High-Wattage Politicians Help Allen, Webb Wrap Up

By Tim Craig and Lisa Rein
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, November 7, 2006

Former president Bill Clinton campaigned with Democrat James Webb at a rally last night in Alexandria, while Sen. John W. Warner (R) appeared on statewide television with Sen. George Allen (R) as Virginia's U.S. Senate candidates made their final appeals before today's election.

With the race a tossup, Webb turned to one of the Democratic Party's most popular figures to help boost turnout. Several thousand people packed Market Square in Old Town Alexandria to see Clinton, who did not disappoint the largest Webb crowd of the campaign.

Referring to Allen's attacks on Webb's novels, Clinton drew roaring approval from the crowd when he said, "The only thing good about that outrageous attack on Jim Webb's books is that somebody on the other side had to read a book."

Allen asked Warner, the state's admired senior senator, to help him remind supporters of the importance of showing up at the polls. Allen and Warner appeared in a two-minute commercial televised statewide.

"I'm asking you to put behind the thunder of the campaign, move past the frustration we all feel, and in a calm, reflective way consider the importance of your vote and the challenges of our future," said Warner, who would lose the chairmanship of the Senate Armed Services Committee if Democrats capture the Senate. "If you have a measure of confidence in me, I ask that you send George Allen back to the Senate to continue as my working partner."

Late polls were inconclusive. If the election is close, the count of absentee votes could help determine the winner. Most local governments in Virginia will count their absentee votes tonight and include them as part of the totals. More than 130,000 people have voted absentee, three times the number who did in 2002.

Democrats complained yesterday about what they said was voter intimidation aimed at keeping their voters from the polls. But Virginia Electoral Board Secretary Jean Jensen said she had received just three such calls.

In one case, an Arlington County man said he received a message on his answering machine saying that he was registered to vote in New York and would be prosecuted if he showed up at the polls today in Virginia. In fact, the man is registered in Arlington.

Jensen said the allegations prompted her to consult with Justice Department officials who oversee voting rights issues in Virginia elections. But she took no other action.

Campaigning with Webb, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) said, "I don't know the scope of the effort or how significant it has been, but it does look like a coordinated effort."

That prompted a blistering response from Allen consultant Chris LaCivita, who said neither the Allen campaign nor any Republican group was doing anything to suppress turnout. "The governor is being nothing but a political partisan," LaCivita said.

The third candidate in the Senate race, Glenda "Gail" Parker of the Independent Green Party, showed up at a Webb rally yesterday in Roanoke. She has been receiving about 2 percent of the vote in recent polls, running as an advocate of high-speed rail service between Virginia cities. Parker said last week she was considering dropping out and endorsing Allen or Webb but later changed her mind.

"I'm here today to offer support, encouragement and to say if folks can't vote for us because we are too conservative, then for goodness sakes, vote for positive change," Parker said.

At stops across the state yesterday, Allen, Webb and their surrogates claimed each campaign was surging.

"We have momentum on our side, because people in Virginia are focused on issues, ideas and a proven record of performance," Allen said at a noon rally at Norfolk International Airport.

As a symbol of how the Allen-Webb race is viewed nationally by party leaders, Clinton was joined by Senate Democratic Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), who runs the Senate Democratic campaign committee.

Former governor Mark R. Warner, campaigning with Webb, said in Norfolk, "This race was supposed to be a cakewalk [for Allen]. But we have all the momentum. We are going to turn out and take back our United States Senate seat tomorrow."

Kaine, who referred to Webb as "Senator Webb" a few times while campaigning with him yesterday, said, "I have a feeling we are going to win big."

Capping the day, Clinton accused the Republicans of scaring voters on taxes, terrorism and illegal immigration. "The campaign that has been run against Jim Webb is the most grotesque example of what they have been running across the country," he said.

Allen campaigned yesterday with a throng of politicians, activists and even some former National Football League players coached by Allen's father, George Allen.

At the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU Metro station, Allen cut short a morning campaign stop to greet voters after he was mobbed by reporters, supporters and protesters. Among them was activist Cindy Sheehan of California, who said she came to support "antiwar, peace" candidates. Her son was killed in Iraq.

Allen aides have been on guard since a liberal blogger disrupted campaign appearances in Charlottesville last week and near Harrisonburg on Saturday. They whisked the senator away quickly to make calls to morning radio talk shows that broadcast to conservative audiences across the state.

Allen noted in Norfolk that his campaign plane had flown over Craney Island, which is being dredged to expand the Port of Hampton Roads. During their first debate, Allen tested his challenger's familiarity with Virginia by asking him about the island, stumping Webb.

"It's important to know Virginia, know the people, know the issues," Allen told the crowd.

The former governor brought up the issue of the Iraq war in the TV commercial that aired last night. "Working with Senator Warner, I'll seek a new course for our brave troops that corrects mistakes instead of dwelling on them . . . and leaves Iraq an ally in the war on terror," he said.

Webb, in his closing stump speeches, highlighted his early opposition to the war in Iraq, the need to close the gap between the rich and the poor and, as he says, "standing up to this president."

Webb said of Allen: "This is somebody who should have run on his issues. But apparently he doesn't have a record to run on."

In the state's other closely watched ballot issue, supporters and opponents of a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage spent the last days of their campaign reaching out to voters in churches, over the airwaves and by phone.

Staff writers Amy Gardner, Michael D. Shear and Chris L. Jenkins contributed to this report.