Allen: Who You Calling Jewish

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Remember E.J. Kessler’s story about the Jewish roots of Senator George Allen? It’s suddenly a hot issue in the unexpectedly tight senatorial campaign in Virginia, after Allen reportedly turned feisty when asked about the issue during a debate yesterday.

Dana Milbank has a great article in the Washington Post on the epsiode.

After Allen mentioned that his father “was incarcerated by the Nazis in World War II,” one of the debate questioners, WUSA-TV’s Peggy Fox, saw an opening to ask about his Jewish roots. The senator was not happy.

“To be getting into what religion my mother is, I don’t think is relevant,” Allen said, visibly angry. “Why is that relevant – my religion, Jim’s religion or the religious beliefs of anyone out there?” He then urged Fox to refrain from “making aspersions.”