Webb Defends Novels Against Attacks

On Friday, Webb, a former secretary of the Navy, said Allen's sister, Jennifer, wrote a book that included descriptions of her brother's harsh physical treatment of her. Allen said yesterday, "Her book is a novelization. . . . I didn't write those passages in my sister's book."

Kaine drew comparisons to his campaign last year against Republican Jerry W. Kilgore, who aired a TV ad saying Kaine opposed the death penalty even for people like Adolf Hitler. "It's the same kind of nonsense," Kaine said. The Republicans "never know when to stop. They always go over the top, and it always backfires."

Warner noted that Republican Sen. John McCain, an Allen supporter, has praised Webb's novels. "All they do is smear, smear, smear," Warner said of the Allen campaign.

Allen said he stood by his release of Webb's racy book passages, saying that they are an indication of what Webb will do.

"Not just me, but others find those passages to be demeaning to women," Allen said. Allen's campaign also has released a 1979 magazine article by Webb questioning women in combat and saying a Naval Academy dormitory was "a horny woman's dream."

Yesterday, House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith (R-Salem) called Webb's writings "disrespectful and demeaning." Del. Terrie Lynne Suit (R-Virginia Beach) said Webb's books were "not suitable for children and, frankly, many adults."

Webb has apologized for the magazine article, saying he used needlessly harsh language. But Webb made no apologies yesterday for his novels, among which are "Lost Soldiers," "Something to Die For," "A Sense of Honor" and "Fields of Fire."

Webb said yesterday that "Fields of Fire," a novel about the Vietnam War, has been on the Marine Corps reading list for 20 years and is the "most-taught piece of literature regarding the Vietnam War" on college campuses. He said that a "A Sense of Honor" is published by the U.S. Naval Institute, an independent organization that produces books about the military, and added that the book frequently is read by service members.

Interviews with voters yesterday suggested that Allen's attack may reinforce what people already think about Webb.

Donald L. Boswell, 55, director of law enforcement for the state Department of Motor Vehicles, said it was fair for Allen to criticize Webb's books. "He did freely choose to write," said Boswell, who was at the NRA event near Richmond. "I think holding him accountable for that is the same as holding Hollywood and the movie industry accountable for the movies they produce."

At Webb's rally in Annandale, Joan Brookshire said Allen was engaged in the "sleaziest campaigning. I now feel like knocking on every door in Virginia," said Brookshire, 75, of Alexandria. "Why would they use excerpts like this out of books that are classics?"

Also yesterday, Webb gave a Democratic response to President Bush's weekly radio address, saying he opposed the war before it began. A Democratic Congress, he predicted, would demand from Day One that Bush find "a real way forward in Iraq."

Allen traveled through the Shenandoah Valley before ending his day at the rally outside Richmond with the NRA.

Allen "is someone who Virginia gun owners and sportsmen know, like and trust," said Chuck Cunningham, the NRA's federal affairs director and chairman of Sportsmen for Allen. The NRA's political action committee has given an A rating to Webb and an A-plus rating to Allen.