George Allen isn't fooling anyone

April 2, 2012

As we highlighted at AllenFoolsDay.com yesterday, George "Allen... will need to answer critics from both sides who argue that he was 'part of the problem' during his time in Congress, which contradicts his new image of a reformer'." (Richmond Times Dispatch)

Progressive Point: We need leaders who will fight for Virginia families. But the only folks George Allen has a record of fighting for are oil and gas companies. Virginia families don't want elected officials that they can't trust to represent their interests. 

George Allen's taken hundreds of millions of dollars from the oil industry while denying global warming. He opposes maintaining a safety net for those Virginians who need a hand up, but supports corporate welfare for record profit-making gas companies. He's built a record on inconsistency, ideology, and irreverence for making tough choices and sticking to his word. Virginians value deeds, not words--and George Allen isn't fooling anyone. 

Get the Facts:

• While visiting Iowa, Allen expressed growing disinterest with his job in the Senate, saying that it runs like a board of directors. "I made more decisions in half a day as governor than you can make in a whole week in the Senate," Senator Allen said. At another stop in Iowa, Allen "lamented about being in the Senate, [saying] 'It's too slow for me.' Senator Allen had traveled to Iowa with designs on the White House in 2008, so his musings on his job's duties may not sound surprising. But the senator from Virginia may be getting ahead of himself. Even as he laments his day job, he is...asking Virginians to return him to it." (New York Times, 3/26/06;Newport News Daily Press, 10/11/98)


• George Allen has accepted $498,597 from the oil and gas industry. (Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 3/30/12)


• "Allen takes credit for 'reining in state spending' when he was governor. In fact, general fund spending grew by 46.8 percent from the budget Allen inherited when he was inaugurated in January 1994, and the budget he recommended before leaving office in January 1998." (Politifact, 9/12/11)


• Allen drastically cut Virginia's public assistance programs, declaring "Welfare is not to be a permanent status for anyone in life." [Harris, John F. "Allen Urges VA Welfare Restrictions; Plan Would Require Job, Two-Year Cutoff", (Washington Post, August 17, 1993)


• As Senator, Allen voted to extend corporate welfare to oil and gas companies. (Washington Post, 9/24/11) He has since repeatedly opposed attempts to repeal these subsidies. (Virginia Politics blog, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 5/11/11;Virginian-Pilot, 3/29/12)

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