Proving he's moving on with post-Senate life, George Allen gave an interview to his journalistic tormentor, Michael C. Shear of the WashPost, but Shear plays it cute in Saturday's paper when he pretends not to know who the "referee" is when Allen suggests he was wronged by the refs (including the Post, I have zero doubt):
He declined to talk specifically about the controversies that turned what was supposed to be his warm-up for a presidential campaign into a losing bid to hold on to his Senate seat. "You can't brood and dwell" on the loss, he said.
But it's clear -- especially from the football analogies he uses frequently to describe the sudden turn in his political life -- that Allen regrets the mistakes he and his campaign staff made during the past several months.
"In the event that you lost a game by three or four touchdowns, people say, 'Gosh, it's a blowout,' " Allen said as movers packed up boxes and removed pictures from Room 204 in the Russell Senate Office Building. "If you lose by one point in a game, you can look back on every single play of the game."
Looking back, he continued, one "can say, 'gosh darn, if we only had made that block, if we only didn't jump off-sides, if we only had recovered that fumble, if we hadn't thrown that interception. If the referees didn't screw us on that play.' "
Who are the referees in that analogy? He doesn't say.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
George Allen is a class act.
December 11, 2006 - 00:45 ET by terrigUnlike the WaPo or that creep Webb, George Allen is a class act. I would not have cottened to give Shear the time of day.
Allen's Future
December 11, 2006 - 01:25 ET by ImNotBlueThis was the only race I really felt bad about. The others were kind of a shrug, and 'oh well' life will go on... but this one I really felt Allen was screwed.
I think after Webb starts getting into fist fights on the senate floor, Virginians realize what they've lost. I hope Allen runs again, beats Webb's replacement (he'll resign after the fight, and start collaborate with Howard Dean to form the heavy metal band "Raging Liberals"... and achieve a minor hit with "Macaca Madness"), and in his acceptance speech, he wears a Washington Post t-shirt.
Other races I was disappointe with INB.
December 11, 2006 - 15:44 ET by exLibI agree most other races where lost for obvious reason.
There are 3 races I was disappointed with:
1 - St. Louis; The media used MJFox and toasted Rush in order to get a Dem in to office there.
As Glen Beck says, who cares about stem cells and why are we hearing about it now? It's a wedge issue and it's an election. The media help McCaskill ride that issue to victory.
2 - Florida; Foley's name had to be left on the ballot and the Dems still only won that seat by a hair.
The problem there was, judging from the Lautenberg fiasco, if the parties were reversed in the issue, the Dems would have went to court to have Foley's name taken off the ballot. The GOP would have held the seat.
3 - Texas; Delaly's name had to be left on the ballot due to Dems taking it to court.
Similar issue to 2.
Dems use the courts once again to win what they can't if the playing field was even.
2 & 3 I would concede if in NJ the disgraced Senator was forced to stay on the ballot, that seat likely would have gone to the GOP in that case.
It Can't Be My Fault!
December 11, 2006 - 02:43 ET by TelemarkTumaloIsn't this typical? The guy loses fair and square in an election and he absolutely cannot find any fault with himself. Yes, the mecacah incident will be his Waterloo, but the voters of Virginia had more than a single racial slur to help make their decision. Allen is a longtime professional politician in Virginia, dating to 1983 in the Virginia House of Delegates, a 4 year stint in the Governor's Mansion, and had all of the normal advantages granted to an incumbent. In addition, Allen outspent Webb 13 million to 4 million dollars on the campaign in order to make his campaign message clear. The voters of Virginia had plenty of resume to work with. C'mon George, look in the mirror the next time you need a fall guy. Nobody likes a sore loser.
Yes but Allen had the Natio
December 11, 2006 - 03:47 ET by liberal_bug_zapperYes but Allen had the National Press lying about him while doing puff pieces on his opponent. Clearly you Liberals don't understand the meaning of fair.... as it only applies when your guys win.
Please read again and see whe
December 11, 2006 - 07:07 ET by Tim GrahamPlease read again and see where Allen compares his campaign to a football team, that he threw interceptions and failed to throw a block. That would be accepting some of the blame. It's not being a "sore loser" to suggest you were "screwed" by the "objective" media. It's simply acknowledging the facts.
" If the referees didn
December 11, 2006 - 10:58 ET by TelemarkTumalo" If the referees didn't screw us on that play.' " .... George Allen
So, how does this sound like accepting personal responsibility? If Allen hopes to continue a once quite successful political career, he should admit his faux pas and accept responsibility, apologize to the Virginia electorate and the gentleman whom he called mecaca. Remaining indignant that this is all the fault of the mean spirited press is the same lame argument that has been used for years by most of our prison inmates. It had to be someone else's fault, right?
Wow...
December 11, 2006 - 14:34 ET by ImNotBlueEither you don't read, or you expect politicians to send you a personal memo letting you know what they've already done. All your "suggestions" he's already done. Read a newspaper.
However, you should feel proud. Saying "Remaining indignant that this is all the fault of the mean spirited press is the same lame argument that has been used for years by most of our prison inmates." is just about the dumbest thing I've ever read.
I'm not even going to ask for proof that inmates say that... I'll just ignore that little nugget of insanity. However, I will ask if you say the same thing when liberals criticize FOX News for being biased... when John Kerry says the media took his 'botched joke' out of context... when Media Matters accuses every single news host on television of being a lapdog for the president?
In your world, I guess if you make a mistake, and use that mistake as an excuse to lie and distort the facts, it's still ALL your fault for making the mistake in the first place. WaPo took a story and made it a sign of the apocalypse... ignoring Webb's own mistakes, and finding Democratic operatives who could smear Allen with un-provable stories about his past. Allen deserves blame for saying something stupid... but the WaPo deserves blame for blowing it so far out of proportion.
Why did Allen lose? No dou
December 11, 2006 - 06:40 ET by joe conservativeWhy did Allen lose? No doubt the "macaca" incident and his lame coverup excuses led to a new level of scrutiny of Allen's past. Thank God the voters showed Allen the back door.
And you think the alternati
December 11, 2006 - 07:03 ET by liberal_bug_zapperAnd you think the alternative is better? If you do. You are not a conservative.
No, LBZ, he is NOT a "co
December 11, 2006 - 18:13 ET by Indiana JoeNo, LBZ, he is NOT a "conservative." Just another bomb-thrower, with a not-very-original SN he thinks misleads everyone into thinking he SPEAKS for conservatives.
He's proven that from the first thread I saw him on.
Regards,
IJ
To put this silliness in perspective - Allen lost the Senate.
December 11, 2006 - 07:50 ET by acaiguanaTo put this silliness in perspective - Allen lost the Senate.
No doubt the "macaca" incident and his lame coverup excuses led to a new level of scrutiny of Allen's past. Thank God the voters showed Allen the back door.
Now that is just silly.
The Democrats in their quest for dominance and power tolerate Robert Byrd in the Senate. He's a racist and an ex-KKK member (if you can ever be an ex-KKK member?).
So, Allen get toasted by an unreasonably biased press through the minions of the Washington Post over a word that no one had ever heard before?
And this requires 'a new level of scrutiny' of him? You have gone over some edge here, but I'm pretty sure over the next two years you'll be able to 'thank God' for the decision of Virginia for their election choices.
It is a political thing and Allen lost. That doesn't make him any more racist than Santa Claus. Oh yeah, because Santa is a white guy he is racist, I forgot. I can find you one-hundred more racist positions in the Democrat Party for every one Republican so-called racist position that you can point out. Macaca (whatever the hell it means) does not make Allen a Racist; it makes the Democrats vicous thugs lurking in every alley waiting for a chance to paint a Republican as a Racist.
ACA
...
Acaiguana says: "Ya can't win if ya don't play."
Interesting quote from the Wa
December 11, 2006 - 08:08 ET by Indiana JoeInteresting quotes from the WaPo's "Chief Executive:"
------------------------------------------------------
The Washington Post newspaper is hurting, with advertising sales down 11 percent in the third quarter and circulation off 3.3 percent in the six months ended in September. Newsroom layoffs of an unspecified number are in the offing.
Mr. Graham said Wednesday that "2006 has been a poor year for every newspaper that I know of," pointing out later that "during the summer, things changed drastically."
"Our print advertising revenues in the last four months have been poor, considerably poorer than I would have expected," he said.
------------------------------------------------------------
Gee, think it will EVER occur to them, that timing just about coincides with their screaming "full-court-press" against all things Republican? That their open hostility to almost 50% of the people in this country may have had SOMETHING to do with it?
NAHHHHHH!!!!!
Link
Allen
December 11, 2006 - 12:10 ET by iveseenitallGeorge Allen lost in Virginia. He had a poor game plan and played a poor game ( which he admits). The Media played the P.C. proganda game and won in Virginia. UCLA shouldn't have beaten USC either. I hope Allen learned more about how to fight dirty if he wants to return. Liberals are sneaks and cannot be dealt with by a gentleman. Fight fire with fire next time, George.
NEVER,NEVER trust a liberal