Sen. Wellstone Dead

“It's on all the major news websites.

Very sad.”

“Im sorry but who is that?”

“Sen. Wellstone Dies in Plane Crash


EVELETH, Minn. (AP) - Sen. Paul Wellstone was killed Friday when his small chartered plane crashed near an airport runway, Democratic sources said.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the 58-year-old senator, in the midst of a grueling re-election campaign, died along with members of his family and staff as well as two pilots.

Wellstone's campaign manager confirmed the death of the lawmaker - one of the Senate's most prominent liberals - in the final days of his campaign for a third term in the Senate.”

“Senator from Minnesota. Former PoliSci professor. It is a tragedy regardless of your politics. His wife and daughter and five others died with him in a plane crash.”

“That sucks.”

“that's not Lyndy”

“WOW!! I just caught this cuz I was looking at the Star Tribune website for other reasons.

On the motorcoach tour I took with some students in March of this year, we visited his Senate office in D.C. Although he was off for Easter break.

And when I returned from New Mexico Tuesday and was coming back home from the Twin Cities airport, I fueled up at a gas station where his green and white "Re-elect Wellstone" old schoolbus was filling up.

I can't speak much on his politics, as I'm from Iowa. It was only March of a year ago that I started working some in MN and getting updated on their politics. I do know he ran a very unconventional campaign when he was first elected to office.

Here's a link:
Paul Wellstone”

“My sympathies to the family.

One question: Does anyone know the replacement process?

Is this a possibility? Sen. Wellstone's name remains on the ballot. Wellstone wins because of sympathy vote. Jesse Ventura gets to name replacement. Democrats win 50 seats in new Senate, Republicans win 49. Ventura decides control Senate. Is this possible?

BTW, my apologies if this is too early to mention. It's just a crazy thing all the way around.”

“Good catch twiggy...”

“RL, no, I don't think it is too early to mention. This is someone none of us knew personally, and the only reason we even know about it is because he was a Senator. I don't know what happens to his seat, either in the short term (now until inaug. day) or on the ballot a week from Tuesday.”

“The usual tradition is to appoint the spouse it seems, but she's gone, too.....”

“Interesting question, RL.

Well have you heard this?? Ventura is talking about resigning from the office of governor (he is not running for re-election) a few days early to give Minnesota its first female governor -- I take it that would be his Lt. gov., in other words, who must be a woman.

I think that whole plan sucks. Playing games in office.”

“Playing games is what politics is all about! Didn't you get the memo?”

“This is terrible. Wellstone was a man of character and integrity.

My heart goes out to his family and the families of the others who died on that plane.”

“From CNN.com:

Under Minnesota law, if a nominee in a Senate race dies during a campaign, his or her political party can select a replacement candidate no later than four days before the general election. Election Day this year is November 5. ”

“When he said something it was as though he really believed,unlike most people in DC.One who supported those in our society that most needs assistance.He will be missed.”

“yep... love him or hate him... it's hard to deny that he stood up for what he believed - he seemed to be a guy who refused to be bought off...

He seemed to be a man of remarkable integrity.

How odd though that he dies shortly before the election... just two years after the same thing happened with Mel Carnahan.”

“met him personally once - unlike some other sen/reps he took the time to talk to us, show us his office, and get to know us a little, nice guy - i was sad to hear the news at work.”

“Thanks for the answer. I had the same question as RL. Although sounding callous in the midst of such a tragedy, I, too was wonding about the political process.”

“pedxing - "how odd" ???

A woman, apparently African-American, called a radio talk show yesterday morning about the sniper suspects, and said "Isn't it convenient how they found two African-American's to pin this on."

How odd. How convenient. ??!!

Conspiracy theory? (I thought Wellstone was in trouble anyway....)”

“Wellstone had a lot of guts. I hear he had MS that was slowly getting worse.”

“"Odd" didn't mean "convenient" or "conspiratorial" it meant "coincidental."

I s'pose we could make up a story that the DNC offed him because they couldn't pull off a Torricelli with him.

Anyway, to me its a sad and weird coincidence. Wellstone seemed like a very good man.”

“His political opposites sound more upset than some from his own party. There wasn't anyone else like him in Congress. Who will be there 'to fight for the little guy' now?”

“pedxing, that's what I thought, I was just playing with ya!”

“wellstone was one of the few liberals i respect because he believed in the things he did for the right reasons. he was also rather humorious and uncorrupted in my opinion. i feel sorry for him and his family. they were on their way to a funeral”

“Saw this at rense.com

"From Greg Hurley
10-25-2

A few notes I've compiled on Wellstones' voting record.

He was Bush's best enemy it seems.

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/vote1072/vote_menu.html

* Voted AGAINST use of Military Force Against Iraq without considerations

* Voted AGAINST Homeland Security

* Voted AGAINST giving too much power to the President in the case of
Iraq.

* Voted FOR an INDEPENDENT investigation of 9/11 terrorist attacks on the
US."

Looks like Wellstone and Buchanan saw eye to eye on a lot of things!”

“It was in 1997 that Wellstone said that the Democratic Party had lost its soul.

He had a point and he had guts.”

“The Democratic controlled Senate has wrapped a noose around judicial appointments. None of GWB's appointments have made it out of committee. Such an abuse of power is unprecidented and unpublisized.

I don't like seeing anyone die before their time, but I hope Wellstone's death will bring an end to the political stranglehold of the Judicial branch of government.”

“sorry bacpac, it wont. they hate bush and will do anything they can to give him problems. it's actually sad in my view that they put party over solutions. hopefully the public will wake up and vote the loosers out. the media is doing all it can to help their democratic heros but maybe just maybe the public will wake up soon.”

“Bringing up this shit when the guy and his family aren't even cold yet is a new low.”

“There were all these news stories about the Senator, and almost nothing was said about the people who died with him. His daughter died, and they never even mentioned her age, in any of the news I read. So because he was Senator, the newspeople don't need to report on anybody except him? The daughter wouldn't even have been on a plane flying in bad weather if it weren't for her father's profession. I hate when these small planes go down and kill a famous person's family or entourage.”

“Never even hearded of him!!!! Looks like Fritzie Mondale will get another chance in the Senate though.”

“I was at the newspaper office Saturday in MN. His senate office was faxing in information about his funeral. It will be held for him, his family and the others ... hmmm, I think at Williams Arena, which is on the U of M campus in St. Paul.

I've heard he leaves two sons behind. I don't know their ages, but if they're old enough, I wonder of either is into politics? Or would like a baptism by fire into the Senate and/or Senate race?”

“tilt, you got 2 weeks to talk about it and then comes the election. better get ta yappin, i'd say. not tryin to be cold, just pragmatic. it's a natural inclination to look at how an event will effect the big picture. if was trent lott, i'd be thinking the same things.

i figure mondale will win because of the sympathy vote.”

“save it.”

“I never paid much attention to Wellstone, but the stories about him have painted a great picture. I do not identify with the liberal cause, or, for that matter, with the right wing either. But we do need responsible people to represent the political extremes, people who lead by persuasion.

And when people like that pass from the scene, we are that much poorer for their passing. Then again, we are richer for what they left us.

You can disagree with somebody and still respect them. You can even fight against them and still respect them.”

“The campaign CRAP(!!) is starting in earnest. KEEP DUBYA HOME!

The Wellstone Wars begin”

“Well… pedxing only hinted at it but quickly backpedaled: SENATOR PAUL WELLSTONE ASSASSINATED BY COVERT US TERROR GROUP LINKED TO BUSH”

“wellstone was in trouble before he died. he broke his original promise of only running for 2 terms. this "memorial servicec" was nothing more than a sickening rally for mondale. i think this is gonna backfire on them. they even bussed in AFLCIO members. jessie ventura walked out , saying he felt used, violated & duped. this 4 hr event was televised live on local channels. free commercial for democrats. pathetic. i think wellstone would be ashamed. i know i am.....”

“stratdewd, I heard Paul Harvey saying at noon that one poll showed Mondale with an 8 percent lead already.”

“too bad liz, can't believe people are so gullable.

i strayed from my point before, which was...wellstone wasn't doing that great so if anyone offed him, it was the dems. just like they did torricelli.....”

“Sorry tilt, the Democrats took the bar down another notch when they turned a memorial service into a political rally.”

“just like the torch ,there is no way to explain this one away. too bad the mind-numbed masses won't hear this take on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, or PBS”

“Actually, I heard the report on PBS, and they were saying that the "memorial service" turned into a political rally. I don't think there is any excuse for this, and it dishonors Paul Wellstone. Booing Trent Lott and Jesse Ventura was just low.
However, I feel sure that the Republicans would have done the same thing. Sad state of affairs for the body politic.”

“So .. here’s your situation. You are Norm Coleman. You are running against Paul Wellstone for the Minnesota Senate seat. Wellstone dies in an airplane accident. The Minnesota Democrats make it clear that they’re going to put former Vice President Walter Mondale on the ballot in Wellstone’s place.

Out of respect to the family of Paul Wellstone you decide to put your campaign in low gear for a few days. In the meantime the news is all about Wellstone and his replacement, Walter Mondale. You hear that Minnesotans just love Mondale. You read what a wonderful statesman he is. You watch the TV news and hear that Mondale has just the right experience to represent Minnesota during this tough time in the US Senate.

So … you decide to put your campaign back into high gear. You suggest that you might like to debate Mondale before the election. Suddenly the Democrats go berserk! “What’s the matter with you? Don’t you have any respect for the memory of Paul Wellstone? Do you have no decency at all? His family is still mourning and you’re out there campaigning? Can’t you have the decency to just pipe down for a few more days?””

“It is a lose lose situation for Mr. Coleman.

Ashcraft stopped his campaign and got beat.”

“Those last two posts are gross inaccuracies, at best.”

“ashcraft?”

“Yeah, that was low, but I'm so sorry to dissapoint you.... I wasn't there.... I didn't organize it.... And I'm still not a Democrat. Why do you fools continue to assume that because I know Bush (the Subsequent ) to be an idiot that I must a Democrat? I voted for Bush (the Previous) in '88.

<DUH!>

I'm talking about that bullshit YOU bacpac brought up regarding judicial approvals. Not someone in Minnesota, Saskatchewan or Timbuktu.

Anyone with half a brain knows how the Republicans held up Democratic appointments during the Clinton Administration. Gee Whizz! Why would they do that??

I'm sure you recall Robert Bork. And why did the Democrats torpedo Bork? Remember the firing of Archibald Cox and 'the Saturday Night Massacre' during the Watergate investigation? They went down the line firing everyone who wouldn't sell out their country... until they got to Bork. What a guy!

And what a lovely series of paybacks, eh?


BY THE WAY, I heard about the 'memorial service' turned political rally on CNN, including the quote from Ventura (which was right on, IMO). So the Dewd is Wrong Again.”

“i'd love to be wrong more often....”