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Va., Md. Senate Camps Dig Deep
Democrat James Webb, U.S. Senate candidate in Virginia, is attempting to raise his profile in TV ads as the campaign ends. A spokeswoman said they emphasize "what he stands for, what he believes in, what type of person he is."
(By Matthew Rosenberg -- Associated Press)
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Even as their mugs were flashing on TV, the candidates in both states took to the road yesterday, courting voters face to face.
Cardin spent the day in Prince George's County and Baltimore, where he spoke to a minority business group. Steele gave a 40-minute motivational speech at Morgan State University in Baltimore. In Virginia, Webb campaigned with former governor Mark R. Warner (D) in rural areas; Allen rallied in Charlottesville with Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.).
With the clock ticking toward Tuesday, the candidates continued to air negative charges, hoping to depress turnout for their opponents. An Allen ad running frequently in Virginia accuses Webb of failing to take seriously the Navy's Tailhook scandal, in which women were assaulted at a Las Vegas convention in 1991.
Webb has responded with an ad denying Allen's accusations.
"After a campaign filled with nothing but attacks on Jim's character, you would think that now, in the last week, [Allen] would find a shred of decency and keep this positive," Todd said Tuesday. "He can't do it."
LaCivita said that Todd's comments were "the pot calling the kettle black."
Allen and Webb also began airing more positive ads yesterday in hopes of appealing to voters' softer sides. By the end of the week, those ads are likely to become almost as ubiquitous as the attacks that viewers have come to expect as candidates attempt to end the campaign on a high note.
In one new ad, called "Bottom Line," Webb looks directly into the camera and -- in a first for him -- directly asks to be elected to the Senate.
"Bottom line: They're not fighting for you," he says of incumbents in Washington. "I will. We need a new direction, on issues like making health care and college more affordable and setting a real strategy to make our nation more secure. If you're ready for change, I'd be honored to have your vote."
Allen countered with a new ad of his own, in which he says he deplores what he calls false character attacks and distortions of his record.
"That's not how we do things in Virginia," he says to the camera. "As your senator, I want to continue fighting for our shared values. Lower taxes, a better education for our children and a safer, stronger America. I'm George Allen, and I approve this message and respectfully ask for your vote."
