Nothing riles me up more than blatant, plain-for-all-to-see, lapdogism (another word to add to the Urban Dictionary please). Stay with me a moment. Dr. Raghavendra Vijayanagar (who goes by “Dr. Vijay”) is the chairman of the Indian American Republican Council (IARC) which was formed in 2002. Their purpose:

The IARC is a 501 (c)(4) organization, and is the only national organization in America representing Indian American Republicans. While we come from many parts of India and live across the U.S., we are united in our belief that less government, more liberty, and a strong national defense are in the best interests of our country and we share these values with the Republican Party. [Link]

After Senator Joseph Biden (D) made a comment earlier this year which stereotyped Indians as being in every donut shop and 7-11 in his state of Delaware, this is the statement released by the IARC:

“Joe Biden has a history of making insensitive and inappropriate remarks,” said Dr. Vijay. “But even for him, this recent gaffe is clearly over the top. But this isn’t the first time a Senate Democrat has insulted Indian Americans. In 2004, Senator John Kerry referred to Sikhs as terrorists and Senator Hillary Clinton jokingly referred to Mahatma Gandhi as a gas station owner. A clear double-standard in the mainstream media will likely ensure Senator Biden gets a pass over these comments that would get a Republican in deep trouble if he ever made a similar statement…”

“Senator Biden will be surprised to hear that I am a cardiothoracic surgeon, leading a national association of Indian Americans who are physicians, attorneys, and small business owners. It’s amazing to know we don’t all work at Dunkin Donuts or the local 7/11. The contributions to America by Indian Americans in the fields of medicine, education, science, and business have been well-documented. We’re not asking Senator Biden to apologize for his embarrassing, stereotypical comments. However, we do appreciate knowing what he really thinks of his Indian American constituents in Delaware…” [Link]

And what did Dr. Vijay have to say after Senator George Allen (R) hurled an alleged racial slur at an Indian American this past week?

“We don’t believe Senator George Allen was making a reference to the ethnicity of Jim Webb’s campaign volunteer. He has apologized for any misunderstanding this statement has caused. We do know that Senator Allen has worked closely with Indian Americans when he was Governor and as U.S. Senator, and he has always garnered strong support from the community. He has visited India and showed strong leadership in supporting the U.S.-India civilian nuclear agreement.

It’s disappointing to see Jim Webb using an Indian American volunteer in a demeaning fashion in order to garner attention to his campaign. We believe there are pressing issues facing Virginia and our nation, from the war on terrorism to the challenges in the Middle East. Jim Webb needs to engage in these issues instead of attempting to smear the reputation of a respected leader…” [Link]

So Dr. Vijay, who heads the “ONLY national organization in America representing Indian American Republicans,” is blaming Webb for “using” young Sidarth in a demeaning fashion. Dr. Vijay, I hope someone fills your water dish for you tonight.

Rather than leave comments following my entry, I’d ask instead that you use your time to email (info@iarcnational.org) the IARC and let them know what you think about their latest press release. I know that many of our readers are Republicans so now is your chance to take ownership of an organization that claims to represent your interests.

I also hope that the organization’s Secretary, Dino Teppara, resigns. I have blogged about Dino before (see here, here, and here) and heard him speak on a panel at the NASABA conference in 2005. Although I don’t agree with his conservative political views, he did strike me as a reasonable guy and he is the same age as many of us that blog and comment here. Hopefully he sees the ridiculous hypocrisy in these conflicting press statements and quits his position.