August 9, 2006

U.S. Senator George Allen (R) VA made Charlottesville a stop on his campaign trail Wednesday night. At the Omni hotel the Fraternal Order of Police endorsed the republican up for reelection.

Not once in his speech did Allen mention the war in Iraq, but we stopped Allen and asked him to address recent criticism from his democratic opponent Jim Webb.

Today senate hopeful Jim Webb’s camp came out and said they wonder why Senator Allen doesn't appear at public campaign events with President George Bush if Bush is so welcome in Virginia. Allen told us that’s simply not true.

“The president was at Fort Belvoir a couple of weeks ago and I was with him at Fort Belvoir. So we welcome the president of the United States to Virginia any time he wants to come,” Allen responded.

Allen countered with similar criticism of Webb.

“’I’ve said to my opponent he certainly is welcome to get the folks who’ve endorsed him such as John Kerry and Tom Daschle and Harry Reid--heck I’ll pay for John Kerry to come down here and campaign for him,” said Allen.

He also criticized Webb for being out on the West coast tonight raising money there for his campaign.

I'd rather be here with law enforcement officers in Charlottesville than with Hollywood moguls any day. I like the real world rather the world of fiction,” he remarked.

Allen also talked about the war in Iraq and said we have to stand against terrorism there and in Hezbollah but said he believes we will be seeing more of our troops coming home as the Iraqi government learns to sustain itself.

Allen also told us he didn't think democrat Joe Lieberman’s loss yesterday was any indication of how Virginians will vote.