As Clarice Feldman points out here at The American Thinker, after weeks of front page coverage of allegations of racism against Senator George Allen in the Virginia Senate race, the Washington Post suddenly reversed course and used an editorial to suggest enough is enough, but only after serious allegations of irresponsible and potentially racist behavior on the part of Democrat Jim Webb surfaced.
After countless front page Washington Post stories overplaying Sen. Allen’s “Macaca” remark, and extensive coverage of charges against Allen, obviously orchestrated by Professor Sabato (who seems to have retreated from claims suggesting he had personal knowledge of Allen’s racism), a story has emerged about Webb’s racism which is more direct and damning.
Captain's Quarters posts those allegations from a journalist here.
Cragg, 67, who lives in Fairfax County, said on Wednesday that Webb described taking drives through the black neighborhood of Watts, where he and members of his ROTC unit used racial epithets and pointed fake guns at blacks to scare them.
"They would hop into their cars, and would go down to Watts with these buddies of his," Cragg said Webb told him. "They would take the rifles down there. They would call then [epithets], point the rifles at them, pull the triggers and then drive off laughing. One night, some guys caught them and beat . . . them. And that was the end of that."
Meanwhile, RightWingNews has compiled some quotations from Webb's previous work. The fact that Webb has acknowledged using racial overtones in his books, to date, no one has explored the exact nature of much of that usage. It seems Webb sought to portray the Old South he referred to while basically admitting the N word has flowed from his lips. Webb's alleged misogyny appears to have made it into his work, as well. These are only small excerpts, more at previous link.
Jimmy: "He got that n*gger band in there again. It sounds like a d*mn juke joint."
Red: Personally, "Jimmy, I like n*gger music. In fact, I even like Negroes!"
Jimmy: "Well, so do I. I think everybody should own at least one." -- P.42
I'm an Old South n*gger, he thought suddenly, smiling and nodding to Ambassador somebody or other. Yes, massa. Smilin over here, massa. Pickin it up over her, massa. Whooee. My mind right, massa." -- P.122
Discussing retiring to Miami, FBI agent Drought says: "and the n*ggers are everywhere, you're not going to get away from them." -- P.208
Two North Vietnamese nurses attended Red in the hospital, flirting with him coyly, until one day when one of them came to him, took off her top, stuck her breasts in Red's mouth, and masturbated him." -- P.398
LaShawn Barber comments here.
This is what I don’t like about politicians: the dishonesty, the careful language, the hedging. So what if they both called black people “niggers” back in the day? Who hasn’t? We all have a past. Even if they used the word today, as long as they don’t do it in public or let any black person hear them say it, what difference does it make?
Update: The Democracy Project weighs in, as well.
For disclosure, as a Vietnam Marine, one who has often said I'd follow any Marine officer anywhere, and who developed deep respect for Webb's outspoken, ornery iconoclasm, I expected a clear integrity in debating issues. Instead, I think, Webb has been caught up in the web of his supporters' radical angriness, tearing down opponents at any cost, and is tossing away his well-earned reputation, because of his ambition.
