Pooka, I can appreciate your perspective. I'm not suggesting state officials' motives are purely political. I'm definitely saying there was no reason for the Secretary of State and Attorney General to make statements claiming "this is what the law says" before they really sorted out what the law does and doesn't say, which is what happened yesterday in Minnesota.

As I said, the Attorney General has already come out and said some of the information he gave in yesterday's news conference was wrong. The Secretary of State is making what could well end up being a very shaky argument against Wellstone's name remaining on the ballot. But most the legal minds came out today and said it appears as though Wellstone's name CAN remain on the ballot if the party doesn't put forward a name by the deadline. Under those circumstances, if Wellstone would win, it looks like the Governor appoints an interim senator for one year, and a special election would be held in November 2003, with a return to the regular election calendar with the 2008 election.

Ventura came out today after a meeting with his lawyers, and said he wasn't doing anything yet, but he was keeping open the option of making an appointment.

The party came out today and said they wouldn't do anything until the family's wishes are known, so I'm hoping one of his sons will step in. Or that the Guv appoints Winona La Duke. :)

I'm not a Wellstone campaigner, BTW. I wasn't even sure I was going to vote for him, until his vote on Iraq. Many of us were waiting to see how he responded to that vote. I still may not vote for the DFL party candidate--it depends on who that candidate turns out to be.

I, like many, many progressives, feel the loss of his voice. I don't for an instant believe he is the only voice. I've been thinking about moving next door to Wisconsin to get Feingold as my senator.

There are A LOT of great progressive voices in this country. People seem to be forgetting that progressives don't usually work in the US Congress to bring about social, economic, and political change, but outside it. If the democracy is going to work, some of us have to be outside those halls of power, doing the work of a genuine opposition to those in power, like galvanizing opinion, creating new and visionary realities that show, don't tell, how we can change the world for the better.

I'm not discouraged. I just came from an anti-war rally with an estimated turnout of 10,000 people!!! The Wellstone campaign already has new t-shirts and signs--they altered them with the phrase "Carry it forward!" Nice, huh? If anything, the death of the Wellstones will inspire and galvanize the progressive community against this war. What better legacy could they leave than that? This is a definite turning point for our progressive community in Minnesota, but not for the worse. Hey--we've got a legacy of progressive populism here in the upper midwest--North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin--that goes WAY back. Well, for us Americans anyway! Wellstone was never a fluke here. He really was just another in a long line of progressive populists like Floyd B. Olson, Debs, etc etc.

But we are all very, very sad for the loss of these special folks who worked very hard fighting the good fight. They deserve to be honored and respected for that, and to mourned and grieved by all people who believe in a progressive activist approach, rather than just a liberal intellectual one.

But thanks to all of you--the support for him is great to hear. It's wonderful that Wellstone touched so many people outside the state too. It sometimes seemed like we Minnesotans were the only people who were lucky enough to know and understand him. It really is hard to say much beyond "I didn't agree with him" because on a personal level, Wellstone was a great guy. Very funny, very witty, very warm. And his first campaign was unbelievably great political theatre. The best I've ever seen. When he won the first time, it was just unbelievably joyous--we were all absolutely giddy. Which is what makes our sadness run so deep now.

I don't know how many of you remember back to when Wellstone was inaugurated. He handed a tape to VP Quayle, outlining his opposition to Iraq war, and then cornered Bush to tell him his thoughts on the war. Bush's response was "Who is this chickenshit"?

Today at the rally, someone was carrying a big sign that read "Chickenshits for Peace". No hand wringing here folks. We are carrying on, even today. The families of the loved ones killed are being very well cared for by this community, at the same time the broader community carries on the fight. Just like it should be in life, no?