George Allen's Race Problem

It would not be fair to say that Virginia Senator and almost certain GOP presidential primary candidate George Allen is a racist. But it would also be premature and disingenuous to slough off the possibility. This piece in the forthcoming issue of The New Republic at minimum raises questions, and at worst is pretty damning. His Confederate flag fetish and his willingness to jump into bed with neo-Confederades merely buttress his dubious past policies on matters of race. Now, to be fair, Allen appears to have worked hard to overcome his past. He says and does the right thing now more often than not. But there is a fine line between opportunism and core beliefs. Were I a Republican, I'd be more than a little wary of George Allen becoming my standard bearer. Then again, I am not a Republican.