George Allen Criticized for High School Photo

When I was in high school I did and said some incredibly stupid things. I believed some stupid things, But then wasn't I in high school to remedy this condition? And don't we have collages and universities so young people can continue to remedy the ignorance of youth. Now anyone who reads this blog regularly knows what I think about the state of education these days, but the concept is still valid. The reason I bring it up is one of the potential Democratic opponents of Sen. George Allen is complaining the Allen had a confederate flag pin on in a picture of him in his high school yearbook. The horror!

The two Democrats seeking the nomination to run against Allen are Harris Miller and James Webb. In an interview with The Washington Post Miller said:

"I can make a difference by focusing on the future instead of getting caught up in cheap partisan politics," Miller said Monday evening. "The whole way Washington is running right now is all about partisanship. There is no attempt to reach across party lines and reach common-sense solutions."

Focusing on the high school issue reported in the New Republic doesn't sound to me as "focusing on the future instead of getting caught up in cheap partisan politics." Mr. Webb to his credit dismissed this report as just what it is, a personal attack that skirts the issues. Not to be left out of an opportunity to demonstrate why the NAACP is a fossilized vestige of a by gone era " King Salim Khalfani, executive director of the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP, called the information about Allen's youth 'troubling to us because it just shows a long-held belief in the virtues of the Confederacy.'" Gee, I wonder what stupid things Mr. Khalfani did and said when he was in high school.? I have to assume he's a lot smarter now.

So far as I can tell at this point the choice for the Democrats is between a typical liberal panderer and an anti war activist. Impressive.

Update 15:09 : I'm sure these folks have criticized Sen. Robert Byrd for his past leadership of the KKK after he graduated high school.

Virginia Politics