[MHGinTN]

I'm asking around tonight. I just finished watching the memorial service political rally without interruption, not distracted with posting at FR. I'm a bit confused. Was Paul Wellstone the type of man who would have endorsed a memorial service to honor the tragically dead turned into a political rally for the thinly veiled purpose of energizing the flagging political fortunes of a particular party? I really don't know, so I'm asking that any freepers familiar with the man's character please tell me. Was Paul Wellstone that transparent?... From what I am familiar with, from a distance over fundamental ideological differences on abortion, I would say the man was more genuine than what I saw and heard from the likes of Tom Harkin and Kahn(sp?). Am I wrong? Was Paul Wellstone one to exploit grief and sympathy ... or was Paul Wellstone actually better than those crass political manipulators I watch tonight? I had little politically that I would have agreed with Wellstone over, but I thought he had more character than what I watched tonight.

[Mike Darancette]

Was Paul Wellstone the type of man who would have endorsed a memorial service to honor the tragically dead turned into a political rally for the thinly veiled purpose of energizing the flagging political fortunes of a particular party?

I wouldn't have believed it, but it would seem so.

[demosthenes the elder]

my observations and knowledge of Wellstone are quite limited, but from what I recall he was a sincere Leftist, and as great a gentleman as a Leftist is capable of being. He was, in my opinion, very wrong in many of his beliefs, but he seemed to be genuinely sincere and thoughtful. I don't think he would have approved of his death becoming the grist for the vampiric democratic mill.

[VOA]

From what I am familiar with, from a distance over fundamental ideological differences
on abortion, I would say the man was more genuine than what I saw and heard from the
likes of Tom Harkin and Kahn(sp?). Am I wrong?

I think the term "lay down with dogs, get up with fleas".

But I do generally think you are right about Wellstone being a "what you see/hear, is what
you get" kind of guy.
Only problem was that he was truly sincere about trying to turn the USA into the USSR.
I can't go for that, no matter how "Minnesota Nice" or sincere or well-intentioned
someone is.

[Mamzelle]

re:Was Paul Wellstone the type of man who would have endorsed a memorial service to honor the tragically dead turned into a political rally for the thinly veiled purpose of energizing the flagging political fortunes of a particular party?)))

My impression, and I'm not a Minnesooootan, is that he was that rare thing, a fairly sincere and decent liberal. But his family sure seized the chance to make his memory crass and self-serving, and you can tell a lot about someone from his family. Kennedys, for instance.