Former Senator George Allen -- the once-leading religious-right candidate eyeing the run for the presidency in 2008, until his "macaca moment" lost him the election and his aspirations -- is said to be running against Sen. Webb in 2012.
Allen, the former U.S. senator and Virginia governor, plans to tell supporters within a week that he is mounting a campaign to retake the Senate seat he lost to Democrat Jim Webb in 2006, according to Politico.
There was no mention of a possible run on Allen's website Monday. But he did post his picks for this past weekend's NFL playoff games. For Allen's sake, we hope his political future fares better than his prognosticating skills. The son of the former Redskins coach went 1-3 in the weekend games, correctly picking only the Green Bay-Atlanta game.
Allen, 58, has already begun to line up key staff members for his 2012 run, according to Politico. Webb beat Allen by only 1 percent (thanks in part to an insensitive comment Allen made at a campaign stop in southwest Virginia) and has sent mixed signals about whether he will seek re-election. But DNC Chairman Tim Kaine, a former Virginia governor who could be the Democratic nominee if Webb were to bow out, has been telling friends he thinks Webb will run, Politico reported.
The Senator has a very checkered past when it comes to racism.
(Here's the video)
Since there has been a lot of talk about George Allen's fondness for the Confederate flag, I acquired this video that Ryan Lizza writes about.
"It's hard to make out, because the video is fuzzy. The copy I obtained was originally recorded off a television using VHS in 1993 and then transferred to a second tape, further degrading the quality. But, once you know what it is, it makes sense. It sits folded on a bookcase of trophies and bric-a-brac behind George Allen, who is seated at a desk in his home office.
"It's right there next to the fax machine. You can see the red field. You can make out the diagonal blue bar. And you can see what looks like a white star. It is the Confederate flag, and it appears in the very first ad that Allen broadcast in 1993, when he ran for governor..."
Can you guys make it out?
Update: Allen's ad-maker confirmed to TNR that the Confederate flag is there, but denies it was done on purpose.
I for one will welcome back a chance to go up against George Allen, formerly known as Senator Macaca.
