Activist Dem / Webb Contributor Linked To Allen Smear

It appears that a small handful of Liberal and politically active individuals are suddenly remembering conversations from 30 years ago to smear Virginia Senator George Allen. Ironic that no one is speaking out about how detestable it is to try and knee cap someone at the last minute with vague remembrances from so long ago. And that while friends and family of Allen who have known him for years do not support the claims. But that doesn't stop the media. Personally, I think all of the liberals involved in this look like rather pathetic human beings for what they have obviously plotted out.

The fact is these people could amount to nothing more than another Salem Witch Hunt with a few people seeming to remember that which they so desperately want to believe and think they heard 30 years ago. How absurd.

But the MSM won't tell you that. Nor do they seem interested in holding the discussion to policy and positions ... the thing this election is supposed to be all about. As for Larry Sabato, who I've always found curious ... is he the only political science professor so intent on marketing himself to the AP? But, I digress. What he heard or didn't hear 30 years ago, who knows? He specifically stated he was relying on others who have suddenly come forward. Okay, the fact is they are all anti-Allen, Liberal in their politics and supporting Webb.

So, how is it this has come to pass?

via TNR

But now another former acquaintance of the senator's has come forward, saying that Allen once used the word "nigger" in his presence in the early '80s. Chris Taylor, a University of Alabama professor of anthropology, says the incident occurred in about 1981 or 1982, when Taylor (then a UVA graduate student) visited Allen (then a Virginia attorney just beginning his political career) at Allen's cabin in Earlysville, Virginia.

Taylor told his account of Allen's use of the N-word in a private email to a UVA colleague last month. The email was recently obtained by The New Republic. Taylor confirmed the authenticity of the email and reluctantly agreed to speak on the record about the incident.

On August 17, 2006, in the midst of the media frenzy over Allen's use of the word macaca to address an Indian-American, Taylor wrote to Frederick H. Damon, the Director of Graduate Studies at UVA's Department of Anthropology. Taylor, who, as a UVA graduate student, earned extra money by doing publicity photo shoots for local businesses, told the following story about meeting Allen:

I met him twice actaully [sic]. I did two modelling [sic] jobs with his then wife and she told me about some puppies they were trying to give away. I told her I'd like to take one. So one evening I went out to their place in the country near [Charlottesville] somewhere. There was a pond quite close by. I asked if they had any waterfowl landing there. George told me about the ducks and geese that sometimes landed there and about the ducks who tried to raise their young but who would have them all devoured by the big turtles in the pond. Well, why doesn't someone kill the turtles and eat them? I asked. George said 'only the niggers around here eat em.'

Allen's former wife has already refuted this strange remembrance from one short meeting over twenty years ago for the modeling anthropologist. But why would a presumably mostly apolitical UVA professor, Frederick H. Damon, care enough to discuss Allen with a colleague in private email, then share it with the press?

A quick stroll down George Loper’s recent postings shows a who’s who of C’ville Dems supporting Webb, including Nancy Damon ...

Perhaps someone needs to ask Fred Damon's wife, Nancy Damon, Program Director for Virginia's Festival for the Book - she seems to speak for her husband on things political. Along with having written in support of and contributed to the Webb campaign, she has previously bashed Allen, but not for any alleged racism.

Here we learn a bit about the couple's politics:

George,

I understand that Alexis Ziegler is willing to be written in. He is a bicycle activist. I also suggest Fred Damon. He is such a political animal.

Nancy Damon (electronic mail, October 28, 2002)

George,

Fred and I have considered this carefully. We had not realized that Francis Fife would be a possible write-in. We feel Francis epitomizes what we would seek in a Senator -- thoughtful, well-informed, very progressive, articulate, and a person who has done political battle for decades.

Fred Damon hereby requests that any votes which might have been cast for him be given to Francis Fife, one of our heroes.

Nancy Damon (electronic mail, November 3, 2002)

Damon's fondness for Fife appears to spring from his spearheading a no growth agenda for the area, that's where Liberals with money make sure middle and lower income families don't encroach on the space they need to contemplate the universe and cook up plots to label conservatives and Republicans the racist ones when they get the chance.

Here is her letter of endorsement for Jim Webb. She says nothing about any racism but calls Allen slick. Here's where to go to see she donated to the Webb campaign. I don't know why the amount is wrong on the search page $250. It's at least $350 just in June according to the e-receipts. Search them out if the hot link doesn't work.

Some excerpts from her Webb endorsement letter:

I am lending my voice to those who are supporting Jim Webb in his run against George Allen for the Senate.

He has been a journalist and a novelist, which I find particularly interesting--having done other things in life in addition to political work.

He spoke out for restoring social and moral justice, and restoring the balance of power in the national government.

I realize that any politician can SAY anything, as a candidate.

He has the kind of confident, formidable presence we need in fighting against the slickness of George Allen. And as for him having been a Republican--well, that is something terrific about someone having been there and having seen the light! It takes a lot of courage to change.
Let's hope he can change the face of the Senate by adding one more Democratic voice in November.

Nancy Coble Damon (electronic mail, June 10, 2006)

She must be quite old, or there's a typo in this from her comments at an NAACP event:

Dave Norris, Rob Schilling and Julian Taliaferro all addressed topics given by the NAACP associated with: education, affordable housing and health care.

"It's the first chance I've had to hear all three of the candidates speak," said Charlottesville resident Nancy Damon. She has been living in the City for 309 years, and has many of the same concerns that most residents of the City have: property tax increase and education.

Many of those who attended Monday night's forum were also able to ask questions and said that the forum was fare and informative.

Those who attended the forum said they were pleased with the forum.

“One of the things that I really liked about it was it didn't get too much into political harping," said Charlottesville resident Nancy Damon. "People did present some ideas and I like that a lot."

Amazing, a group of Liberals pop up at the last minute and attempt to derail someone's career with what one would think the average person wouldn't even remember, or perhaps not remember clearly after 30 years ... and the MSM thinks its news. Big surprise. If you ever wanted proof that Liberal Arts professors have too much time on their hands ... this is it.

Nancy Coble Daman and Frederick H. Damon. Sounds sort of like a well off couple from the Old South ... who better to help perform a ... oh, never mind. They're from the South, I wouldn't want them to feel offended by nothing but a word.

Allen's web-based denial is here.

Comments

[Simone]

Larry Sabato went to college with Macaca and said he heard him say it over and over and over again...oops George, your racist roots are peeking through AGAIN!!!

[Monkey Faced Liberal]

Dan:

If you want to make the argument that what George Allen said or didn't say when he was college is irrelevant to whether he should or should not be Senator -- go ahead.

But instead you seem to be advancing the argument that there is some sort of conspiracy afoot by liberals to say that George Allen said things he never did say.

If you want convince someone of this, then you really need to offer proof that:
-George Allen never said those things.
-There is a real conspiracy to get people to lie about what George Allen said in college.

Yet all you have managed to show so far is that:
-One of the people (Shelton) who has said Allen used racial epithets has worked to prevent underage-smoking and to protect some local waterfalls. (HORRORS!)
-The other person (Taylor) is a former model and a professor specializing in African Studies. He also identifies himself as a Democrat and opposes Allen's reelection. (A LIBERAL ANTHROPOLOGY PROFESSOR! AMAZING!)
-That Taylor only came out after a Democratic "activist" and supporter of Webb (Damon) made his private email about the subject public (or gave it to the New Republic.) (ACADEMICS GOSSIPING VIA EMAIL -- SCANDALIOUS!)

Given the fact that we also know that:
-Political Scientist, the Robert Kent Gooch Professor of Politics at UVA, Larry Sabato, has said "I'm simply going to stay with what I know is the case, and the fact is, he did use the N-word, whether he's denying it or not"
-Two unnamed former teammates of Allen "recalled Allen frequently using racial epithets in college."

Given all this, you have yet to prove that George
-Did not say the things he is accused of saying.
-That a doctor, two university professors, and two unnamed former teammates of Allen are all involved in a liberal conspiracy designed to falsely accuse George Allen of using racial epithets.

[nova]

Commie or communist was the smear word back in the 40s 50s and 60s. Now the smear words are racist and or sexist. Either word is now the word of choice for a smear campaign in politics. You dont have to prove it. All you have to do is say it. Just like back in the good old days with the word "communist". Now all you have to say is racist or sexist.

[nova]

Back in the 1930s many Jewish people joined the communist party when they were young. Later in the 1950s they were accused of being "communists". Were they?

[pj]

Senator Macacawitz is learning that the swiftboats can travel down the river just as they travel up the river, and they go down river faster as they've got the current of truth behind them.

[Lilo]

I just want to know why all these liberals failed to call him on his words back then. Cause, personally- I've never known a lib to willingly pass up the chance to debate someone they disagree with.

Or was it that they just weren't really all that offended back then?

[beetroot]

What's that old line - - "politics ain't beanbag"?

Looks like people who disagree with Allen are finding things in his past that make Allen look bad.

What's more American than that?

[Socrates Abroad]

Given all this, you have yet to prove that George
-Did not say the things he is accused of saying.
-That a doctor, two university professors, and two unnamed former teammates of Allen are all involved in a liberal conspiracy designed to falsely accuse George Allen of using racial epithets.

Monkey, I'm curious about your first "gold standard" here - exactly how would one offer proof that an event did not occur? And is this the standard we're going to be using from now, proving conversations * didn't * take place?

As for the accusers, Dan has - despite being labeled racist here - tried to find out who these claimants are. Come to find out, the doctor and at least one of the profs have bones to pick with Allen (the doctor for years apparently), while the other prof only had a brief encounter with Allen. And yet the most bizarre aspect of the claims is not the claimants but that they're only surfacing now.

The two unnamed former teammates' accusations should be ignored - for all that's holy, the accusers...are...not...identified. Not only does Allen have to prove what brief asides he didn't make, he now has to answer charges of racism from persons unknown. Not familiar with the Star Chamber, are you Monkey?

[Rick]

If it is ok for Robert Byrd to talk openly about the "white niggers" he knows. Is it ok for "white niggers" to use the word just as blacks use it among themselves? Of course the term if you're under 120 years old is Wigger, which sounds so less offensive. The question remains whether ity's ok or if someone calls you a wigger, is it ok to burn your own homes and business to show your outrage at the use of a word that is a corruption of another word. Are paint manufacturers REALLY being forced to find another Spanish word to put on cans of black paint? My my what a silly little world we live in.

[Monkey Faced Liberal]

Socrates:

You do make a good point that it is difficult to prove that someone "Did not say the things he is accused of saying." You are right is saying that to prove that would be difficult, if not impossible.

That said, you and Dan still fail to make any credible arguments that those who accuse Senator Allen of using racist epithets are not to be trusted.

As I have said before, the "bones to pick with Allen" are bare indeed.
-You claim the doctor is lying about Allen -- because he is against underage smoking and the development of some local waterfalls.
-You claim the professor is lying about Allen -- because he is a professor of anthropology and a Democrat.
-You say nothing about Larry Sabato.

As far as the unnamed accusers -- while we might ignore them if they were alone, or this was a court of law, they are not and this is not.

So, unless you are saying the reporter is himself lying when he writes that two unnamed teammates said that Allen used this team, I think these additional sources definitely add credibility and support to the accusations of those who are named.

Moreover, you ignore all the evidence that undermines Allen:
-His use of the term Macaca and his offering of several different types excuses for using that term.
-His claim that he didn't know that his grandfather was Jewish until recently.
-The fact that he wore a Confederate flag pin for his high school picture, had a Confederate flag at UVA, etc. One would expect that someone who embraced such Confederate symbols would be less hesitant to use such a racial epithets.

It comes down to this.
-Either a doctor, two professors, and two unnamed teammates are all lying when they say they know that Allen used racial epithets.

-Allen is lying when he says he has never used that term.

Are you and Dan really going to tell me that you honestly believe that those five men are ALL lying, and Allen is the only one telling the truth?

Is so, you all might want to put down the Kool Aid. I think there might be something in it.

Oh, and by the way, this isn't the Star Chamber. It is a political campaign. If Allen does not like the heat -- he can get out of the kitchen (and while he is leaving, he can take his silly accusations that try to paint Webb and his supporters as anti-Semites, for one.)-- http://www.allenhq.com/2006/09/20/jewish-leaders-blast-anti-semitic-webb-campaign-tactics/

Peace

[Socrates Abroad]

Monkey,

Larry Sabato has already dug his own grave:
******************************************************************
Now Sabato appears to be backing away from his first-person claim, telling Chris Matthews that he was relaying information from other sources and declining to identify them:

Sabato, who made his comments during an interview on Chris Matthews' "Hardball" program on MSNBC, later declined to specifically identify his sources.

"My sources are former classmates who came to me with stories that matched up," Sabato said late Monday night. "I never solicited them. They came to me during the past few months."
(for more details see http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/008148.php)
******************************************************************

So we're back to an anti-tobacco doctor (versus pro-tobacco Allen) and an athro prof who only heard Allen in passing. The former has, thanks in part to Dan, lost any claim to being an objective third party here and his claims should be taken with more than a grain of salt. In both cases, though, the question remains - why are these claims only surfacing now.

This is, as you said, not a court of law but it is the court of public opinion. Should you choose to accord weight to unnamed sources, do so. I do not. Allen can and has responded to his identified accusers. But how can he possibly defend himself against unnamed accusers? The simple answer is that he can't, and the media is remiss for putting any public figure in such an indefensible position.

Having to defend oneself against unnamed accusers is truly reminiscent of the Star Chamber. It is an anathema to the American sense of "fair play" and has turned a political campaign into nothing more than a vile smear campaign.