President George W. Bush is raising cash for Republican Sen. George Allen Wednesday despite the Virginia senator's recent remark about an opponent's campaign worker of Indian descent.

Allen has apologized for the incident, in which he saw the college student videotaping him at a rally and called him "macaca," a term many consider racist. It is a slur often used against African immigrants.

When news of Allen's original remarks to S.R. Sidarth first spread, the senator described his comments as a humorous attempt to poke fun at his Democratic challenger, James Webb. The senator had singled out a Webb volunteer of Indian descent who was filming him at a campaign stop, called him "macaca," and said, "Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia."

Sidarth was born in Virginia of Indian parents. But Allen said he meant no offense and didn't know "macaca" is a genus of monkey. He said he just made the word up.

Video of Allen's comment has become a sensation on the Internet.

The Daily Press newspaper reported that at the end of a speech Tuesday, Allen said,"I deeply regret those comments." The senator added, "I have no one to blame but myself. A person was insulted and others were. I'm fully responsible for it."

Sidarth told the Daily Press that Allen has not apologized to him personally.

"Since he went ahead and singled me out in front of a crowd, he should apologize to me in person," said Sidarth, who left the Webb campaign this week to begin his senior year at the University of Virginia. "I think that would be the decent thing for the senator to do. It should not be a political tool, which is what it becomes when it's done in a public forum."

In a widely leaked memo to supporters, Allen campaign manager Dick Wadhams accused the news media of working with the Webb campaign "to create national news over something that did not warrant coverage in the first place," The Daily Press reported.

"Never in modern times has a statewide officeholder and candidate been so vilified in a desperate attempt to revive a campaign that was fast-sinking," Wadhams wrote.

The White House said the president has no qualms about Wednesday night's fundraiser . However, a Democratic campaign spokesman said attending makes it look like Bush is rewarding Allen's behavior.