After a hard day at work, I was planning on writing a piece on the reaction to the Salon story on Allen. Allen’s official blog, The AllenHQ, has refuted the charge that Allen used the n-word in college. Associated Press write Bob Lewis writes that Allen denounced the allegations. Daily Press writer Hugh Lessig, covering Allen at a meeting with black pastors in Richmond on the marriage amendment, writes that “an emotional Allen said the story was a lie.”
But I turned on the TV to catch the last few minutes of Hardball and they are all in a twitter about Larry Sabato saying that Allen did indeed use the n-word. Now I didn’t hear it with my own ears, but this is pretty serious. I’ll be watching Hardball when it re-airs at 7pm to check it out.
UPDATE: Here’s a bit of video on it, although not the whole interview. Sabato says “I’m going to stay with what I know is the case and the fact is that he did use the n-word, whether he is denying it now or not.”
UPDATE 2: Watched the interview. Sabato says this will not be enough to cause Allen to lose the race.
UPDATE 3: The full video is available here. (Thanks, JJ.)
UPDATE 4: A little longer video.
Technorati Tags: George Allen, Larry Sabato
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
Here’s the full interview: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/
Thanks for the alert. This is a big, big story.
Is it possible to say you heard someone use the n-word without actually saying you heard them use it ? I think Larry Sabato did just that.
JJ – thanks for the link.
William – I think he didn’t answer the question as to whether he heard it himself or not. I got the feeling he thought he had said enough already.
Sabato is caught between a rock and a hard place. He and Allen were classmates at UVa, and he is, no doubt, a first-hand witness. On the other hand, Sabato’s little empire is built on being an impartial academic observer of the political scene. If he intervenes personally in a campaign, his credibility, especially with the GOP, goes down the toilet. No wonder he’s trying to waffle.
Has anyone been able to view the MSNBC video? I keep getting an error.
It’s working for me. There’s also a YouTube link at Talking Points Memo of the 30 seconds where Sabato says Allen did it.
Hmm – still won’t work for me. But as long as y’all can see it, it’s OK. I have it on TiVo. 😉
I watched the video twice. LS will have to issue a written statement about his Allen/n-word opinion on Hardball. Otherwise, there will be a long-term issue (long after the election) on what LS knew, when/how he knew it, and why he did not come forward in 1993. If LS waits until after this election, he will have done a great disservice to his reputation and tenure at UVa.
I personally found LS’s statement to be reckless and without merit simply because he refused to answer the obvious yes/no question. I’ve met LS, and he has a huge ego. He likes to talk about himself, and he likes to be the center of attention. He’s ivory tower. But when cornered he slithers past his weakness as though he is still in the right.
So when LS goes on national television and comments that a sitting US Senator has used the n-word without providing details and only a “take my word for it” attitude, that kind of opinion will just not work. LS and GA have never liked each other, and LS has often jumped at the chance to publicly critique GA. This could be viewed as a personal attack and not a rational statement—especially since LS has known GA for 35 years and LS has had an undisputed national platform and reputation for over 15 years in which to discuss this issue. So why did LS not come forward in 1993 or even in 2000?
Again, LS needs to provide a written statement of his opinion on what he knows, and when/how did he know about it. Otherwise, it’s all just BS slander.
Good points, FD.
1. It is interesting that Sabato says that Allen DID use the n-word. Absolutely DID.
2. Then he says he BELIEVES that Allen did use the n-word.
3. But when asked point blank, did YOU HEAR him use the n-word, Sabato refuses to answer.
How can he KNOW that Allen DID use the word, if HE never heard it?
And if he DID hear it, which he MUST have if one presumes #1 to be true, then why won’t Sabato be completely truthful in his answer?
This is one heck of an allegation to make and then be unwilling to back it up.
Olivia; for some it’s a long way from fear to courage, especially if you are wearing all those robes and crowns. And Mr. Sabato really hasn’t explored this terrain much. Give him time. He’s working his way up the mountain.