Newberry is Shrill! And not without reason:

Why is the Post printed on paper?

To wipe the drool off their chins when talking about reactionary racist Republicans.

Michael D. Shear and Tim Craig turn in an unprofessional, biased and blatantly inaccurate piece on "The Rise and Fall of George Allen", blaming "Washington" and not Allen.

Note that there is not one quote from anyone to the left of Attila the Hun. Note that the entire series of "accusations" are framed as being absurd - when, in fact, they were given reality by the lies Allen told trying to explain away the remark. It wrapped racism along with bigotry along with ignorance - the target was a young man born in the United States - in a way that made it clear that not only has George Allen not caught up with Virginia's changing politics, he hasn't caught up with the 20th century.

Lordy I'm tired. A couple of thoughts while I soak my feet. Today, I ran around with one of the grrls from Blondesense working for Webb and against the hate amendment in VA. It was fun, informative, and tiring.

First off, let me say that campaigns need to come out of the 1950s. A relative told me today (from a different state) that she would be burning all campaign literature delivered to her doorstep between now and election day. Not that she's apolitical, simply- she's been showered with it and the paper trail will supply kindling for her fires for months to come. It's a simple question to me: who really thinks a flyer or doorknob reminder will change any voter's mind? Or even get a 'low information' voter to come out to vote, over sitting around and watching Oprah on Tuesday? I smelled a lot of BBQ today, heard a lot of hooting over football; I'm not sure leaving a flyer in the door will convince those folks to do their Democratic duty.

Well, it's just the gift that keeps on giving, n'est pas? Felix was a Thug before Thug was cool:
Shelton said Allen used the N-word only around white teammates when they played for the Cavaliers in the early 1970s. Allen was a quarterback; Shelton a tight end and wide receiver.

During a deer hunt with Allen in the early 1970s, Shelton said, Allen asked whether black families lived in the area and stuffed the severed head of a female deer into a black household's oversized mail box.

"George insisted on taking the severed head, and I was a little shocked by that," Shelton said.

"This was just after the movie "The Godfather" came out with the severed horse's head in the bed," Shelton told the AP.

Git your token Republican darkies here. Free advice for Republicans: 'separate but equal' isn't exactly the rallying cry for "ethinics" anymore.

Heh.

By BOB LEWIS, Associated Press Writer

RICHMOND, Va. - A senator who had singled out an Indian man at a campaign event and referred to him as "Macaca" declined a leadership award from a minority scholarship fund Thursday after donors protested his selection.

Why am I not surprised? Video at link:

The video in question was published in a Washington Post article by Michael D. Shear and Tim Craig ("Allen Calls Webb Aide, Apologizes For Remark" 24AUG06).

Just after the 1 minute mark in the video, Senator Allen responds to a question from the audience by saying "I want to be very careful about the words I use," then winks and smiles at the all white, elderly crowd in Springfield, VA. In response to Allen's wink and smile, the crowd erupted into laughter. In the next scene of the video, Allen apologies for the 'macaca' incident saying, "From the deepest part of my heart, I am sorry and I will do better."

Would it have been to much to ask, that for once a Republican should simply do the right thing because it's right?

OK, cancel that. National Journal:

Did Allen's team -- or a sympathizer -- poll Northern Virginia to see whether the "Macaca" remark left a bruise?

A NoVa voter reports receiving a telephone survey asking pointed questions about the nature and scope of Allen's apology.

The dial room in question, according to the caller, was "Central Research."

Allen's campaign won't discuss its polling; the Virginia GOP disclaims any knowledge; the NRSC says it hasn't done a poll, either. And Webb's campaign has no idea, either.

The first portion (after asking about general favorability and initial ballot) was about Allen; the surveyist asked:

1) Have you seen/read/heard the Macaca comment? [Duh!]

2) Do you consider the comment racist?

3) Have you seen/read that Allen had apologized? [That was the non-apology apology. Apparently, it didn't work.]

4) Should Allen say he is running for president while he’s running for senate or should he not comment on any 2008 presidential aspirations at this time?

So, prospective Presidential candidate George Felix Allen had to run a poll instead of just apologizing for calling a constituent a monkey. They polled on whether people thought "macaca" was racist; they did. And they polled on whether the non-apology apology made the problem go away; it didn't. And only then did Allen suck it up, call the guy, and make a real apology. (Though, truth to tell, I need to check the wording on that.)

What's wrong with these people?

As one of our Republican-enabling commenters inadvertently points out, George Felix Allen is, well, stupid.

Yet another Republican nimrod.

I mean, how much intellectual firepower do you need to avoid calling one of your constituents a monkey--when the monkey is holding a camera?

More firepower than George Felix Allen, apparently.

And voters agree: