Allen delivers final message on Senate floor

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - U.S. Sen. George Allen, R-Va., took the floor of the Senate to deliver a farewell address Wednesday with his political future uncertain and his 2008 presidential ambitions destroyed.

In his final remarks, Allen said little about his future, but looked back on the challenges faced and overcome while governor and senator. He ended his time with these words in praise of his colleagues:

“We never gave up. We never backed down. And we always stood strong for freedom.”

Last spring, Virginia’s Senate seat was largely seen as a lock for Republicans. Allen was a charismatic and popular former state legislator and governor with strong political ties. Sen.-elect Jim Webb was a former Republican and political novice with no fundraising network. Then, in August, Allen used the term “macaca” to describe a Webb campaign worker of Indian-descent, forever altering his political future. Critics said the remark was racially insensitive.

Allen lost to Webb, who campaigned primarily on opposition to the Iraq War, by less than 10,000 votes, giving control of Congress to the Democrats for the first time since 1994. Webb — a decorated veteran and military expert — has already been a vocal critic of Bush administration foreign policy, and is expected to shape the debate on how to deal with the War in Iraq in the new Congress.

“The macaca moment will always be a footnote for him in history,” said Sean O’Brien, director of the Sorenson Center for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia. “That comment has an important impact on the future of the country because it’s why Jim Webb is Senator.”

O’Brien said Allen could return to the political arena, likely as a candidate for Virginia governor in 2009. Many believe former Democratic Gov. Mark Warner and former Republican Gov. Jim Gilmore could also run, making the campaign a battle of political heavyweights. O’Brien said this race would indicate whether the recent Democratic trend in Virginia will continue.

“The 2009 contest could really say a lot about the future of Virginia,” he said.

dfrancis@dcexaminer.com