"Democrat Jim Webb drew high-profile political, Hollywood and military names at boisterous rallies yesterday in an effort to stoke turnout for Tuesday's too-close-to-call Senate race.

He appeared at a lunchtime rally at Virginia Union University in Richmond with U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, an Illinois Democrat who's considered a rising star in the national party. Later in the day, Webb was joined at an event in Arlington County by actor Michael J. Fox, a stem-cell research advocate, and retired four-star Gen. Wesley Clark, a former Democratic candidate for president.

Obama received a rock star's welcome at VUU as he urged Virginians to send Webb to Congress.

'People are looking for the kind of candidates who are going to deliver on that message of hope, the kind of candidates who believe in a common sense, practical kind of government and an honest, principled kind of leadership,' said Obama, whose speech was often interrupted by thunderous cheers.

'And you in Virginia have somebody right here who can be elected to the U.S. Senate, if in the next few days everybody here makes that effort,' said Obama, as some in the audience waved his new book, 'The Audacity of Hope.'

After the rally, which drew more than 700 people, Obama told The Times-Dispatch that for Webb to win, 'the enthusiasm that is evident today has to be sustained.' While Republican U.S. Sen. George Allen and Webb each have their base, Obama said, 'The question is who is going to do a better job of making sure their voters get to the polls.'

The rally drew some of the state's leading Democrats, including L. Douglas Wilder, a former governor who's now mayor of Richmond; Gov. Timothy M. Kaine; former Gov. Mark R. Warner; U.S. Rep. Robert C. Scott, D-3rd; as well as local lawmakers and James Nachman, a Democrat who's running for the 7th Congressional District seat.

Webb, who came onto the stage to a recording of Tom Petty's 'I Won't Back Down,' said his race against Allen is about three issues, a common theme of his speeches -- redirecting the nation's foreign policy; economic fairness; and stopping the presidential abuse of power.
'We're going to bring a different kind of attitude into the U.S. government,' said Webb, a former Republican who served as President Ronald Reagan's Navy secretary and is making his first bid for elected office. 'It's time for us to stop pointing fingers at each other and work together and make this a different country.'

At the Arlington rally, Webb took a jab at conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh while introducing Fox. Limbaugh last week said Fox was either not taking his medication or was acting or exaggerating his Parkinson's disease symptoms in ads the actor made for Democratic candidates who support embryonic stem-cell research.

'No offense folks, but I think Rush Limbaugh knows a little bit about the use of prescription drugs,' Webb said to raucous laughter, referring to the talk-show host's publicized problems with some prescription medications.

Fox said supporting stem-cell research is 'about promise. It's about always moving forward.' He faulted Allen for voting this summer against extending federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research, which Webb said he would have voted for.

'Senator Allen needs to hear from you,' Fox told the sold-out crowd of more than 900 guests who paid a suggested $50 ticket price to see Webb, Fox and Clark at the Clarendon Ballroom.

'He will!' many in the crowd replied.

Fox said embryonic stem-cell research would use embryos already marked for destruction. 'I can think of no better affirmation of the culture of life,' he said." (Pamela Stallsmith and Kiran Krishnamurthy, Richmond Times-Dispatch, November 3, 2006)

Editor's Note: An index to coverage of George Allen on the Loper website may be found at http://loper.org/~george/archives/2006/Aug/925.html