other writer could.  That it manages to avoid accusing Allen of outright lying is a tribute to GibsonGÇÖs forbearance and--evidently--acutely honed sense of irony.
Allen, Gibson notes bluntly, GÇ£accepted his Jewish family roots at the proverbial point of a gun . . . [his] sudden burst of prideGÇ¥ when forced to acknowledge them GÇ£was clearly pried out of him by reporters.GÇ¥

But Gibson says he and others have long known about AllenGÇÖs heritage:

Enough of us have known about AllenGÇÖs Jewish family roots for years so that dancing around or ducking questions, or shows of temper lead to more questions and, finally, to answers. . . . I learned of AllenGÇÖs Jewish family roots years ago from Jewish friends, who knew of them from Southern California, where Allen grew up. His sisterGÇÖs book intimated the familyGÇÖs Jewish connections.

Gibson goes on to tell the full story--hitherto only published by others--of AllenGÇÖs attempt to use Gibson to hide his Jewish roots three years ago:

Those roots were discussed in this column, as faithful readers may recall, on Oct. 26, 2003.

On that day, a congratulatory column about his California political connections and Senate battle to keep Internet access tax free concluded with paragraphs about his Jewish roots, because he was at the time holding Senate hearings about anti-Semitism in Europe.

"Many people are not aware that AllenGÇÖs mother came from a Jewish family in Tunisia," the column stated. "He said his mother taught the family GÇÿthat any bigotry, particularly anti-Semitism,GÇÖ was wrong. GÇÿShe made sure we really knew it was wrong.GÇÖ "

Two days later, the senatorGÇÖs then-press secretary called and demanded a correction, a call that shocked me. . . .

I had thought from my pleasant conversation with Allen the previous week, about the Nazi incarceration of his grandfather, that the senator was acknowledging then what I knew already about his Jewish family roots. His then press secretary said that impression was incorrect.

I found it strange that AllenGÇÖs earlier press secretary previously had asked The Daily Progress to stop using the initial F. with his name because Allen didnGÇÖt like the middle name Felix. That happens to be the name of his Jewish grandfather, Felix Lumbroso.

ThereGÇÖs more worth reading in this tart and astute column by a seasoned Allen observer, including GibsonGÇÖs comment that GÇ£Dick Wadhams, famous for quietly employing paid bloggers two years ago in South Dakota, is accusing paid bloggers for Jim Webb, AllenGÇÖs Democratic challenger, of anti-Semitism for discussing AllenGÇÖs response and subsequent sudden acknowledgment of his ancestry.GÇ¥

As Gibson notes, he has known Allen GÇ£quite wellGÇ¥ and enjoyed talking politics with him GÇ£since 1979.GÇ¥  He sees him now with unillusioned and unimpassioned irony. 

In fact, one might be forgiven for supposing that a robust sense of irony must now become the stock in trade of anyone who looks closely and clearly at the career and character of George Allen.

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