At an August rally in southwest Virginia, Allen interrupted a routine stump speech and pointed to a man of Indian descent who was videotaping the event for his Democratic opponent, James Webb, and called the aide "macaca," a genus of monkey. Some of Allen's former football teammates at the University of Virginia came forward later to say that he routinely used racist language. Asked at a debate last month about reports of his Jewish roots, he denounced the accounts as "aspersions" before confirming them a day later.

The episodes unraveled an effort by Allen to mend a reputation for racial insensitivity that has pursued him through his steady rise from Palos Verdes to college athlete, lawyer, state legislator, governor and, in 2000, U.S. senator. Allen has, for example, had to explain his fondness for the Confederate flag and the presence of a hangman's noose in his Charlottesville law office.

In his first Senate term, he has taken three civil rights pilgrimages, co-sponsored a resolution apologizing to lynching victims and their descendants, and proposed allocating a half-billion dollars to historically black colleges.

But "macaca" raises a question: Has Allen really evolved, or did his true nature slip into public view?

Allen, who denies using racist language, declined requests for an interview, asking instead for written questions. By yesterday, his campaign had not provided answers.

An Ascent Shadowed By Questions on Race