All I can say is that I firmly support Scott Brown!

After some of Scott Brown's staff members participated in the tomahawk chops and Indian war whoops at a campaign rally which have been labeled "racist", Senator Brown "issued them their one and only warning that this type of conduct will not be tolerated."
Problem is that there is second video, in which “Indian war whoops” are heard in the background as Mr. Brown spoke at an event in Chatham this summer. That video was initially posted on the Chatham Republican Web site.
One would think that after the Chatham incident, Brown would have issued a caution to his staff not to engage in such behavior -- even if they had not done so in Chatham. Instead after the second incident, Brown asked his staffers not to do it again. His staffers were no doubt emboldened by his 'person of color' comment during the first debate.

http://tinyurl.com/cyaxlst

I thought liberals opposed the use of labels RE "which have been labeled "racist".

Besides, Elizabeth Warren first used the issue of physical features as proof that she was Native American. Maybe they thought if she could refer to physical features, then it was ok...

I think it's very telling that Scott Brown and his supporters keep coming back to this personal heritage non-issue. Guess when you can't run on your record, you have to make *something* up to run on, eh?

Chris, that's ridiculous.

First of all, it's not a lie. Warren has clearly believed herself to have had Native American heritage, documented back to 1984 - when she had recipies published in a Native American Cookbook.

Have you checked out your family lineage stories? I claim Dutch heritage - because my family told me they hailed from Holland. I've never researched it. I've never gone back to Holland to look for relatives.

But I call myself Dutch.

Claiming this is anything like the Annie Dookhan scandal is preposterous - you're smarter than thatn, Chris. You know that lying about degrees, and presenting one's identity based on long-told family tales are not one and the same.

Here's a very good fact-checking of the Native American heritage timeline, which ran in today's Washington Post fact checker. Neither candidate comes out smelling like roses - but it clearly debunks the notion that Warren lied about her heritage.

In fact, Senator Brown himself let this issue die - as nobody cared - until he found himself behind in the polls. It smacks of desperation, and it appeals to the worst in us. We deserve better.

This racist behaviour by Brown's supporters is not isolated as Marlborough resident know.

There were several Brown folks who attended the Marlborough Labor Day Parade (where Ms Warren was marching) carrying placards saying "Lieawatha" and shouting war whoops and doing the chopping also. As the official photographer of the event, I was disgusted and refused to include them in the photos of the parade. This has hardly been an isolated occurance, and Mr Brown was present at the event and absolutely aware it was going on, as he also marched in the parade and was present at the assembly area during pre-parade staging, where these people began their whoops, chops, and "Lieawatha" chants. Thousands of residents of the city saw, heard, and can back up this disgusting behaviour. As to whether these people worked directly for Mr Brown I do not know, however, he clearly knew of their presence and did nothing to discourage their antics being performed in his name. Link to the Pre-Parade photography with the candidates, plublished in Marlborough Patch: http://marlborough.patch.com/blog_posts/candidates-turn-out-for-marlborough-labor-day-parade

What is so disappointing to me is that I respect Mr Brown himself, and would probably choose him, were it not for his stance on medical research and end of life decisions. Mr Brown will likely lose this election based not upon his platform or the platform of his opponent, he will lose this election because of the absolutely revolting actions of his campaign staff. As a former Republican who felt it necessary to distance himself from what the party has become, We as a state will lose a very good representative, and a moderate Republican voice- one that spoke much of what I believe to be right. Though Ms Warren isn't my ideal either, I cannot in good conscience vote for or support Brown's campaign due to their banal conduct.

Find Balance, actually, they are. It's a stereotype, but the thing is, it is *less* offensive because they are not itending it to be a derogatory statement. Brown's staff clearly meant to use it as an insult, to debase. This is far worse than joining a crowd in what is a show of support for their sports team, as off-color that support is. You are correct, none of them should be doing it- but using it as an insult and indictment is a direct slap in the face to every single Native American.. including Ms Brown, who has produced government accepted records of her heritage (gg grandmothers marriage license lists her as Cherokee). Ms Warren never claimed to be a member of any tribe, only that she indeed has Cherokee in her family several generations ago. EVEN IF that were not true, it would not be deception on Ms Warren's part, she was merely acting appropriately given that her parents, grandparents, and even government documents have told her she had this heritage.

The chop was used to call out Warren’s claims of being a Native American, for which she had no proof when she made the claim to get an advantage over others (else why check the box?) for *important and prestigious positions*; you better be sure of your claim to a particular heritage if you expect it to be used in consideration (again, else why check the box?) for such positions of importance. “clearly meant to use it as an insult, to debase” Your (and other posters’) descriptions of this are overly dramatic as well as being incorrect, and it was clearly directed toward Elizabeth Warren, and not Native Americans.

“but using it as an insult and indictment is a direct slap in the face to every single Native American” How do you come to the conclusion that the mere use of the chop is an insult, indictment, and slap in the face of every Native American? Is that why Braves fans, FSU fans, and even Brown supporters used it? Brown supporters used it to link Elizabeth Warren to her unsubstantiated claims that she is of Native American heritage, not to insult Native Americans.

She checked a box denoting Ethnicity included Native American, and that is all.. and her ethnicity, as supported by the legal document of the marriage license, is exactly as she stated- several generations back there was Cherokee in her family. She told the TRUTH, despite any attempts to deny that fact. Discrimination against her is not required for her to have an ancestor who was Cherokee.

So considering that she HAS provided legal documentation of this Cherokee great great grandmother, and you cannot produce a single shred of evidence to the contrary, or that Ms Warren had ANY reason to believe that her parents and relatives were lying to her (which they weren't), why don't you just walk away from this? You are defending what is a politically motivated lie on the part of Brown's staff, which is sad.

As the article states, maybe Mr Brown has chosen his staff very poorly- and the result is that he may lose this election based upon the actions of miscreants and not on the merits of the candidates themselves.

Alternatively, if Mr Brown stands by the disgusting behaviour of his staff, he shouldn't hold office, anywhere.

Would the proof that Warren offered of her Native American heritage qualify her as a minority candidate? Serious question - I honestly don't know the answer...

But as to your references, Paul, to miscreants and disgusting behaviour - while it might have been a little juvenille, your description is wayyyyyy overly-dramatic. And the remedy that Brown shouldn't hold office because some staffers were a little juvenille is rather severe.

If Warren is at peace with her flippant explanation to those of us beneath her (MA voters), then why wouldn't she sit in a room with the representatives from the Cherokee Nation that flew to meet her in Charlotte earlier this month? Surely they had enough information to crosscheck her "family lore".

It's only "not an issue" because she wants it to go away. When you run for public office, that's not how being in the spotlight works. If someone uncovers a parking ticket from your freshman year of college, you have to own up to it.

This whole situation reeks of Coakley's refusal to shake hands outside Fenway. If the Dems want to put up a female candidate, why do they keep selecting the "better than you" Democrats? How about one who has had an actual job in the business world, and not high paying jobs in Law?

As to why she stopped, I cannot say, other than maybe she felt that she MIGHT be getting special treatment and wanted to operate on her own merits. That is not at question, Uglyhat.. interesting, would like to know the rationale-- but hardly evidence of misleading anyone.

And, if she is elected and has partial Cherokee ethnicity, then that would be acceptable. Since it is apparent her ethnicity is real, if someone decided they wanted to do that, I guess it would be okay. That being said, I don't want anyone getting elected upon their ethnicity, minority or otherwise, and making a big deal over ethnicity serves no benefit but is potentially divisive, as this nonsense shows.

You still cannot deny the documented Cherokee Great Great Grandmother, which makes Ms Warren absolutely right. As for meeting members of the Tribe, Ms Warren has NEVER claimed membership in any tribe, only that her ethnic background included Native American, which is true.

Paranoiacs and Birthers will not be swayed by facts, documents, or the truth- we have all seen this before. Why not run on a PLATFORM, including his decent views and voting record, rather than centering a campaign on "If I call her a liar over and over someone might think it's true".

you're right Paul. Before (and during) her tenure at Harvard, she was also collecting big money from big insurance. Her litigation record AGAINST the little guy also speals volumes.

Well, Uglyhat, it isn't you or I that decide what percentage of ethnicity is required.

Bill John Baker, principal chief of the Cherokee Nation—is 1/32 Cherokee. The same percentage as Ms Warren. However, she never claimed to be a MEMBER of any tribe, only denoted her ethnic heritage. Since it is clear that her ancestor was indeed Native American, making her 1/32, she has exactly the same amount of right to refer to that ethnicity as THE CHIEF OF THE CHEROKEE NATION.

Integrity does matter. Those who deny what are clearly facts have none.

We now have three occasions in which Brown supporters engaged in physical actions and chants that Native Americans find to be racist. When Brown witnessed or heard about these behaviors the first or the second time, he apparently did not caution his staff to not engage in such behavior. This is a failure of leadership.
His staffers were no doubt emboldened by his 'person of color' comment during the first debate. One wonders if such offensive behavior was common within Brown's office where there were no cameras -- or maybe there were.

I ask again - Would the % claims to have proof of (1/32?) that Warren offered of her Native American heritage qualify her as a minority candidate? That is the only thing that matters to the issue...

Actually, No, FindBalance. It is only her opponent and his supporters who insist that she be some type of minority candidate after their FAILED mudslinging and dishonesty. She has not, nor has she ever promulgated herself as a minority candidate. Your lack of honesty is confusing even you...

I guess I was did not ask my question well enough. It is not whether her % Native American heritage qualifies her as a minority candidate for the Senate (no one is calling that into question that she is using that in her run for the Senate). The question should have asked if 1/32 qualifies her as a minoroty candidate for college acceptance, application for Harvard Law Prof ,and whatever else she checked the box off for. My bad for being too vague in my haste.

I's still be interested in the answer, if anyone knows...

I find it funny that Warren supporters are here bashing Scott Brown. But that there is also a very similar blog expressing what Big Chief Warren needs to do to win the election, and yet there is not ONE comment on it. It begs me to ask... Who is really worried about their candidate? Even you Warren supporters have to admit, that that's a pretty good point!

Ben....a man as smart as yourself is certainly not using having recipes published in a cookbook as proof of ancestry....please tell me no! And polls are never accurate my friend. Just last week WCVB had a poll on Wednesday claiming Warren was ahead by 4 points. The NEXT day they referred to their previous days poll as being incorrect and Brown was ahead by four points.
Should Warren's heritage be brought into this?.....Probably not. Is it an issue that she claimed it on her application?...I would say yes. When have you seen Dutch as an option when filling out an application that asks for Race? By the way....I'm an American. I was born in this country. And to be honest thats all anyone that was born here really is, and we should all be proud of that!

Couple of points:

Warren’s salary of $340K and the fact that she only teaches ONE class for that money is fair game. Particularly when she decries the cost of higher education.
Warren claims to be for the little guy. She made much of her money by flipping foreclosed houses, and another chunk by litigating against asbestos victims. Hypocritical?

Lastly, no one is attacking her heritage. They are attacking the fact that everything to date points to her LYING about her heritage. If she didn’t game the system it would be extremely easy for her to release her job applications and put this to rest. The fact that she refuses, speaks volumes.There is a reason her handlers no longer let her speak on her ads. She is a fake and it comes across every time she opens her mouth.

Interesting to see how much time is spent discussing whether or not Elizabeth Warren is Native-American. Also, a person's wealth does not mean that they do not have the interest of the working class at heart or that they will not work for all of the people. Not all wealthy people were born into wealth.

The issue should be can Ms. Warren do the job and truly represent the people of MA. As a child I was told that my paternal grandmother was "part Native-American" and believed it, esp. since everyone said my father and his brothers had Native American features. I was aroud 50 y.o. when I made a comment to my father about his mother being part "Indian" (the word that had been used prior to our knowledge of the transition to what is politically correct). He responded, "Indian, what Indian, she was half-white!" I didn't ask what her other "half" was. All those years I thought I was part Native-American. Many of us only know what we have been told about our heritage, which is not always correct.

Again Nod....when you check a box on an application that gives you a status as a minority, it is a big deal! That is when affirmative action kicks in and special considerations kick in. It's an issue that needs to be, and should be answered by Warren. The fact that she blatantly lied to get that consideration asks ...What else has she lied about????