Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash (2002)

Subject: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: Alice
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 02:13 PM

Senator Wellstone of Minnesota, just killed in crash of a private plane. He has been one of the voices speaking up for reason in the debate about Iraq. A Democratic, he was in a campaign for re-election in Minnesota.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: 53
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 02:18 PM

State senator or a U.S. senator?

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: Peg
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 02:18 PM

he was just up for re-election to a third term, too. Very sad. He and his family were en route to a funeral apparently.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: Ebbie
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 02:19 PM

U.S.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: Lepus Rex
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 02:20 PM

US, Bob/Glenda.

This is awful. His wife, Sheila, daughter, Marcia, and 5 others were also killed...

---Lepus Rex

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 02:20 PM

One less voice of reason in that mad house.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: Nerd
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 02:23 PM

Wellstone was a great and principled man, and will be missed by people far beyond his constituency.

I hate to get political at a time like this, but what happens now? Doesn't Jesse Ventura appoint a replacement? If so, Senate committees will likely change hands forthwith...

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: Alice
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 02:29 PM

I just contributed to his campaign to keep him in the Senate. This is a shock.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: Alice
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 02:37 PM

quote from Fox news online "If Wellstone wins his election posthumously, a special election could be called or Sen. Jesse Ventura, an independent, could appoint a Democrat in Wellstone's place."

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: Bill D
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 02:40 PM

Oh...wow...such a loss!...He was a good, sane man!

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: Genie
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 02:42 PM

Very sad news, indeed.

Second time in 2 years this sort of thing has happened re someone running for the US Senate. Unfortunately, the grieving for the people killed tends to be overshadowed somewhat by the unavoidable discussion of political repercussions.

I heard on the news that both of the Wellstones' daughters were killed, too.

Genie

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: Alice
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 03:06 PM

Two sons not on the plane survive from the family. As one who has experienced this, having several family members die all at once in an accident is an overwhelming shock for a family.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: katlaughing
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 03:18 PM

This is so unbelieveably sad, not just for his family, but for us all. I know it seems crass to be thinking about the campaign, but I hope with everything in my heart, that the voters of MN keep his spirit alive with a win on the ballot and a Dem. named to his post.

Here's the latest from AP, as of about 15 minutes ago:

EVELETH, Minn. –– Sen. Paul Wellstone, an outspoken liberal Democrat locked in a re-election battle considered key to control of the Senate, was killed in a plane crash Friday in northern Minnesota along with his wife, daughter and five others.

The twin-engine private plane went down in freezing rain and light snow near the Eveleth-Virginia Municipal Airport, about 175 miles north of Minneapolis. The cause of the crash was under investigation.

Wellstone, a 58-year-old former college professor and one of the foremost liberals on Capitol Hill, was on his way to the funeral of the father of a state lawmaker.

"It's just terrible. Say a prayer," said Lisa Pattni, an aide who was at the crash site.

All eight people aboard the 11-seat King Air A-100 were killed, said Greg Martin, spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration. Campaign officials confirmed the victims also included Wellstone's wife, Sheila, and daughter, Marcia; three campaign staff members; and two pilots.

Wellstone's death just 11 days before Election Day threw the battle for the Senate into uncharted territory. Before Friday, Democrats held control by a single seat.

State officials were researching whether Wellstone's name would remain on the ballot, or whether independent Gov. Jesse Ventura or state Democrats could appoint a replacement.

State law allows for the governor to fill a vacant Senate seat, but allows for the party to appoint a replacement in the event of a death of a nominee. State Democratic Party spokesman Bill Amberg said he was confident the party would be allowed to offer a replacement.

Two years ago, Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan was killed in a plane crash three weeks before Election Day while running for the Senate. Carnahan's name remained on the ballot and he beat Republican Sen. John Ashcroft. Carnahan's widow, Jean, was appointed to serve in his place and is now seeking election to a full term against Republican Jim Talent.

Wellstone was up against Republican Norm Coleman, a former mayor of St. Paul and President Bush's choice to challenge the two-term incumbent. A Coleman spokesman, Ben Whitney, said: "Our prayers are with the Wellstone family. That's all I'm going to say."

Before running for office, Wellstone was a professor and community organizer who fused the two passions in a course he taught at Carleton College in Northfield called "Social Movements and Grassroots Organizing."

He stunned the political establishment by knocking off Republican Sen. Rudy Boschwitz with a longshot bid for office in 1990. Afterward, left-leaning Mother Jones magazine called him "the first 1960s radical elected to the U.S. Senate."

Wellstone had pledged to stay for no more than two terms, but last year, he announced he would be running again. In February, he announced he had been diagnosed with a mild form of multiple sclerosis but he said it wouldn't stop his campaign.

"For me, no stress would be stress," Wellstone said at the time. "The stress of this campaign is what I want to do, to be perfectly honest. And the stress of being a senator is what I want to do."

State Democratic Party chairman Mike Erlandson said Wellstone for years had been "the heartbeat" of the party.

"He took pride every day in fighting on behalf of the people of Minnesota," he said.

Liberal to the end, Wellstone cast his vote earlier this month against legislation to authorize the use of force in Iraq – the only Democrat in a competitive race to go against Bush on the issue.

Wellstone also had two sons, David and Mark, and six grandchildren.

The King Air turboprop was made by Raytheon Corp. with Pratt & Whitney engines, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The owner was listed as Beech Transportation Inc. of Eden Prairie, Minn., and the plane had been leased by Wellstone.

–––

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: Mudlark
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 03:27 PM

What an incredible tragedy: for the family, for the state and for the union.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: GUEST,Arne Langsetmo
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 03:47 PM

A horrible shock. Wellstone was a man of principle and courage.

First Carnahan, and now this. Not that I'm paranoid, but...

"Paranoia strikes deep Into your life it will creep It starts when you're always afraid You step out of line, the man come and take you away"

For What It's Worth Stephen Stills, 1966

A good man done gone. If you can, go to D.C. tomorrow and tell Dubya that you will carry on for Paul.

My sympathy for his family.

-- Arne Langsetmo

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: 53
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 04:24 PM

first the sniper and now this, sad, very sad.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: Big Mick
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 04:57 PM

This was a man of principle, honor and courage. God be good to him.

Mick

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: Charley Noble
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 05:36 PM

Damn! Another good man done gone, and also sadly those who were with him.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: catspaw49
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 06:03 PM

What a sad thing.......Words can't express what the remainder of his family must be feeling tonight.

Paul Wellstone was indeed a good man. There are a lot of good people out there, but generally by the time one reaches any kind of "station" in political life, they have been so "co-opted" (a good old 60's expression) that any vestige of the original person is long gone and they are simply another stooge to the money and the power. Very, very, few can maintain the honor, courage, and dignity that Wellstone did. Here in Ohio, we were fortunate to have Howard Metzenbaum for a number of years. The country has lost a precious commodity.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: Gareth
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 06:34 PM

Charely India Alpha - With Extream Predudice ??????????

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: JedMarum
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 06:38 PM

very very sad news in deed. My thoughts and prayers to the families.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: The Pooka
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 08:06 PM

Horrible. Unbelievable. // Waaay too too much of this lately. // Gareth, I'm not ready to believe your hypothesis -- yet. ("It's not dark yet; but it's gettin' there." - Dylan) // May he and the other victims now rest in a true Peace that passeth all understanding.

Coldly: as indicated in article above, there are 2 separate vacancies now, separately handled (like Missouri last time): one vacancy in the *office* of US Senator for the term expiring Jan. 3 2002; and the other in the party's (is it still DFL --Democrat-Farmer-Labor?) *nomination* of a *candidate* for Nov. 5 election to the successor term beginning that same day. // The immediate question for my sister & brother state election officials in MN (& God be with them too; these situations ain't easy, believe me) is, may the party still replace the deceased candidate on the ballot? The article suggests Yes. / Here in CT it would be definitely Yes, even at this late point in the election calendar. But it varies by state. Of course. Remember there is no such thing, ever, as a "national election" here.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: The Pooka
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 08:12 PM

Jan. 3 *2003*, I meant, of course. Sorry.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: Bobert
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 09:38 PM

I am totally bummed! Though being a Greenie, Paul Wellstone was the closest thing that those of us in the Green Party had as a Senator. He was a 60's activist who always put mankind ahead of money and politics. He was a sole spokesamn in the Senate for the woking class, the folks who get up at 4:30 in morning, grab their lunch boxes and have at it. He never, never gave into the corporations in the way he voted. He fought the good fights. He voted his heart. And he represented most what the Founding Fathers could have envisioned for democracy in our times. There won't be another Paul Wellstone in the Senate in our life time. An honest Senator. A man of courage and principle and a man with a sense of humor. He had that green school bus that he would speak from. I mean, that was Paul Wellstone. That was not corporate slick but real. I mean real.....

The political realities for out times were scarey enough before today but now.... oh, but now... Talk about unfettered access to the souls of the working class by Boss Hog. Yeah, they'll say all the right things but we're gonna have to buckle up our bootstaps now, 'cause a big Boss Hog is lickin' his chops.

(Can't think like that tonight, Bobert...) Yeah, my deepest heartfelt for Paul and Sheila's surviving children, as well as their friends and other members of the Wellstone's family.

But before I sign off for the night, I'd just like to say that I'm purdy f**king mad that somehow or another, during my life time, that one spokesman for humanity after another gets killed while every redneck right wing jerk gets to flail their anti-human crap. Yeah, and we end up with a Senate packed with rednecks while folks with compassion, like Babby Kennedy, like Malcolm X, like Martin Luther King and like Paul Wellstone's voices of love, compassion and the betterment of the human condition are silenced. Sure this might have been an accident but as sad as I am, I am no less angry tonight. It's not fair. Why *our* best? Why?

Peace be with you, Paul, and Sheila and Marsha. We'll carry it on from here...

Bobert

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: The Pooka
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 09:48 PM

Well said & Amen, Bobert. Amen.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 11:22 PM

I'm here in St. Paul, MN, and I've been watching as much coverage I can on the local TV stations, and maybe I can answer a few questions.

Wellstone's name will NOT remain on the ballot. (One problem is that absentee ballots have already been mailed out with his name on them, and it's impossible for replacement ballots to be printed and mailed. It's unclear how those ballots will be counted if they come back with his name checked.)

Governor Jesse Ventura CAN name a person to fill out the remainder of Wellstone's term, which will end in January. He could do that now, but commentators are predicting that he will wait until after the election, and then nominate the winner. The Senate is adjourned until after the election, but it's likely that there WILL be some important business done in November and December.

The DFL* (as Democrats are known in Minnesota) Central Committee will be able to name a new candidate whose name will appear on the ballot in November. Obviously, they have to act quickly. There is much less time remaining than there was when Mel Carnahan died. Whoever wins the election will hold office for a full six years. I don't know how many people sit on the Central Committee, but I think it's rather large.

The big mystery is, who could fill Wellstone's shoes? I was surprised to find the name being mentioned most often is Walter Mondale. Mondale is highly respected in Minnesota, but he seems to have retired from politics.

I think my personal favorite would be Hubert H. "Skip" Humphrey III. (Say, I just sent him an e-mail urging him to run. Anybody want to join me? Click here.) Skip has good credentials as a liberal, and was an outstanding State Attorney General. He lost the governor's race in an upset to Jesse Ventura, mainly because (IMHO) both he and the Republican candidate didn't take Ventura seriously and ignored him. In other words, the Republican and the Democrat both indulged in too much negative campaigning aimed at each other, thus hurting their own standings, and allowing the third party candidate to rise unhindered. Lesson to be learned: Negative campaigning does NOT work well in a three-way race!--which might be a good argument for having more three-way races.

*The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party was formed by the 1944 merger of the Democratic Party and the Farmer-Labor Party, a socialist-leaning party which was once powerful enough to elect a few governors and senators.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: Mudlark
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 12:51 AM

Just saw a repeat of a Charlie Rose interview with Wellstone, recorded last year...oh lordy, what a loss...

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 12:51 AM

As a long time Wellstone supporter and fellow campaign worker on the 1988 Jesse Jackson campaign in Minnesota, I can say the progressive community here and nationally has been devastated by this loss.

I attended the prayer vigil at the Capitol this evening. It opened with a song by Larry Long written for Paul and Sheila a while back. It was a very spiritual ceremony, beginning with two women rabbis from the local Jewish community (the Wellstones are Jewish) offering condolences and prayers, and went on to include representatives of many denominations from across the Twin Cities. Somewhere in the middle we sang Amazing Grace, which felt very good. There were attempts to rouse the crowd campaign style, but not much of it worked. People are so shocked, and very, very down.

The vigil ended with several songs from a local Native drum group, and then the most moving part of the vigil for me was the entire crowd singing "We Shall Overcome" (a song I usually find too sentimental to be heart felt and genuine) very, very softly. It was incredibly moving. There was a cold drizzle on and off, and as darkness descended, the Capitol lights came on, as a backdrop to all the candles in the darkness on the Capitol steps. The Green bus was parked in the middle of the crowd, and it had been made a sort of makeshift altar, with many candles burning on the hood, flowers, mementos, etc. Campaign workers moved through the crowd handing out Wellstone campaign buttons. It felt very strange to take it and put it on, but we all did--even though many of us already were sporting the buttons anyway.

Some details likely not being widely reported--Paul and Sheila's 27 year old daughter Marcia was also on the plane. She is a high school teacher at White Bear Lake High School (suburban Twin Cities public high school) and is survived by her husband and four children. She had taken leave of absence this fall to campaign for her dad. One of the campaign workers on the plane was a very young 22 years old--his first campaign, and of course, it was a great honor for him to be able to ride on the plane with the Senator and his wife and daughter.

The Wellstones were scheduled after the funeral (they were on their way to the funeral of the father of a family friend who is a state politician from the Iron Range) to go on to a debate in Duluth tonight.

Here, we are all talking about the terrible loss to the progressive community also with Sheila's death. She had become a tireless campaigner on domestic violence, and both she and Paul were probably some of the most powerful advocates on the scene today on those issues.

Funeral plans for the Wellstones have not yet been made, but it is anticipated that the funeral will be Sunday. The bodies have yet to be recovered, so we aren't really sure what plans can be made for any of those families of loved ones killed in the crash right now. The crash site is not terribly far from a paved road, but getting to it through the bog and woods is proving very difficult apparently.

It is all so overwhelming right now, I can't say that anyone is honestly thinking about the campaign anymore. The campaign pulled all the ads off TV, but may play the final ad which was to be used for the final campaign push beginning this week. It is very passionate and upbeat. The campaign website has been shut down, and a memorial/tribute is now there.   Campaign staffers have been very low key and not taking many visitors in the offices. First, they are just walking zombies right now. Second, there would never be room for all the mourners that would try to get in.

We all know decisions will have to be made soon, but no one here is expecting any announcements by the DFL party regarding a replacement until after the Wellstone funeral.

The best story I heard all day that really does speak volumes about Wellstone was the story by his Green Party opponent in the Senate race. He said he & the Green contingency were marching in the Juneteenth parade in North Minneapolis last summer, when they marched past the Wellstones standing along the route. Paul was loudly and enthusiastically cheering them on, and came running out to hug everyone and shake hands.

It isn't widely known nationally, but the Green Party and Wellstone's supporters have had some serious falling out over the past year over the election, due to Wellstone's vote in support of the US Patriot Act. Many progressives here were devastated by his vote, and considered it a profound betrayal of his progressive values in the clinch. However, despite that falling out, many Greens planned on voting for Wellstone, against their party candidate, because of the balance of power in the Senate. Winona La Duke, our native daughter who ran on Nader's ticket in 2000 as his VP, had written a letter to the Green convention, asking the party to endorse Wellstone for this election. They didn't, choosing rather to endorse New Age Indian candidate Ed McGaa, whom no one could support. McGaa was defeated in the September primary by the current Green Party Senate candidate, Ray Tricomo. But all the parties have suspended their campaigning for national offices and the governor race for the weekend.

It still doesn't seem possible that the Wellstones are gone. Here, we don't think just in terms of Senator Paul Wellstone. It was always Senator Paul and Sheila Wellstone. The couple were inseparable, and the loss to this very, very close knit family is so inconceivable. There is no consoling us tonight in Minnesota I'm afraid.

Please keep them all in your prayers, and help us honor their legacy. Head on out to the anti-war protests tomorrow near you. We'll see you there.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 01:16 AM

McLaughlin was the 'guy who kept the candidate going'
James Walsh
Star Tribune

Published Oct. 26, 2002 MCLA26

He was young, full of energy. Always, it seemed, Will McLaughlin was on the go. He had risen to lead the fraternity his older brother once led. From college, he jumped into the Democratic political theater his father helped fuel.

For all these reasons, the 23-year-old McLaughlin had become the constant companion to U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone on the campaign trail. This was his first foray into a statewide campaign, say those who knew McLaughlin. Judging by his humor, zeal and energy, no one ever thought it would be his last.

"Wherever Paul was, there you saw Will," said Wellstone communications director Jim Farrell. "He had that all-important role in a campaign -- he was the guy who kept the candidate going."

He was the son of Mike W. McLaughlin, a man former St. Paul Mayor George Latimer called one of the most colorful and steadfast Democrats in St. Paul history. McLaughlin, who died in 1997, served for years as the DFL's Ramsey County and Fourth Congressional District chairman.

A champion mountain biker and cross-country skier, Will McLaughlin had amazing energy, said his mother, Judy McLaughlin. He once raced with Greg LeMond, the champion bicyclist. "One thing about William is that once he decided to do something, he went all the way," Judy McLaughlin said Friday.

After graduating from St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights, McLaughlin enrolled at the University of Minnesota. He joined the same fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon, where his older brother Dave was president. He rose to leadership positions within the fraternity, becoming president of the university chapter and one of three students on the national board of directors.

"Will was a leader since before I got there," said Michael Kohn, the chapter's vice president for member development.

Kohn said that when McLaughlin was in charge of recruitment, the fraternity had its largest incoming class.

Judy McLaughlin said that her son, just a few credits shy of graduating, got the "opportunity of a lifetime."

Paul and Sheila Wellstone were longtime friends of the McLauglin family. After McLaughlin finished an internship for Wellstone last spring, the senator asked him to join his staff. McLaughlin was developing a passion for politics and aspirations for public service, Farrell said.

Whatever his future held, those who knew Will McLaughlin were certain this ride with the Wellstone campaign would have been only the start of bigger things.

"He was a bright, articulate, charming, handsome, wonderful son and wonderful brother," Judy McLaughlin said Friday night. "He was ready to take on the world. And it's going to be a sadder place because there isn't a William McLaughlin here to help run it."

Survivors include two other brothers and four sisters.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 01:17 AM

Mary McEvoy was 'a bright light' in DFL politics
Trudi Hahn
Star Tribune

Published Oct. 26, 2002 MCEV26

Mary McEvoy was a shining voice in grass-roots DFL politics and a nationally respected researcher and advocate in the field of early childhood development.

She was also good friends with Sen. Paul Wellstone's wife, Sheila. They rode the senator's campaign bus together during the 1996 reelection run, and McEvoy, 49, died Friday with the Wellstones in a plane crash on their way to a funeral and a political debate in Duluth.

"She was a bright light, just like Paul," said state Rep. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis. He met McEvoy when they both worked the floor of the 1998 DFL convention to get Mike Freeman endorsed for governor. McEvoy served as Freeman's field director in that campaign; Sheila Wellstone had made the political match.

McEvoy, associate chair of the state DFL since 1999, "had great political judgment, great people skills," Freeman said. "She deeply loved politics -- the excitement, the energy, the policies. It wasn't just theater for her."

To her political career, she brought sharp academic skills, honed at the University of Minnesota, where she was a full professor and chairwoman of the Department of Educational Psychology.

"She's a faculty member the likes of which you rarely see -- she had this enormous energy and commitment," said Robert Bruininks, interim president of the university. They became close friends after he, as the chairman of educational psychology, helped recruit her from Vanderbilt University in 1990.

"It's very difficult to achieve full-professor status in a place like the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus," he said. Candidates are judged on their research, their teaching and mentoring and how well they connect their work to the community, he said.

"Some people are good at one of these things, some at two of them. Mary was accomplished in all these things."

She and Scott McConnell, who succeeded her as director of the university's Center on Early Education Development, had recently devised a way to measure individual growth development indicators, said Todd Otis, a former DFL chair and now executive director of Ready 4K, an early-childhood advocacy organization. The measurements were "about comparable to a physical growth chart, but it's for their literacy skills," he said. McEvoy served on the board of Ready 4K.

An active member of St. Luke's Catholic Church, Mc Evoy sang in a vocal group, said a friend, Mary Kay Orman of St. Paul. "She had a lot of faith in action. She lived her life that way" and didn't forget her advocacy at church either -- she spoke out for the ordination of women and for embracing gays and lesbians into the faith fold, Orman said.

Survivors include her husband, James (Jamie) Cloyd of St. Paul, and three children at home: daughters Claire, a junior in high school, and Becca, a ninth-grader, and a son, Luke, a seventh-grader.

Services will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Luke's, Lexington Pkwy. and Summit Av., St. Paul.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 01:18 AM

Tom Lapic: Calm in the clutch
Anthony Lonetree
Star Tribune

Published Oct. 26, 2002 LAPI26

The government was immobilized in Washington, D.C., when the terrorists struck, but the activity was nonstop in Sen. Paul Wellstone's St. Paul office.

Calls flooded in from constituents and the news media on Sept. 11, 2001 -- and in the quiet center was Tom Lapic, Wellstone's deputy state director.

It was Lapic, said Josh Syrjamaki, a fellow Wellstone staff member, who spoke with the senator by phone, letting him know what was happening elsewhere, never flinching.

"Whenever there was a crisis," Syrjamaki said, "it was always Tom Lapic who was the calmest and steadiest thinker."

Lapic, 49, who worked for Wellstone since the senator's first term in Washington, died in Friday's plane crash.

The former seminarian was a soft-spoken man rarely quoted in the press but was a valuable adviser to Wellstone, sharing with the senator a belief in the good that government could do and a man to whom Wellstone often would say: "Hey, Tom, listen to this. How does this sound?"

"Tom got involved for all the right reasons," said Connie Lewis, Wellstone's state director. "People came to us with difficult situations, and he really believed, 'There but for the grace of God go I.' Everyone had a story, and he thought everyone should be given the opportunity to share it with us and with Senator Wellstone."

In Eden Prairie, where Lapic lived with his wife, Trudy, he also was remembered for the advice he gave to the daughters of longtime friend Mike Farrell, helpful words that were accompanied by Lapic's steady supply of Diet Pepsi, potato chips and licorice.

Eventually, he would give up the chips and the soda, but never the licorice: "Red and black," Farrell said.

Lapic and Farrell met as high school freshmen at the Crosier seminary and prep school in Onamia, Minn., where they studied for the priesthood. Both changed their minds but kept close ties, becoming partners in a chimney business in the 1980s.

After getting "worn out by it," the two men decided to chase other opportunities, with Farrell becoming a teacher and Lapic editing a weekly newspaper in Chanhassen before accepting a job with Wellstone in Washington, D.C., Farrell recalled.

During that time, Farrell said, Lapic renewed his friendship with Trudy, whom he had met in college. The relationship began with a phone call, which led to $200 and $300 phone bills and then to the surprise announcement that they had gotten married.

"It was a sweet romance," Farrell said.

In recent weeks, he added, when Lapic left Wellstone's St. Paul office to work directly on the campaign, Farrell knew his friend couldn't wait until it ended and he could spend more time with his wife.

He loved quiet evenings.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 01:19 AM

Pilot, a Wellstone favorite, once flew for American Airlines
Glenn Howatt
Star Tribune

Published Oct. 26, 2002 CONR26

Airplane Capt. Richard Conry was a favorite of Sen. Paul Wellstone, who often requested that he be on the senator's chartered flights.

Conry, 55, was the pilot Friday on Wellstone's flight to Eveleth, Minn., and was one of the eight victims.

"He loved flying," said his wife, Johanne Conry. "Ever since he was a kid in Edina. Richard had this little plane when he was 16."

He began working as a dialysis nurse a few years ago after he left American Airlines.

"He was such a helping individual that he knew there was a shortage in that kind of area and he couldn't think of a better way to help," said family friend JoAnne Olson.

Conry joined Executive Aviation of Eden Prairie in April 2001 and had nearly 5,200 hours of flying time, the company said.

Olson said Conry went back to flying because he missed it so much, but he continued to work with dialysis patients part time.

"He was a very good pilot, totally conscientious," said Olson. "He always made the right decisions about when to fly and when not to fly."

Olson was one of many family friends who had gathered at the Conry home in Minnetonka on Friday night.

"Everybody here is wondering how and why did this happen," she said. "We are just wanting and waiting for all kinds of answers to be found."

Conry's friends remembered his dedication to others, his passion for biking, and his devotion to his wife of 15 years, Olson said.

In addition to his wife, Conry is survived by a sister and his mother, according to Stephen Etheridge, another family friend.

"We've lost a very, very dear friend," said Olson.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 01:20 AM

Co-pilot was living his dream before doomed flight
Maura Lerner
Star Tribune

Published Oct. 26, 2002 GUES26

Michael Guess grew up in St. Paul with one goal in mind: to become a pilot. Last summer, he realized his dream, becoming a co-pilot for Executive Aviation, a private charter company in Eden Prairie.

And Thursday, he excitedly told his mother he was going to fly with Sen. Paul Wellstone. "He heard Wellstone didn't like flying, so he and the pilot were going to have to try and make him comfortable," said his cousin, Irish Conley. "Too bad he didn't change his mind altogether."

Guess, 30, was killed along with Wellstone and six others in Friday's crash.

Guess, who was engaged to be married to Jan Nelson but hadn't set the date yet, died doing what he always loved, say those who knew him.

"He said flying is like a passport to your imagination," said T. Mychael Rambo, a friend and neighbor. "I don't think there was anything he thought he couldn't do."

Guess had such a single-minded passion for flying that family and friends say he seemed destined for the job.

"Ever since he was little, he talked about being a pilot," Conley said. "I used to take him to all the air shows."

Born in Benton Harbor, Mich., Guess moved to St. Paul as a child, and attended Highland Park Senior High School through his junior year. He graduated from Cretin-Derham Hall. He studied aeronautics at the University of North Dakota, earning his degree and pilot's license in 1997, Conley said.

He became a customer service employee for Pan Am International Flight Academy in Eagan. John Rosengren, former director of the school, said Guess was well-liked and worked well with students.

In 2001, Guess joined Executive Aviation as a pilot. He had logged about 650 hours flying, and was certified as a commercial pilot, his employer said. On Friday, he was flying with Capt. Richard Conry, a veteran pilot.

Company officials said they were "deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of two of our pilots . . . Both were very dear to us and will be greatly missed."

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 01:21 AM

Wellstone's daughter had passion for politics herself
Norman Draper and Terry Collins
Star Tribune

Published Oct. 26, 2002 MARC26

The flag was at half-staff at White Bear Lake High School's south campus Friday, and students were crying in the halls. Popular Spanish teacher Marcia Markuson had died in the plane crash that killed her father, Sen. Paul Wellstone, her mother, Sheila Wellstone, and five others.

Markuson, who went by the name Marcia Wellstone when she was on the campaign trail with her dad, was 33 and one of the school's best-liked teachers. She had taken a leave of absence this fall to work on her dad's campaign and had started to feel some political urges of her own. Her husband, Todd Markuson, 41, said that when she was out on the hustings with her father, fellow Democrats would wonder aloud about when she might follow in his footsteps.

"They had all commented to Paul about how good she was, how she was a chip off the old block, and they were questioning when she would start her own political career," he said. "[DFL gubernatorial candidate] Roger Moe said he had a job for her if he got elected."

Markuson, of Apple Valley, had taught at White Bear Lake High since 1991. She had checked in at the school periodically while on leave to make sure her substitute had the Spanish class well in hand, said Principal Audrey Buss.

Even though she hadn't taught yet this school year, her death hit the school hard. Buss said she got the news around noon from a teacher who had heard about the crash on the radio. The news then went out over the intercom, and the school lapsed into stunned silence.

"As soon as everybody found out, it became deathly quiet," said junior Steve Morrison, 16. "You could hear a pin drop."

Then came the crying and the hugging, and calls flooded the school switchboard. The school day continued, but Buss set aside two rooms for counselors to talk to students. Students will gather at the school today to plan a brief observance before tonight's football game.

"She was a teacher who motivated students and related well to them," said Larry De Nucci, director of schools for the district. "Lots of kids are grieving here today."

Markuson grew up in Northfield, Minn., and earned her bachelor's degree in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master's degree in education from Hamline University in St. Paul. As part of her undergraduate training, she spent a year studying in Madrid. She had a 7-year-old son, Joshua, from a previous marriage, and three stepchildren: Sydney, 8; Matthew, 12, and Acacia, 10.

She and Todd Markuson married two years ago on Valentine's Day, brought together by their grieving for a mutual friend who had died in a motorcycle accident.

"We were soulmates," Todd Markuson said. "We spent our lives trying to find each other, we were so much in love. We still said we were on our honeymoon."

Todd Markuson, a supervisor for United Parcel Service in Eagan, said his wife was especially pleased to be able to campaign for her father after being otherwise occupied during his past two election campaigns. The first time, she was a college student; the second time, she was a new mom. This time, she was taking full advantage of her opportunity.

"She'd go out for 10 to 12 hours campaigning, and I'd come home from work and ask her how her day went," Markuson said. "It was about an hour debriefing session. . . . She said to me a couple of times, 'I think I could like this.' "

Markuson noted that his wife was nervous about traveling on small planes and often chose to drive, instead of fly, to the next campaign stop.

"She would always call me on her cell phone whenever she was going to fly," he said. "She called me this morning and said, 'I'm leaving to fly with my folks; you know how spooky I get on smaller planes.' And I said, 'Don't be silly; there's no reason.' "

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 01:22 AM

Sheila Wellstone became a respected voice in her own right
Patricia Lopez
Star Tribune

Published Oct. 26, 2002 SHEI26

From a homemaker who dropped out of college to support her husband in graduate school, Sheila Ison Wellstone gradually grew into a political force of her own, becoming a nationally recognized advocate on domestic violence.

At barely 5-foot-3, she was, friend Beverly Dusso said, "a tiny, little piece of dynamite. She had huge energy and a mighty spirit."

By the time her husband had won his upset Senate victory, said Dusso, who knew her since 1989, Sheila Wellstone had already singled out domestic violence as her issue.

Why she did so is something no one seems to know for sure. "I think it was just because she saw so many families destroyed by it," said Dusso, who runs the Tubman Family Alliance, a shelter that operates in Minneapolis and Ramsey County.

Her latest triumph was, perhaps, her greatest. The man believed to be the Washington, D.C., sniper is being held under a federal law that prohibits those under a restraining order for domestic violence from possessing a firearm. It was Sheila Wellstone who put the proposal together. Paul Wellstone got it passed as part of the Domestic Violence Firearms Prevention Act.

Once Sheila Wellstone seized on the domestic violence issue, she devoted a passion to it that was as marked and outspoken as that of her fiery spouse.

"When it came to domestic violence, she could raise as much cuss and hell as any construction worker," said Ray Waldron, president of the Minnesota AFL-CIO.

With that spirit was an ever-present sense of hope and fun. To raise awareness of the issue, she took part in a Minneapolis-to-Mankato motorcycle ride, clinging to Waldron as they rode his Harley. That's when the woman of the well-coiffed hair, stylish dress and impeccable fingernails allowed that she used to go riding motorcycles as a girl with her brothers in the hills of Kentucky.

"She was a lot of fun, more than almost any friend I've ever had," said Marcia Avner of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. "She always found something to smile about."

'Complete partners'

But more than her advocacy on domestic violence issues, more than her spirit or occasional sarcasm, Sheila Wellstone was known first and foremost as her husband's most trusted adviser, revered friend and cherished companion.

"She was very much in love with Paul, her kids and her grandchildren," Avner said. "She was always at his side. They were complete partners in everything they did."

She and Wellstone met at 16, when she was a high school junior in Arlington, Va.

In a February 2001 interview with Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine, she said that after he asked her out, "there's never been another man in my life or a woman in his life since that night."

She dropped out of college to help put him through grad school at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and when he became a professor at Carleton College in Northfield, she took a job as an assistant librarian and raised the couple's children, David, Marcia and Mark.

That's when Pam Costain met her. "I used to baby sit their kids," Costain said, fighting back tears at the Friday night vigil outside the State Capitol. "She was a really remarkable woman who never would have imagined that she would be in the public position she found herself in."

Costain said that when she first met Sheila in 1969, "she was a little shy, somewhat reticent. She was always very much at his side, but quiet."

Once Paul Wellstone scored his upset victory in 1990, Sheila "grew into her public role in an amazing way," Costain said.

In Washington, the senator included her in every policy discussion and found her office space. "He never made a major decision without Sheila's advice and consultation," Costain said.

Over time, Costain said, Sheila Wellstone "found her voice" and became an outspoken advocate who did her own appearances and speeches. In his second term, Paul Wellstone became fond of breaking the ice at gatherings by noting some award his wife had won or speech she'd been asked to give. "She's more sought-out than I am," he would say in a mock mournful tone.

Indeed, Sheila Wellstone began traveling the state, visiting battered women's shelters and giving speeches nationally.

"She was present for the opening of every decent battered women's shelter in the state of Minnesota since he was elected," Dusso said. The once-shy girl from Kentucky would stride into a shelter dining room, plop herself down at a table with the women and "talk by the hour," Dusso said.

Dusso said Sheila Wellstone helped create the national Violence Against Women office, which put a national focus on the issue and became a means for directing federal dollars.

Because of her, Dusso said, "there was money all through this country to build shelters, strengthen programs and train police on how to deal with domestic violence."

For the past four years, whenever a battered woman in Minnesota needs a shelter for herself and her children, she can make one call, to the Day One Center, Dusso said, "and she will be kept on the line till we find her a place to stay. That was all Sheila's work and we were the first in the nation to do it."

Avner said Wellstone "was always a little bit in awe of the ability a senator's wife had to touch people's lives. She was humble, but determined to use it to help people."

"She was never without hope," Dusso said. "That's what I'll always remember about her."

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 01:24 AM

Funeral services are still unknown
Staff reports


Published Oct. 26, 2002 SERV26

Details of funeral services for U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone, his wife, Sheila Wellstone, and daughter, Marcia Markuson, weren't available Friday night, but planning for a community-wide memorial service had begun.

The Minneapolis office of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas said in a statement that it is working with other community groups to plan a memorial service but that no date had been set.

Sen. Wellstone was Jewish.

In keeping with Jewish custom, the service won't take place until after the funeral, the council said.

"Minnesota lost a passionate and exceptional leader today," said David Orbuch, the council's president. "We express our deepest sympathies to the Wellstone family and to the families of the people who perished today."

Gov. Jesse Ventura's office informed the Wellstone campaign Friday that the Capitol rotunda is available if the family wishes to use it, said John Wodele, the governor's spokesman.

The rotunda has been used for reviewal of famous Minnesotans, including former Vice President Hubert Humphrey and former Gov. Harold Stassen.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: Genie
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 02:34 AM

Thanks, guest, for the stories on the others lost in this tragic crash.

Genie

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: Lepus Rex
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 07:59 AM

Yes, thansk, GUEST, for those articles. And thanks, Jim, for explaining the political situation. I'll have to disagree with you about "Skip" later on. :)

I'm still pretty sick about this. (I'm awake at 7AM because I feel like I swallowed a cup of ground glass) Seems like a bad dream. Ah, well, back to bed.

---Lepus Rex

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 09:34 AM

Thanks, GUEST. What a remarkable group of people...what an incredible loss.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: The Pooka
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 01:08 PM

An irretrievable loss. Awful. Horrible.

Statements by the Senate leaders on theUS Senate website with links to Sen. Wellstone's site.

Yes & thanks for all the good info.

(Now coldly, again) - Jim Dixon, but mightn't the respected elder-statesman Mondale, if he's willing, be the best chance to save the Senate seat? Granted, he's no Paul Wellstone. But, who IS? I always thought Mondale a good man & good liberal, albeit not the pure progressive crusader that the late great Senator was.

Re the absentee ballots - here in CT ABs checked off for a candidate no longer on the ballot as of election day, count for no one for that office. Can't "transfer" to new candidate of that party. (Makes sense, since the old single-vote straight-party-ticket option was banned by state-constitutional-amendment referendum vote in 1986.) BUT any AB voters who haven't yet returned ballot may validly write in the new candidate's name & it counts as long as it's broadly identifiable re who they mean. A voter issued an AB may always *apply* for a new one (for any reason at all, at any time before election day -- people lose them, change their mind, etc.); then the later-postmarked of the 2 is counted if both received back by poll-closing, & the other one is voided. But when it's this late, there isn't time for the snailmail transactions as a practical matter. We'll soon find out what MN provides re these mattters, I'm sure. / ABs are always a problem with a late-occurring ballot change. Of course, so are the "regular" election-day ballots, in whatever format & voting mechanism. / Somebody will say Let's postpone the election, I imagine. Easier said than done, with all the other offices & candidates at stake too.

What a terrible tragedy for the nation; plus an election mess for Minnesota.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: DougR
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 01:22 PM

Liberals lost a strong effective voice when Paul Wllstone died. He believed strongly in his political philosophy and from all reports voted his beliefs, popular or not. He surely will be missed. My thoughts and prayers go to his remaining family members.

DougR

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: The Pooka
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 01:38 PM

Well said, DougR. / And may he have some fine friendly debates in heaven with a principled populist Senator from your side, who was fortunate enough to live out a full lifespan here, Barry Goldwater.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: catspaw49
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 01:39 PM

Which should be the real issue for all Doug. We had a thread awhile back remarking on things that many pols don't have.....like the courage of their convictions, if they have any left. I made mention then of the fact that I really am more concerned with the honesty and courage than their voting record, liberal or conservative.

When my Mom died, the minister at the funeral was a good friend who knew her well and often spent hours with her in conversation. He said something that day that I liked and should be the epitaph of anyone holding public office. "You didn't have to agree with Margie, but you always knew where she stood."

Spaw

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 02:50 PM

If Mondale is nominated by the DFL, it might be safe in terms of conventional wisdom, but not in terms of non-conventional wisdom, which is where the Wellstone for Senate campaign is going to be coming from. Mondale is anathema to everything that Wellstone stood for, and I doubt you would get the votes for him from the CURRENT Wellstone faithful, ie the youngest, best, and brightest of the DFL party, to come out and vote on election day. They would see it as a betrayal of their progressive values. You might be able to get Mondale to squeak into office, but he wouldn't have grassroots support that Wellstone has. Wellstone has 30 something campaign offices state wide, and had 10,000 volunteers already recruited for getting out the vote on election day. Even the Minnesota Republicans admit now (rather quietly) that they pretty much figured Norm had already lost the campaign. Wellstone was gaining in the polls steadily, and his vote against Bush on Iraq seemed to be making a significant difference in pulling support from disgruntled progressives back from the Green Party to Wellstone.

Nobody in the DFL party owns that grassroots infrastructure but Wellstone. No, the DFL will have to be much more unconventional than that, despite the conventional wisdom both in among the Minnesota and national conventional punditry.

The only sure bet here is if one of Wellstone's sons steps in. However, I have no idea if either of them are willing to serve. I haven't heard any of the buzz yet--we've kept to ourselves, except for at the vigil last night, since we've heard the news. But we are on our way to anti-war demo, and friends of the campaign are now starting to drift back into town for the funeral, so we'll see what happens. And I already sent an email to the Senate office via Wellstone's Senate website, saying I would support either of his sons. So, you never know what could happen--it would take a small miracle to get one of his sons to step in, considering they lost almost the whole family, but you never know. People's strength emerges in strange ways in these sorts of crises. Maybe we will see a Wellstone carry on yet. That is the scenario I'm praying for anyway.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 03:11 PM

Ventura said yesterday, he would let the Minnesota Supreme Court sort out the ballot issues & make their recommendations, and he would follow their lead.

BTW, the source of the rumor that Wellstone's name couldn't remain on the ballot legally seems to be the attorney general's office, and he has already come out backpedalling on that today. Oddly, he held a press conference within hours of the crash, saying the party would have to appoint someone. Considering that he is one DFLer who's name was immediately as a possible replacement, and knowing he has designs on the top statewide jobs (ie Senate and/or Guv), people thought it a bit opportunistic to come out on the day with such a claim.

Nobody is accusing him yet of trying to make political hay out of this, but everyone agrees that if the Governor came out and said it was much too early to be speculating as to what the implications for the ballot would be, why the rush to judgment (which turns out to be very possibly be wrong today) from the AG's office? The Republican Secretary of State was a bit quick out of the starting gate too, claiming that anyone who voted for Wellstone via absentee ballot, their votes would not count, but Coleman's votes would (Coleman is the Republican candidate for Senate). What is it with Republicans always being in such a hurry to throw their opponent's votes out the window? Anyway, she (the Secretary of State) could end up with egg all over her face if the state Supreme Court decides that Wellstone's name can remain on the ballot after all.

Don't think this is anywhere close to Mondale on the ticket, and Wellstone off, folks. Not by a long shot. The media rush to decide who the people of Minnesota will get to vote for seems to be stopped dead in it's tracks today. Believe me, the Wellstone camp will come back out swinging. And before election day too.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: DougR
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 03:29 PM

Yes, Pooka and Spaw, I agree. We do need more politicians like Wellstone and Goldwater. Right now, I can't think of anyone in either party though.

DougR

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: NicoleC
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 04:40 PM

I can only think of one other politician that is as dedicated to her principles, and that's House Rep. Barbara Lee of CA. Even her constituents that drastically disagree with her opinions admire her courage and consistancy is following her moral compass. One day she may mature into a fine leader; I'd love to see her take Sen. Boxer's spot in the Snate.

I also think that Colin Powell could be such a leader, if he chose to. So far, he hasn't.

I had hoped one day to cast a vote for Sen. Wellstone for President -- it was a long shot that he would ever run successfully, but it would be nice, for a change, to vote for someone that not only has steadfast convictions and principles, but also the political experience to make an effective President. It would be the day I got to vote for someone that I actually wanted in the Oval Office.

I guess I'm still in shock. For us left-leaners, we've just lost the strongest and best voice we've had in a long time -- and probably the ONLY one in my lifetime -- that not only had the beliefs, but the ability to work with others who disagreed with him and come to viable solutions.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: The Pooka
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 06:05 PM

Thanks Doug, Mr. Spaw, NicoleC. / See, we can all agree on something. A good sign.

Wellstone-campaigner Guests, your intense grief & perhaps anger are entirely appropriate and understandable, and please accept sincere (really) condolence & sympathy. This was an inconceivable tragedy that took from us all a truly great man; and his & yours is a great cause, which surely does carry on.

I'm a civil-service state Elections Officer. Connecticut, not Minnesota; I don't pretend to know your election law ("There is No Such Thing as a 'National Election'" - The Pooka's Proviso) nor your politicians. But just generically: I've worked 27 years for an Elections Division under six different partisanly-elected Secretaries of the State, of both parties. And I've worked with civil-service lawyers & other staffers of state Attorneys General also partisanly elected.

Please know that I mean no disrespect or uncompassion, in urging this: don't be too quick to assume that state officials are necessarily being political, or even just stupid, in their pronouncements re the ballot situation. They MAY be, granted; no denying that. But these are tough and sometimes complicated questions---and even if they are answered in plain-but-obscure black-letter law, when a thing like this happens people, including fine lawyers (I'm not of the Bar, so I plead nolo), sometimes run around in circles squawking and clucking until some dull bureaucrat (and God bless us, every one) comes up with the correct research. Often the provisions and precedents are there, and clear, but seldom-used and thus little-known and soon-forgotten. Sometimes, on the other hand, there's been a failure to "legislate for the exceptions" (not even state lawmakers can think of everything!); then it really does get sticky.

If I had a few bucks for every newshound who asked me in 2000 why in the world we would ever dream of daring to allow such an outrage as Joe Lieberman running for Vice President and U.S. Senator at the same time, I could (I didn't say "would":) support the Mudcat singlehandedly. ("Because, Mr. Brokaw sir, there is no federal, state, or municipal law prohibiting it...Pardon? Where does it say he *CAN*? Well, where does it say I can vanilla eat ice cream if I want to & somebody agrees to give me some...nonono sir, I'm quite serious...yes, of course I'll connect you with my supervisor...")

And, people naturally fall into the Is-Ought Gap: The gulf between what the law Is, and what they, in the sudden factual circumstances of the moment, feel that it Ought to be. Of course sometimes the judiciary cooperates in this questionable amendment process; see both Florida & US Supreme Courts 2000, and New Jersey Supreme Court 2002. (I exempt the US Supremes in the NJ matter because this time they wisely stayed the Hell out of a pure State issue, as they should have in Bush v. Gore, the question there being which slate of real-live candidates had won the State office of Presidential Elector, and the relevent dispute-resolution mechanism being set forth in the US Constitution with serene disregard to any role whatsoever for the Court.)

Minnesota is a pure State issue too. It should, and hopefully will, be decided in accordance with state law. Regardless of the important, but still transitory, political/ideological consequences. If it were CT -- which it ain't & I don't cite us as a model, just an example -- the name would mandatorily come off the ballot, and the party would permissively be allowed, but of course not required (can't do that), to replace. Here the unique circumstance where the deceased candidate stays on the ballot is specifically & exclusively defined: when the death occurs within 24 hours of the opening of the polls. Then there are further provisions for what happens if, like Mel Carnahan, he wins. Legislating for the exceptions. Black-letter law.

My point (if any) is: we shouldn't, in times of stress & strife, throw out established procedures (assuming there ARE some) just because the matter involves an officeholder who was, like Paul Wellstone, a hero. *Or* who, like Bob Torricelli, *isn't*.

May Senator Wellstone rest in peace in Abraham's bosom. And, may the justice & peace for which he & his wife long struggled, prevail.

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 06:41 PM

Very interesting, Pooka!

Wellstone-campaigner GUEST, thanks very much for sharing so much with us. I was wondering earlier, today, if one of his sons might possibly step in. I cannot even begin to imagine the grief and shock they must be feeling right now, but I cannot help but hope one of them will do so. From everything I've heard about their parents, it sounds as though they were raised with a sense which would lead to such an action. I also believe so much of the future of our country could lie in their decision. May their god lend them wisdom, ease their hearts, and guide them to right action.

Thanks,

katasliberalastheyget

Subject: RE: Obit: Senator Wellstone, plane crash
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 08:36 PM

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?