CNN Recounts ‘Macaca’ Story as Time When Allen ‘Used Another Racial Slur’

CNN’s "American Morning" featured two reports this morning on Senator George Allen and the controversies engulfing him. Anchor Soledad O’Brien and political reporter Bob Franken apparently found the whole story amusing, as they could barely restrain their glee. During both segments, Franken brought up "macaca"-gate. At 8:07AM, after mentioning the most recent allegations that Allen, as a college student, used a racial pejorative, Franken characterized the macaca incident this way:

Franken: "And, of course, we know about the controversy that erupted when he used another slur, the word macaca, against an Indian-American operative for his opponent's campaign."

Interestingly, an hour earlier, he described the event differently:

Franken: "Of course, we also remember Senator Allen recently, who was captured on video, when he accused an operative for his Democratic opponent of being, quote, a 'macaca,' which we found out was a racial pejorative. Something that the Senator said he did not know."

So, Franken had to find out what the word means? He didn’t instantly know its definition? Then perhaps he shouldn’t assign a motive to Senator Allen’s usage of the phrase.

Mr. Franken began his first report, which aired at 7:07AM EDT on September 26, in a jovial tone that seemed to indicate how much he enjoyed the ongoing controversy:

Franken: "Good morning. It is time for the daily George Allen report. When we last left the Republican senator from Virginia, who's running for re-election, he was angrily denying and then embracing a Jewish ancestor. Now, as you pointed out, Soledad, he is fending off charges that when he was a football player at the University of Virginia, he used racial slurs. In the words of one teammate who was quoted in Salon.com, 'My impression of him,' he said, 'was that he was a racist.' Of course we also remember Senator Allen recently, who was captured on video, when he accused an operative for his Democratic opponent of being, quote, a 'macaca,' which we found out was a racial pejorative. Something that the Senator said he did not know."

Notice the typical media tactic of leaving out attribution. Salon.com isn’t just a political website, it’s a very liberal web page. But why bother mentioning that pesky fact? After a brief clip of Allen denying malicious intent in regard to the macaca incident, Franken and Soledad O’Brien shared this exchange:

Franken: "Soledad, the Senator probably wants to look for a silver lining here. He was considering a run for the presidency. And what's important in a presidency? Name recognition. He's certainly gotten that." (Laughs)

O’Brien: (Laughs): "That would be the silver lining in that one, Bob."

Clearly, CNN is enjoying this story. The idea that Allen’s presidential ambitions have been torpedoed by these scandals, well, that’s just hilarious.

The hyperbolic, yet jovial tone continued during the next hour. O’Brien introduced Franken this way:

O’Brien: "It seems like a never-ending trail of headlines for Virginia Republican Senator George Allen. He's now calling allegations that he made racial slurs while he was in college 'ludicrous.' ‘American Morning's' Bob Franken is in Washington, D.C. for us -- hey, Bob, good morning again."

Franken: "Hello. He is not so much campaigning these days as bobbing and weaving. And it seems that most of the punches that land are the ones that he threw himself. Not counting the charges that became public yesterday from football players at the University of Virginia, when Allen played football there, who say that he used racial slurs, including the ultimate racial slur. And, of course, we know about the controversy that erupted when he used another slur, the word macaca against an Indian-American operative for his opponent's campaign. And there was the whole episode last week where he finally acknowledged the Jewish lineage of his mother, but not before he got very angry at a reporter who asked about it."

Before ending the brief segment, the two couldn’t resist another chuckle about Senator Allen’s predicament:

Franken: "Jim, Soledad, is Jim Webb, Allen's Democratic opponent, who's not saying very much about all of this, and I can't say that I blame him."

O’ Brien: "Yes, it's just been, you know, every day. It's like checking in to see what's going on in this campaign, or, as you say, this defensive strategy at this point." (Franken laughs)

Apparently this whole subject is very humorous. Unless, of course, you’re Democratic Senator Joe Biden making a joke about Indian Americans working in 7-11, or Senator Hillary Clinton doing something similar. Then, somehow, the media doesn’t seem to find the whole thing quite as funny.

A transcript of the two segments follows:

American Morning

9/26/06 7:07AM EDT

Soledad O'Brien and Bob Franken

Soledad O'Brien: "And Senator George Allen of Virginia fielding more allegations of racial insensitivity. He's now being accused by two former college football teammates of using racial slurs 20 and 30 years ago. American Morning's Bob Franken is live in Washington, D.C. Hey, Bob, good morning."

Bob Franken: "Good morning. It is time for the daily George Allen report. When we last left the Republican senator from Virginia, who's running for re-election, he was angrily denying and then embracing a Jewish ancestor. Now, as you pointed out, Soledad, he is fending off charges that when he was a football player at the University of Virginia, he used racial slurs. In the words of one teammate who was quoted in Salon.com, 'My impression of him,' he said, 'was that he was a racist.' Of course we also remember Senator Allen recently, who was captured on video, when he accused an operative for his Democratic opponent of being, quote, a 'Macaca,' which we found out was a racial pejorative. Something that the senator said he did not know."

George Allen: "Look . . .

Unidentified Male: "Is it wrong?"

Allen: "I have - I have no idea what that word meant. If I had any idea that it was an insult to anybody anywhere in the world, I would not have used it."

Unidentified Male: "OK."

Allen: "That's a made-up word."

Franken: "Soledad, the senator probably wants to look for a silver lining here. He was considering a run for the presidency. And what's important in a presidency? Name recognition. He's certainly gotten that."(laughs)

O'Brien (laughs): "That would be the silver lining in that one, Bob."

American Morning

9/26/06 8:07AM EDT

Soledad O'Brien andBob Franken

O'Brien: "It seems like a never-ending trail of headlines for Virginia Republican Senator George Allen. He's now calling allegations that he made racial slurs while he was in college 'ludicrous.' AMERICAN MORNING'S Bob Franken is in Washington, D.C. for us -- hey, Bob, good morning again."

Franken: "Hello. He is not so much campaigning these days as bobbing and weaving. And it seems that most of the punches that land are the ones that he threw himself. Not counting the charges that became public yesterday from football players at the University of Virginia, when Allen played football there, who say that he used racial slurs, including the ultimate racial slur. And, of course, we know about the controversy that erupted when he used another slur, the word Macaca, against an Indian-American operative for his opponent's campaign. And there was the whole episode last week where he finally acknowledged the Jewish lineage of his mother, but not before he got very angry at a reporter who asked about it."

Allen

Franken: "Jim, Soledad, is Jim Webb, Allen's Democratic opponent, who's not saying very much about all of this, and I can't say that I blame him."

O'Brien: "Yes, it's just been, you know, every day. It's like checking in to see what's going on in this campaign, or, as you say, this defensive strategy at this point."

(Franken laughs)