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Bush to raise money for Allen

By Ken Herman | Friday, August 18, 2006, 12:39 PM

President Bush will raise money next week for Sen. George Allen, R-Va., who has spent much of this week apologizing for a racially insensitive comment caught on camera by his opponent’s campaign.

The Aug. 11 comment was about the guy running the camera for his opponent’s campaign. Allen referred to S.R. Sidarth, whose job for Democratic nominee Jim Webb is to videotape Allen events, as “macaca.”

Bush will be the star attraction next Wednesday at an Allen event at the Alexandria, Virginia home of Ed Gillespie, former Republican National Committee chairman.

Allen, a possible 2008 presidential contender, has been playing defense all week for referring to the Indian-American man as “macaca,” a term often classified as an ethnic slur.

The Democrats are eager to link Bush with Allen’s remark.

“By not condemning what George Allen said, the president is giving tacit approval to comments that have no place in the public discourse,” said Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Phil Singer. “It’s not good enough for the president to say Allen apologized. Allen’s remarks were despicable and Bush has an obligation to say so.”

“If the president refuses to condemn Allen’s comments, he should at the very least cancel his fundraiser for him next week or else it will look like he is rewarding Allen’s behavior,” Singer said.

The president has said nothing about Allen’s remarks. White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Friday that Bush has no qualms about appearing with Allen, “certainly after Sen Allen’s apology.”

Allen, in a statement, has said he “made up a nickname for the cameraman, which was in no way intended to be racially derogatory. Any insinuations to the contrary are completely false.”

“I never want to embarrass or demean anyone and I apologize if my comments offended this young man,” Allen said. “Even though he has signed on to my opponent’s campaign, I look forward to seeing him on the trail ahead.”

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