Back in the fray: George Allen forms a new PAC

A proven fundraiser with time on his hands, George Allen has established a political action committee with a familiar theme.

"The committee will support candidates supporrted by George Allen who share his ideas and support causes to improve freedom, opportunity, justice and commonsense Jeffersonian conservative principles with a focus on making Virginia a better place to live, learn and raise a family," reads the statement of organization filed with the Virginia Board of Elections.

If that sounds familiar, it's because it's taken from the stump speech he used to win gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races in Virginia. It's also the speech he used in losing his Senate seat to Jim Webb in November.

The natural question here is whether the PAC has an Allen on its future candidate list. Should John Warner retire from the Senate in 2008, might Allen run for his seat?

"Don't read anything into this," said Richard Cullen, a Richmond attorney who is treasurer of the PAC. "This is for candidates in the next political cycle, people running for the House of Delegates and like that. Governor Allen has showed that he knows how to raise money."

Richmond gets a dose of 'Law and Order.'

If timing counts for anything in politics, score one for the Virginia Republican Party.

In April, party officials announced that former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson would headline its fund-raising gala this Saturday, June 2, in Richmond.

Now the "Law and Order" star is the hottest political draw around.

News broke this week that Thompson would form a committee to begin testing the waters for a presidential bid. It followed a conference call with nearly 100 supporters, asking them to raise about $50,000 each. (When you're on the phone with 100 people, you've got to be serious about something.)

Anyway, the Richmond speech will mark Thompson's first major public appearance since that news surfaced. And the media is scrambling to hear what he has to say.

As of Thursday afternoon, 51 news outlets had requested credentials to cover the event, said Shaun Kenney, state party spokesman. That includes The Times of London and at least two news organizations from Tokyo.

"It's been pretty intense," Kenney said. "Everybody's coming."

No word yet on what Thompson will say, or whether he will take questions afterwards. Several media reports indicated he would formally kick off his campaign over the July 4th weekend.

If you're going up to Richmond on Saturday and want to chat about Thompson -- or discuss your favorite "Law and Order" rerun -- I'd love to hear from you. Give me a ring at 804-225-7345 or click here.

Potts still enjoys tweaking Republicans.

Sen. Russ Potts, the outgoing Republican from Winchester, has bedeviled the conservative wing of his party for years, from taxes to social issues.

Now he may take one last shot, even though he's not returning to Richmond. Potts told The Washington Post that is considering endorsing the Democratic candidate who is vying for his seat. The two Republicans seeking the nomination are simply too conservative. He had a few choice words to say, too.

Potts was part of a moderate voting bloc in 2004 that led the fight for higher taxes and new investments in education, public safety and health care. His upstart bid for governor in 2005 never got off the ground, despite quirky TV ads that featured people pounding pots and pans, yelling "We want Potts!"

Jim Gilmore is a law and order guy, but . . .

Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore faces an uphill battle in his quest to win the GOP presidential nomination. He has little name recognition relative to the frontrunners, and he doesn't have a lot of money.

He's staking his hopes on being the one guy who can reach out to bedrock conservatives. Which makes the news about Fred Thompson entering the race a bit more ominous.

Thompson, the "Law and Order" star and former senator from Tennessee, plans to position himself as a Reagan conservative. He has name recognition and the potential to raise big bucks. He's also very comfortable on TV (although Gilmore has come a long way in that regard). Check out this piece in today's Washington Post on how Thompson would stir up the GOP field.

We caught up with Gilmore at a breakfast in Richmond marking the 10th anniversary of the Virginia Public Access Project, which tracks campaign finances.

"Not very many people know much about Senator Thompson, other than the fact that he's been on 'Law and Order' so he has that name ID," Gilmore said. "Once he's in the race, some of that aura of mystery will disappear. We'll see what happens."

Meanwhile, Gilmore continues to trumpet his conservative credentials as a tax-cutter in Virginia and a national authority on homeland security.

"I think that will compare well against all the rest of the field, including Senator Thompson," he said.

Gilmore received a magnifying glass for assisting VPAP during his term as governor. (Check out VPAP, by the way. It's user-friendly and tells you plenty about where candidates get their moneny.)

But if things keep going the way they are, Gilmore may need a magnifying glass to find his headlines.

Novak on Warner and Davis and Gilmore and Warner

Political columnist Robert Novak turns an eye to the 2008 Virginia Senate race today, joining the speculators on what might happen should Republican John Warner decide not to seek re-election.

(Our money, for what it's worth, is on the state's senior senator seeking another term.)

Novak leans toward Rep. Tom Davis as the leading Republican would-be candidate should Warner decide to retire. Jim Gilmore would offer voters a more conservative choice, he writes, but that would mean Gilmore having to give up his presidential aspirations.

Uh-huh.

And then there's the always entertaining Mark Warner speculation -- that he would be the Democrats' strongest candidate for Senate -- if he isn't running for vice president as a running mate to Hillary Clinton.

The stealth presidential candidate comes to Virginia

And no, we're not talking about Former Gov. Jim Gilmore - who is getting little traction in his race for the Oval Office.

Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson is coming to speak at the Republican Party Gala in Richmond in early June. Thompson is probaly best known for his acting work on the hit drama "Law and Order," but he's been getting a lot of presidential buzz lately.

Republican acitivists and conservative columnists have been singing Thompson's praises as a staunch conservative, but so far the longtime actor has been playing coy with the GOP faithful.

But come to think of it, is that the best way to run for president these days? Look at the primary races on both sides and you'll see crowded contests with at least three top-tier candidates on each side - and then a stuggling pack.

The Republicans have Rudy Guliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney dominating the coverage with the rest of the pack fighting for airtime. Just look at Gilmore.

Meanwhile Thompson is sitting on the outside of the race, not facing the same level of constant scrutiny, but drawing fawning media coverage whenever he edges closer to the race or says something vaguely interesting.

It's an almost mirror image for Democratic voters - Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama and John Edwards are the front runners, and the rest of the field is trying to get noticed. Think about New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Hispanic candidate with an impressive resume who is getting about as much buzz as Gilmore.

But there sitting on the outside is former Vice President Al Gore. Gore has been courted by Democratic activists and has gotten amazingly positive attention since his global warming documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," won an Oscar. So far, Gore doesn't have to jump through the same hoops the other candidates do - and he gets to hear what a great guy he is from the left.

So what do y'all think? Is not running the best way to run for president these days ?

Two Dems will debate who's better to face Quayle

Two Democrats hoping to unseat Sen. Fred Quayle are slated to debate tonight at 7 p.m. at the Smithfield High School Auditorium.

Voters in the Democratic primary in June will pick either David Bouchard or Steve Heretick to face Quayle, R-Chesapeake, in the November election. The Isle of Wight Democratic Committee is hosting the event.

Democrat Farlow gaining some early momentum in the 96th

With primary elections looming and all 140 General Assembly seats up for grabs in November - don't be surprised when candidates start trotting their supporters out onto the campaign trail.

It's a crowded field looking to fill the seat vacated by retiring Del. Melanie Rapp - representing the 96th District - which includes parts of James City and York counties and part of Newport News. Three Republicans will face off in a primary in June - but the Democratic candidate, Troy Farlow, is getting some early momentum.

Farlow, a former aide to state Del. Lynwood Lewis, D-Accomac, ran briefly for Congress in 2005 before yielding to Phil Kellam, who went on to unsuccessfully challenge U.S. Rep. Thelma Drake, D-Norfolk.

Farlow just picked up the endorsement of the York County and Newport News Professional Firefighters - even before the GOP-field gets trimmed. The firefighters clearly felt they didn't even need to know who was running on the other side.

He's also getting some financial help from a Peninsula political giant. Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, D- Newport News, is going to be a special guest at a Farlow fundraiser on Wednesday night in D.C. - at the swanky jazz spot known as the 701 Restaurant.

VMI to honor Tommy Norment

Sen. Thomas K. "Tommy" Norment talks frequently at the General Assembly about the lessons and values he learned at the Virginia Military Institute, and if you look close enough you can still see shades of the cadet from the class of '68.

Now VMI is giving back to the James City Republican.

The VMI Foundation announced this week that in the fall Norment will address the cadets at VMI and be given its Distinguished Service Award.

He's got until Nov. 9, so that gives Norment plenty of time to polish his speech -- and to make sure his shoes are polished to a VMI-worthy shine.    

Webb and Clinton call for probe of body armor

Virginia Sen. Jim Webb and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton are calling for an investigation into whether an alternative body armor system might better protect troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The request for a probe by the Government Accountability Office comes after NBC News aired the results of an investigation it conducted that raised questions about the effectiveness of body armor now used by the U.S. military.

The report suggested that the Pinnacle Dragon Skin body armor-- a body vest resembling scales of a dragon-- may offer better protection than the Interceptor body armor now used by the military. The U.S. Army officials told NBC they had tested both systems and they found Interceptor body armor superior.

Webb, a combat veteran who has a son fighting in Iraq, said an independent investigation is warranted.

"For several years, I have heard reports from active-duty troops and military experts that Dragon Skin body armor is more effective than that currently being used," Webb said in a statement. "We owe it to those who are in harm's way to examine conclusively whether this is true."

In a letter to Comptroller General David M. Walker, Webb and Clinton requested a study that would compare and test the two body armor systems to determine which one provides better protection.

"Continuing allegations that superior body armor may be available but is not being acquired by the Department of Defense warrant an independent assessment," the senators wrote.