Why You Should Vote AGAINST George Allen

A couple days ago we posted on why voters in Virginia should vote FOR Jim Webb for Senate.

Today we explore the flip side: why you should vote AGAINST incumbent Senator George Allen.

Let's start with Allen's record and the issues, then go to character.

Allen's Disappointing First Term As Senator

Allen was elected to the Senate in 2000, defeating then incumbent Senator Chuck Robb, a moderate Democrat. Allen had previously served as a relatively popular governor.

Since taking office, Allen has been a disappointment, even to many of his supporters. He has done little to distinguish himself in the Senate and he has shown no independence at all, unlike his highly regarded senior colleague, Sen. John Warner.

Allen has contented himself with sponsoring non-controversial legislation far-removed from the big issues of the day, such as a bill to strengthen penalties against internet predators (who doesn't support that?) and proposals to make the U.S. more competitive in science and engineering.

He's done "ok" on constituent services, but he hasn't particularly "brought home the bacon" to Virginia. For example, Allen says he favors more federal funding for the transportation mess in Northern Virginia, but the reality is that, six years into Allen's term as a Senator, Virginia receives on 91 cents on the dollar of the gasoline taxes it pays--one of the lowest returns of any state. Meanwhile, he didn't buck the "bridge to nowhere" sponsored by his Republican colleague from Alaska.

He seems most interested in getting along with his colleagues--not making any waves--to further his Presidential ambitions.

In a speech earlier this year--at a time when his re-election seemed safe--Allen pronounced himself "bored" with the Senate. He's bored because he isn't doing anything.

Wrong on the Issues

George Allen is wrong on a number of key issues.

War in Iraq. For the past four years, Allen has been one of President Bush's most steadfast supporters on the war. Despite a steadily worsening situation in Iraq and a drumbeat of disclosures of mismanagement of the war at every level, it was not until two weeks ago, in the heat of a campaign he finally realized he could lose, that he raised the first inkling of a question about how Iraq has been handled.

Even then, he did not criticize Bush, Cheney or Rumsfeld. And while Allen stated that he has "his own views" on how the war should be handled (i.e., different from Bush's) he hasn't shared what those views are with anyone.

If Allen squeaks back into office, you can bet that he'll go right back to cheerleading for the President. It simply isn't Allen's style to rock the boat, and he doesn't want to alienate the conservative Republican base in case his Presidential hopes are still alive (doubtful after his campaign performance, but you never know)>

Like the President and his cronies, Allen has also been quick to question the patriotism of those who have criticized the war handling, and to suggest that the critics are not supporting our troops. In truth, of course, our troops are ill-served by mismanagement and incompetence. And they could use the body armor Allen voted against.

Economic Fairness

Allen voted against a bill to raise the minimum wage for the first time in nearly a decade. Meanwhile, he has championed all of Bush's tax cuts, without once raising a question or offering a suggestion for making them fairer or more tilted to middle income taxpayers.

Stem Cell Research

Allen voted against federal funding of stem cell research. Sen. John Warner parted company with him on this one. Why did Allen vote against stem cell research when the vast majority of Virginians, like the rest of the country, favor this type of research? Because he is beholden to a small group of right wing religious zealots who are holding the rest of the country hostage on this issue due to their religious beliefs. This vote had more to do with Allen's strategy for positioning himself in the GOP presidential primaries in '08 than with representing Virginians.

Energy and the Environment

When it comes to energy and the environment, Allen has an awful record. He sides with the oil industry nearly 100% of the time. There is no suggestion in his voting record or his rhetoric that he even acknowledges global warming, much less thinks we should seriously address the issue. He pays lip service to the idea of sustainable alternative energy, but has done little to make it a reality in the U.S.

Other Issues

There are, of course, many other issues. Allen has sided with President Bush 96% of the time. He thinks the country is headed in the right direction.

What About George Allen's Character

We think all but the most died-in-the-wool Republicans should vote against Allen based solely on his record as a mediocre Senator who is wrong on key issues.

We would prefer that character not be an issue. In our view, many character issues that arise in campaigns are bogus or insignificant. However, there is an issue about Allen's character that is very troubling, which is his attitude toward minorities.

The issue goes well beyond Allen's infamous "macaca" comment earlier in the campaign this year. Unfortunately, there is a long history here, all of which is consistent with a bigot who would like to pretend in public that he is not.

It starts, as far as we know, in high school. Allen is not a native Virginian who grew up in the openly racist days of the old south. Rather, he grew up in California, a son of privilege as his father served as a football coach at various colleges before becoming the famous coach of the Washington Redskins.

While in high school in California, Allen had a fondness for the Confederate battle flag and was once suspended for a prank in which he and some buddies spray painted anti-white graffiti on a school wall prior to a football game against the only majority-black local team. Allen evidently hoped to whip up a frenzy against the black players by making it look like they had painted the graffiti.

A few years later, Allen became the starting quarterback at the University of Virginia. A number of his teammates from those years have said that Allen repeatedly used the N-word racial epithet during those years. A teammate also has recounted a story in which Allen stuffed a severed deer-head in the mailbox of a black family during those years.

Allen denies the UVA stories. He has cited a couple of black teammates who say they never heard him use the N-word. Give us a break--we grew up in the South during those years, and unlike the 50's and 60's, when whites openly called blacks the N-word, by the 70's it was more invidious--bigots like Allen would be careful not to use the epithet around blacks, but in private with their buddies would use it all the time.

Allen continued his infatuation with the Confederate battle flag in college and in his early years of law practice in Southwest Virginia. If he runs for President, we bet we'll hear from some folks down that way who also heard him use the N-word in private.

Allen also kept a noose in his law office, which he says was merely part of a collection of rope knots. Perhaps, but given his history, we find Allen's explanation short on credibility.

Then, most recently, Allen was at a nearly all-white gathering of supporters in southwest Virginia when he took the occasion to point to a dark-skinned young man holding a video camera, who had been following Allen around at various campaign appearances for a couple of weeks. Calling the young man "Macaca", Allen said "welcome to America and the real Virginia."

It was a true window into George Allen's soul. If you watch the videotape, there's little doubt of what George was up to. It was the same as when he used the N-word with his buddies in college while smiling nicely at the black players on the team in public.

The macaca incident simply shows that, deep down, Allen hasn't really changed. Indeed, after the incident, in an effort to show he really isn't a bigot, Allen's campaign arranged a special rally of minorities--a gathering of tokens. The fact of the matter is, if you go to Allen's general rallys, there aren't many people of color.

At bottom, we believe Allen's character is deeply flawed. Born in a family of privilege, Allen, a large man, has been a bully and a bigot much of his life. He hangs around with wealthy white people--the kind whose children don't have to fight in Iraq--and he lives in that world. That's why he's sympathetic to the cry for tax relief from millionaires, but not the appeal for wage relief from the folks who work for those millionaires.

He reminds us a lot of George W. Bush in this regard--spoiled child of privilege, frat boy, undistinguished, prone to smirking and good at hiring others to do his dirty work.

George Allen is not a credit to Virginia. Vote him out of office on November 7.