Why Allen's recent revelations about his family matter.

Friends of Allen do not like his mother's background.
Ordinarily, a person's religious beliefs or ethnic background really do not matter in who I decide to vote for. First and foremost I am a liberal. I believe in equal rights and access to education and opportunity for all. I believe the government has a responsibility to keep the economic playing field level. I also believe the government should stay out of people's private decisions as far as life and death decisions go. I would rather vote for an Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) than a Zell Miller (D-Crazyland). The recent revelations about George Allen's maternal family under different circumstances would be no big deal. The family histories of Madeleine Albright, John Kerry and Wesley Clark had no bearing on their performance as a diplomat, Senator or soldier.

However, George Allen has a history of hanging out with white supremecists. You know, the people who think Hitler had good ideas other than the autobahn (which inspired our interstate highway system). He owes his political career to these pariahs of society. George Allen may try to paint himself as a moderate, but the company he keeps says he's not. And that is the issue, pointing out that George Allen's mother is Jewish is not anti-Semitic. Hanging out with the members of an organization whose charter says

"We also oppose all efforts to mix the races of mankind, to promote non-white races over the European-American people through so-called "affirmative action" and similar measures, to destroy or denigrate the European-American heritage, including the heritage of the Southern people, and to force the integration of the races."

is anti-Semitic.

And I understand that George Allen's mother's family is from Tunisia which is on the African continent. When I see George Allen, I see more self-loathing than at a meeting of Log Cabin Republicans.