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In this video image provided by the George Allen Campaign, Sen. George Allen, R-Va. (right), and Sen. John Warner, R-Va., appear together in a campaign ad that was broadcast statewide in Virginia last night. |
RICHMOND--Sen. George Allen is rolling out a big gun in his quest to keep his Senate seat--Sen. John Warner, R-Va.
Warner appeared with Allen in a one-time TV ad broadcast last night in most media markets in the state.
In it, Warner called Allen a "partner" in the Senate, and said he and Allen agree on issues such as low taxes and encouraging Iraq to resist terrorists.
"Today, the security of our nation is vital," Warner said. "George and I stand for a safe and strong America."
Warner said he has given his "straightforward, outspoken views" about Iraq, and that Allen has his vote.
The ad was similar to one Allen ran a few weeks ago, for which he also bought two minutes of airtime for a one-time showing of an ad. In that one, he discussed his past record, while his wife, Susan, stood at his side.
The Allen campaign calls them "addresses" and says they're a way to "bypass the media filter," according to a blog on Allen's official Web site.
But the Warner ad is also Allen's latest move to link himself with the popular senior senator, rather than with President George Bush, who suffers from low approval ratings, and to side with Warner's cautious views on Iraq. Allen's opponent, Democrat Jim Webb, has made Iraq his central issue in this campaign, saying the United States should decrease its military involvement there.
During a televised debate with Webb last week, Allen cast himself as an ally with Warner on issues like taxes, and tied Webb to liberal Democrats like Sen. Hillary Clinton and John Kerry.
Allen invoked his relationship with Warner much more than he did his relationship with Bush, although Webb frequently accuses Allen of having voted with Bush 97 percent of the time last year--more than Warner did.
Virginia Commonwealth University political analyst Robert Holsworth said Allen is trying to deflect the idea that he just goes along with whatever the president wants.
"It is clearly an attempt to distance himself from being seen as simply a 97-percenter," Holsworth said.
And by linking himself to Warner, Holsworth said, Allen is shifting from his support of Bush's position on Iraq, toward Warner's more cautious and less optimistic position.
"Clearly on the Iraq war, there was a notable shift in rhetoric last Monday night, from an unqualified defense of the president to the suggestion that the people whose position he is now closest to are John Warner and Jim Baker, individuals who are highly critical of the current policy," Holsworth said. "I think what Allen is trying to do is link himself more closely to John Warner on Iraq than he is George Bush, and that represents a notable shift over the last months."
Warner is something of a maverick who flouts his party and president when he disagrees with them. He recently returned from a visit to Iraq and said the situation there is not improving and that the U.S. may need to rethink its involvement in the coming months.
But even while Allen stands beside Warner on the television screen, he's still aligned with Bush in ways that are less in the public eye.
Bush is reportedly scheduled to visit Richmond Thursday for a private fundraiser with Allen.
"President Bush is not popular, so you have the situation where once again you see a Virginia campaign where the Republican candidate uses the president as a fundraiser but not as an advocate," Holsworth said.
He noted that Allen isn't the only Republican candidate shying away from publicly promoting his connections with Bush while privately seeking his help with die-hard activists.
"At the moment, the president just doesn't have the political clout with some of the voters that these candidates need to have," Holsworth said. "They want his financial clout, but they're trying to distance themselves from any political liability."
While Allen raises money with Bush, Webb will be holding a fundraiser in Northern Virginia with former president Bill Clinton--also a proven fundraiser but one whose past is more likely to appeal to Democrats than to voters at large.
Holsworth said Clinton's appearance--his wife recently endorsed Webb--signals the importance national parties are putting on the Virginia race.
"Clinton is the fundraising champion of the Democratic Party. This certainly gives evidence of the seriousness with which the Democrats are taking this race, if they're bringing in almost the all-time champion to a fundraising to work on behalf of Webb," Holsworth said. "I don't think you're going to see Clinton stump the state with Webb, but in these last weeks all kinds of money are going to flow in this campaign."
Holsworth noted that the Republican National Committee has been shifting its money around, pulling out of some races where they deem the Republican will lose, and moving that money into more competitive races.
"George Allen is going to be the beneficiary of that," Holsworth said. "The fundraising dollars we saw in the last reports are simply the tip of the iceberg about what's going to happen in Virginia over the next few weeks."
Holsworth was referring to the most recent campaign finance reports, which were filed yesterday. They show that Webb outraised Allen during the past three months--$3.3 million to $1.94 million. Allen, however, had more cash on hand, $5.57 million, to Webb's $2.7 million.
To reach CHELYEN DAVIS:
Email: cdavis@freelancestar.com
