The N-Word Debate Continues

Just the other day an astute blogger that I know had this to say about the accusations that George Allen used the dreaded N-word in his past:

This statement will probably be very politically incorrect, but let's get serious here. Just how many southern men of age 50+, white or black, have gone through their lives without at one time or another using the n-word?

His opponent, Jim Webb, when asked about his own use of the word, had this to say:

Allen's Democratic opponent, Jim Webb, declined to say definitively whether he had ever used a racial slur to describe blacks.

"I don't think that there's anyone who grew up around the South that hasn't had the word pass through their lips at one time or another in their life," Webb told reporters.

Told you so.

Also, political scientist Larry Sabato, who inexplicably joined the discussion by claiming that he knew for sure that Allen said "ni***r", has "clarified" his comments:

Larry J. Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, said Tuesday in an e-mail to The Associated Press, "I didn't personally hear GFA (Allen's initials) say the n-word.

"My conclusion is based on the very credible testimony I have heard for weeks, mainly from people I personally know and knew in the '70s," Sabato wrote.

Heresay evidence is very unfair to Allen, and Sabato should have known better.