13 Days: Behind the scenes of Minnesota's historic election [long & detailed]

Minneapolis Star-Tribune ^ | 11-10-02 | Eric Black

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Norm Coleman is at a loggers' rally. Walter Mondale is at a political fundraiser. Paul Wellstone is airborne.

Everything is about to change.

At a luncheon at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Minneapolis, a colleague tells Minneapolis attorney David Lillehaug of reports that a plane chartered by the Wellstone campaign has crashed.

[Dog]

Bump for a later read.

[aristeides]

Red Star comes through: no mention of the DNC's role in planning the ghoulfest.

[twntaipan]

Worth the read--pretty fascinating stuff. Someone ought to put a suicide watch on Rick Kahn, though.

[jellybean]

You're right, it's a long read, but good!

...Mondale and his staff are flagged as security risks.

This should be SOP for all DemocRat Senators and Congressmen.

[yoe]

A well written and fascinating read, thanks!

[jellybean]

Red Star comes through: no mention of the DNC's role in planning the ghoulfest.

True, but they did include this...

Clinton calls Mandy Grunwald and says Mondale had better have a good answer ready to explain what happened at the memorial service.

Note it doesn't say he was outraged by the tone of the memorally, only that Mondale better have a good answer. (I'm sure he suggested one) Also note it doesn't say which Clinton. We're left to assume it was Bill.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Interesting article. Thanks for posting it.

[elenchus]

We can't afford to gloat or be complacent when at any moment we might lose the Republican Senate majority. See the winning strategy available:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/786126/posts

[Credo]

I don't see any comment about Coleman's debate zinger to Mondale's statement that Coleman's pro life stance was "abritrary".

[J Schweinbagel]

(Coleman) praises Mondale as "one of the greatest Minnesotans of the 20th century..." (emphasis mine)

Heh!

[corkoman]

Someone ought to put a suicide watch on Rick Kahn, though.

LOL - seriously, can you imagine Rick's feeling right now? I bet he is holed-up next to some black bear hibernating for the winter.

[MadelineZapeezda]

But before the plane lifts off from the Fargo, N.D., airport, the pilot is told not to come to the Twin Cities just yet, because Air Force One is arriving there. Stuck on the runway for an hour and 45 minutes,.....................

bwahahahahahahah

[NYCVirago]

Mondale was merely a spectator Tuesday night, they reason. How can people blame him?

This article leaves a lot of things out, including the fact that Mondale was photographed at the memorial service yucking it up with Clinton. People who may not have watched the service saw that picture and were appalled. The Dems keep on trying to pin the outrage of that night on Rick Kahn and the Wellstone sons, but the fact is that all the Dems involved made the memorial service into a pep rally.

[twntaipan]

I wasn't in jest. This article basically says the whole Mondale campaign began to slip away because of that one speech.