It’s right there in “Oedipus Rex.” Go read it for yourself.

That seems to be the reasoning among supporters of George Allen who are buying into his campaign’s latest attack, aimed at passages in Jim Webb’s fiction.

For once, liberals might enjoy reading (at least part of) Michelle Malkin’s views. (Hat tip: Say Anything.)

Excerpt:

Are the passages in Webb’s “Lost Soldiers” bizarre and perverted? Yes. But they are no more proof of Webb’s immorality and unfitness for office than the passages in “Sisters” are proof that Lynne Cheney hates men or that the passages in “The Apprentice” are proof that Scooter Libby endorses sex between children and bears.

p.s.-- Also, Tennyson endorsed adultery. Dostoyevsky endorsed murder. Mary Shelley endorsed stitching cadavers together to make monsters. . .

p.p.s.-- Didn’t Allen take to the air earlier this month to implore everyone to pay attention to real issues, not personal attacks? (Hint—yes: “Virginians expect to hear us address the real issues you care about. . . .But the negative personal attacks and baseless allegations have also pulled us away from what you expect and deserve. . . .")

p.p.p.s. -- We might as well obey Godwin’s Law and get it over with by bringing up the inevitable comparison: “Schindler’s List” shows Nazis killing Jews, but that doesn’t mean Steven Spielberg endorses the practice. . . . 

How silly can you get, equating actions of a fictional character with the beliefs of the author? of these candidates have much integrity, apparently , or they think we are simple minded.

It is not normal in any way for a father to fellate his four year old son. It is not an Asian cultural practise and it is exceedingly bigoted to suggest it is.
There are Asian organizations throughout Virginia who would be glad to set any Virginia news organization straight on this lie of Webb’s. But they won’t be asked.
I do sympathize that the papers cannot present the actual words of Webb’s to their audience, but characterizing them as merely “sexually graphic” is hadly accurate.

Senator Allen can read?

Sen. Allen doesn’t get out much.  He doesn’t read much either.

The dumbest part is that if you read more than the tiny passage, you realize that the characters in Webb’s book are both disgusted, and the whole section illustrates how alien they feel in this culture that they are in.

In other words: Jim Webb saw and then read about an Asian cultural practice.  He then wrote about it.  He cast it in a negative light. 

Wait… er, what was the basis of the smear again?

Wait a minute: George Allen has several times mentioned Webb: does that mean that this is a tactic Webb endorsement from Allen????

Jim Webb has NOT capitalized on Allen’s Macaca debacle.  On that issue, Jim Webb stated he was upset that Allen distored his record and bullied a young man.

The corporate press and bloggess went to town on the macaca statement.

So don’t blame Jim Webb for Allen’s own debacle.  Webb has been criticized for not playing dirty politics and capitalizing on Allen’s racism and lack of character.

Allen is the one avoiding the issues and doing the negative campaigning.  He lies and lies...no one believes Allen wants to discuss issues.  He has no record to run on...the only thing he has is money to buy negative campaign ads.

Buzz...Buzz...Mosquito

What I get from this is that so-called ‘serious’ candidates should never have any imagination whatsoever (i.e., write fiction or whatever else). This is to say that a ‘serious’ person should never be creative???

I personally wouldn’t read novels which describe lewd acts—but—I do like to write and I do see value in having an imagination.

Put a little differently, Allen’s argument would preclude Bart Hinkle from ever becoming President. “Why, lookee here at this junky column he wrote in March of 1999. Its terrible! This here shows that Hinkle ain’t Presidential merterial.”

Writing is THE healthiest release a person can use. We should encourage people to do it, not embarrass them for doing so.

It does make one wonder why Allen’s camp is apparently listening to Kilgore’s handlers from ‘04.  Because this tactic served Jerry SO WELL…

Stick to the issues.  The candidate who has the best handle on the issues should win.

This is the mark of a desperate campaign ie. Avoid the issue and enggage in personal smears and distractions which have absolutely no value to the problems Virginians are facing. Over 2700 US troops have died in Iraq. In October alone, over 90 US troops have been killed.

We know where the priority of the Allen campaign really is. This man doesn’t deserve a second term in office. Send him packing.

Jeff,
Virginia Beach

I admit, I got suckered when I first saw this news break last night.  When I saw the passage about the man putting the little boy’s genitals in his mouth, I couldn’t imagine any sort of context making that ok.

Guess I’m not knowledgeable enough about world customs, being the dumb bumpkin that I am.

Anyway, I don’t find the stuff form Webb’s books to be all that important in terms of the election.  There are plenty of other reasons to vote against the guy...though a part of me would like to see him reap what he sowed for all that “macaca” / “he said the n-word” stuff.

I say a pox on both their houses.

Post Your Comments: