[Green Knight]

Jean Carnahan's up for re-election this year? That can't be right. Aren't Senate terms 6 years? In which case, she'd be up for re-election no sooner than 2006. Or is there some kind of exception for the relatives of dead candidates who take their seat in the Missouri State Constitution?

[DCE]

Democrats..... don't they really mean Socialists....???

[RFP]

Jean Carnahan wasn't elected, she was only appointed. It was her deceased husband, MEL Carnahan, who was on the ballot and "won" the election. Since Mel was not alive to take office, Jean was appointed out of sympathy by Missouri's DemocRAT gubernor in 2000 and is thus required to run as a "special" candidate in the next election which is this year. Whoever wins this '02 election, either her or Talent or whomever, will still see their term end in 2006 because the six year rotation of senators never changes. It is based on when the respective state was admitted to the union.