No newspaper reviews coming from Bush

The president will not be taking sides or expressing opinions on how Sen. George Allen, R-Va., is being treated by editorialists in the flap over a comment he made at a rally.

"The president not only does not do book reviews, he doesn't do newspaper reviews," Bush spokesman Tony Snow told WND in a press briefing at the White House.

The question arose because of Allen's reference to "macaca" during a recent rally. That word, according to Internet sources, can have several meanings: a monkey, a town in Africa or a racial slur against African immigrants.

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There have been dozens of news stories and editorials on the topic since his comment at a rally in southwest Virginia, where he referred to a 20-year-old volunteer of Indian descent who was working for Democratic candidate James Webb as "macaca."

Allan was saying he would run his campaign on positive ideas, and then he pointed to S.R. Sidarth, who was in the crowd, according to a report in the Washington Post.

"This fellow here, over here with the yellow shirt, macaca, or whatever his name is. He's with my opponent. He's following us around everywhere. And it's just great," he said.

Kristian Denny Todd, the communications director for Webb, said the comments were demeaning to the volunteer.

"The kid has a name," Todd said.

Allen, who later apologized, also said he didn't know what the word meant, but it sounded similar to "mohawk," which is what his staff called Sidarth because of his haircut.

"I think he was doing it because he could, and I was the only person of color there, and it was useful for him in inciting his audience," Sidarth said.

He said he was at the event to tape it for the Webb campaign.

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George Allen's macaca misstep