Atrios has been all over the story of the Jim Webb campaign worker (born in Virginia of Indian descent) who was called "macaca" by Republican incumbent George Allen at a campaign appearance (start here and work back; also see this Washington Post story). Atrios notes that "macaca"

is actually an established racial/slur, specifically directed at North Africans.

As it turns out, Allen's mother is from North Africa -- Tunisia, to be specific.

Does this let him off the hook? Hardly. To the contrary, it tells me that he's a rare American who knows that slur and knows that it is a slur.

Go here for more on Allen and race.