Allen Flap May Give A Boost To Webb

"Those anti-Semitic fliers are going to be an issue going forward in this entire campaign," Wadhams said.

At the same time, Allen's recent comments are providing Democrats and others with an opportunity to talk about the senator's past controversies involving race.

As a young man, Allen had a fondness for the Confederate flag, which he later said he saw only as a symbol of youthful rebellion. Later, when he was governor in the mid-1990s, Allen opposed the creation of a holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

Webb, who once said the Confederate memorial in Arlington "has a special place in my life," said he does not plan to make an issue of Allen's past.

In his past races, Allen has successfully staved off charges of racial intolerance. During his 2000 bid for Senate, Allen campaign aides said he received 17 percent of the black vote, but some political strategists question that number.

Del. A. Donald McEachin, a black Democrat who represents Richmond, said African Americans will decisively turn out to vote for Webb this year -- even though many have criticized his position on affirmative action.

"The fact you would call someone a species of monkey is offensive," McEachin said.

Amid charges of racism and anti-Semitism, political leaders are braced for a polarizing campaign, especially if it becomes part of a national fight for control of the Senate.

"Any guy who made 'born fighting' his campaign slogan is not going to shy away from confrontation," Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.) said of Webb. "And George fancies himself as a tough guy, so let them go at it."