Senator Goes Caca on the Rainbow Coalition

Okay, so it's pretty standard operating practice in many state-wide races, say for senator, for the opposition to trail a candidate at campaign events, taking notes and gathering intelligence (such as it is).

So James Webb up in Virginia, the Democratic candidate for senate against incumbent George Allen, hired a fourth-year college student, S.R. Sidarth, who was born in Virginia but comes from a family that immigrated from India, to follow Allen around the state and record what he says.

That's the background for what happened up near the Kentucky border last Friday at an Allen campaign rally before an all-white crowd of Republicans. We mention the "all-white" part because the WashPost reported it and because Sidarth is non-white and stuck out in that crowd like a raisin in a yogurt swirl.

Senator Allen, given those circumstances, couldn't resist, apparently, the opportunity to turn bully.

"This fellow here, over here with the yellow shirt, macaca, or whatever his name is. He's with my opponent," Allen told the crowd. "He's following us around everywhere. And it's just great."

Yeah, just freakin' great, especially if you're the only dark face in a sea of white ones, who anyway don't much care for immigrants these days and especially immigrants who vote Democratic. But macaca?

Then it got even worse, as Allen turned the knife ever so slightly to the right:

"Let's give a welcome to macaca, here. Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia." Allen then began talking about the "war on terror."

Welcome to America, Macaca. You make me think of terrorism.

We repeat, the object of this bullying was born in Virginia and is as fully a U.S. citizen as George Allen is.

You can't get much nastier than Senator Allen. And this guy wants to be president of these United States?