Will George Allen have to tattoo an apology in blood in order for Dems to ‘forgive’ him?

This is getting beyond ridiculous:

Republican Sen. George Allen personally apologized yesterday for remarks he made to a young Democratic campaign worker nearly two weeks ago.
Allen phoned S.R. Sidarth at the University of Virginia, and they spoke for three or four minutes, Sidarth said.

“He said he realized that I was offended through comments I had made to the media,” Sidarth said.

“I’m glad he did the right thing and called me and apologized to me. I’m still not sure why it took the senator so long to talk to me. On the whole, he did the right thing.”

Probably because he was so busy apologizing to you several times in the national media:

The call followed a series of public mea culpas , including one heard across the country Tuesday on a conservative radio talk show hosted by commentator Sean Hannity.

“I take full responsibility. I’m not offering any excuses because I said it, and no one else said it,” a somber-sounding Allen told Hannity’s audience of more than 12 million listeners. “It’s a mistake. I apologize, and from my heart, I’m very, very sorry for it.”

Allen also apologized Tuesday at the Greenspring Village retirement community in Springfield, saying “from the deepest part of my heart, I’m sorry and I will do better.”

[…]

The term “macaca” refers to a genus of monkey and is considered an ethnic slur in some cultures. After Democratic challenger James Webb’s campaign posted Sidarth’s video on the Internet, the incident became national news and has left Allen on the defensive. The senator had issued a public apology and had said he was sorry at other recent events. Political observers said Allen appears to be trying to put the controversy behind him with more fervent expressions of regret.

Sidarth’s response to Allen’s call:

Sidarth said Allen told him that the apology was “from his heart.”

“His main point was he was sorry he offended me,” Sidarth, a fourth-year University of Virginia student, said in an interview later. “He realized how much he offended me from the comments I made in the media.”

[…]

Sidarth, who had been assigned by the Webb campaign to follow Allen on a swing through Southwest Virginia, said he asked Allen why it took him so long to apologize personally.

Allen said he had expected to see Sidarth on the campaign trail again and had wanted to apologize in person, Sidarth and Wadhams said.

“I still have some questions about why it took so long, but, yes, he did the right thing,” Sidarth said. Asked whether he thought the apology was sincere, Sidarth declined to comment.

Oh dear. Let’s hope the poor victimized Sidarth is sleeping better now that the Senator has personally called to apologize to him. I’m praying for Sidarth’s sake that those “questions” that he “still” has about why it “took so long” to answer are answered so he can move forward because right now it seems like this is so painful for him that he’s too distracted to be an effective campaign volunteer for Allen’s Democratic opponent James Webb. /sarcasm

At a fundraiser for Allen attended by the President, some Democratic loyalists protested:

[…] about 50 Democratic activists protested outside a Fairfax County fundraiser for Allen headlined by President Bush. As Bush arrived in Virginia last night, Democrats waved signs that included phrases such as “Hey, George, macaca is a bad word.”

Isn’t this just typical for Democrats? I swear, these guys would not know how to act if they did not have a ‘victim’ to rally around and a Republican to crucify at the altar of racial politics.

I do not mean to downplay any perceived insult/slur. I know in some cultures what Allen said is considered a racial slur, but not all of them. Whatever. But the man has apologized how many times now? How many more? Why does Sidarth claim to still have “questions” as to why it took the Senator “so long” to call him? Will Senator Allen have to to take out a full page spread in an India newspaper (a la Senator Trent Lott’s pandering appearance on BET back in December 2002) apologizing to Sidarth in order for the ‘outrage’ over this ‘incident’ to fade away? Or will tattooing an apology in blood be the solution?

And again, where are the apologies for these instances of racial demagoguery, instances that are far more routine than the media wants you to know? Will the media ever hold prominent minorities accountable for their racially divisive comments? After all, it’s the media who are supposed to be the watchdogs over our government so they can keep Americans informed of what’s happening, right?

Ok, enough rhetorical questions for one post. I know the answers.

PM Update: Hello, HotAir readers :)

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