AP) Sen. George Allen and Democrat Jim Webb entered the final week of their bitter and sometimes bizarre campaign with Allen refusing to denounce his supporters' manhandling of a liberal blogger and accusing Webb of provoking the incident.

Polls show their race is close and could help determine whether the GOP retains its U.S. Senate majority.

Webb, campaigning in Richmond, said he knew nothing of the incident Tuesday in which men wearing blue Allen lapel stickers put University of Virginia law student W. Michael Stark in a choke hold and slammed him to the floor after an Allen rally at a Charlottesville hotel.