Virginia's Allen Wants to Return to DC to Reform Federal Government

George Allen, a Virginia Republican who announced on Monday that he will try to regain the U.S. Senate seat he lost in 2006, says he wants to reform the federal government, including repeal of Obamacare, and fight to preserve Virginia’s right-to-work laws. Allen also told Fox News’ Sean Hannity Monday night, in his first broadcast interview since the announcement, that he has learned from his mistakes.

Ex-Sen. George Allen

The former Virginia governor and senator was considered a potential 2008 GOP presidential nominee until he directed the word “macaca,” a term for monkey, at an Indian-American.

“I never should have dragged this young man into the debate,” Allen told Hannity. “It also diverted attention away from what people care about — businesses and families care about — jobs.”

“Folks are frustrated in Virginia,” Allen said, adding, “I have a lot of ideas that I think are important to reform the federal government, reigning in the spending, and also making sure that our country is a land of opportunity for all with the right energy and economic policies.”

Hannity said the most striking thing he recalls about the Senate race Allen lost is that his Democratic opponent, Jim Webb, “was trying to convince the people of Virginia he was conservative.”

Allen noted that Sen. Webb has voted consistently with Washington liberals.

“Whether it is EPA regulation of CO2, whether it's the stimulus spending bill, which is added to our debt, the bailouts — he also has voted for this health care monstrosity,” Allen said. “And most recently, he voted to undermine one of the strengths of Virginia, which is our right-to-work laws.

“I know from my days as governor how important right to work laws are, which means people are not compelled to join a union as a condition of work,” he said. “Virginia is the furthest state north on the Eastern Seaboard with the right-to-work law, which really gives us a competitive advantage in keeping jobs in Virginia as well as recruiting new investment in jobs.”