'Virginia Values' vs. 'Fresh Eyes'

U.S. Sen. George Allen (R-Va.), left, pressed rival James Webb for details on certain issues; Webb took aim at Allen's ties to President Bush. (By Steve Helber -- Associated Press)

"Ronald Reagan was a true leader," he said.

Allen then spoke of his fondness for the former president, admiring his efforts to stand up to communism.

The debate, sponsored by the Virginia Bar Association at the Homestead resort, was an early test for Webb. A newcomer to electoral politics, he is looking to prove that he has the stature and knowledge to stay competitive with Allen, who has a huge fundraising advantage. On June 30, Allen had $6.6 million, compared with Webb's $424,000.

Webb spent much of his money during the spring primary against former lobbyist Harris Miller. During that race, Webb showed himself to be a blunt talker on some issues but unsure on others.

During the debate, Allen tried to needle Webb, a novelist who has also worked on feature films in Hollywood. Allen spoke of pursuing "Virginia values" instead of "Hollywood values" and made several references to Webb's writing career.

At one point, in reference to a question about the Guantanamo Bay prison, Webb spoke of a book he wrote that mentioned detainees after World War II. Allen responded by saying that he had visited Guantanamo Bay. "That is the real world. That is not a book," Allen said.

Allen's campaign had said it wanted to highlight Webb's lack of knowledge on issues facing Virginia.

A half-hour into the debate, Allen caught the challenger off guard by asking him a question that forced Webb to admit he was unfamiliar with Portsmouth's Craney Island, which consists of dredged material that officials hope to turn into a cargo terminal.

"Craney Island is in Virginia," said Allen, who then lectured Webb about the site. "I got it, George. I got it, George," Webb responded.

Webb also took a few shots at Allen, particularly over the senator's close ties to Bush.

"When two people agree with each other 97 percent of the time, one of them doesn't need a job," Webb said.

During much of the debate, Webb sought to position himself as a populist who cares about the needs of people at the lower end of the economic ladder.