Tea party can live with Allen win

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - George Allen won Tuesday's Virginia Republican senatorial primary in a walk last week, finishing with two-thirds of a low-turnout vote over a state tea party leader and two others with strong tea party followings.

Jamie Radtke, a tea party organizer from Richmond, got about one-fourth of Tuesday's vote, well short of what she wanted but far greater than many expected, after scourging Allen for months over his free-spending previous Senate term in a Republican-ruled Congress.

With the issue decided, Danville tea party member Patricia Evans, like many others, says the conservative movement will accept Allen over Democrat Tim Kaine and move on.

And by move on, they mean lay the groundwork for their biggest test yet: nominating and then electing conservative Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli governor next year.