Republicans decry service as partisan [LOTT WALKED OUT!!]

Star Tribune Star Tribune ^ | 10/30/02 | Kavita Kumar, Dane Smith and Patricia Lopez

[M. Thatcher]

Though it was billed as a memorial service, many irate viewers and Republican leaders said the gathering for U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone and five others degenerated at times into a blatant political rally.

"What a complete, total, absolute sham," said Vin Weber, a former U.S. representative from Minnesota. "The DFL clearly intends to exploit Wellstone's memory totally, completely and shamelessly for political gain. To them, Wellstone's death, apparently, was just another campaign event."

[GOPyouth]

This was pretty sickening tonight. Although I'm against pretty much every single thing Wellstone stood for, out of respect of the death of a Senator, I watched the service. I turned it off soon after. I should not be surprised that this happened tonight, but damn, you would think they would at least leave politics out of a funeral service.

[Mike Darancette]

Like Great Hairy Spiders the Democrats descended on the Memorial Service in an effort to suck the last juices of political advantage from the corpse of the fallen Senator.

Probably their crassest moment.

[M. Thatcher]

Probably their crassest moment.

Agreed. And with their scrofulous track record, that's really saying something.

[AndrewC]

It was during Kahn's speech that Gov. Jesse Ventura and First Lady Terry Ventura got up shaking their heads and walked out. Lott also walked out during the service.

Cheers for Jesse!! He evidently gave Lott the spine to walk out. Now Jesse needs to appoint Norm Coleman to fill the dead Senator's seat.

[Fracas]

Lott has to stay on message when the reporters approach him for a sound bite. One word of compliment about the service and that will be the 'antidote' to the criticism of tonight's memorial.

He should say 'it's up to the people who watched to decide'.

BTW - was Jean Carnahan there? If so, I missed her.

Perhaps some of the MN backlash will rub off on her.

[Mike Darancette]

scrofulous

Good word.

[VOA]

Afterward, U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said that Kahn was swept away by emotion and
that Republicans should understand and not get angry.

Finally I can agree with Sen. Harkin on something.
The Republicans shouldn't get mad...
They should GET EVEN (and then some) on Nov. 5 by flooding the polls.

[billclintonwillrotinhell]

Hey, Trent Lott has actually shown some guts lately. First, he boycotted a tribute dinner for Harry Belafonte after Belafonte's "house slave" insult to Colin Powell. And now Mr. Lott lets all the socialist Wellstone crazies have the room for themselves.

I didn't watch all of the service myself. Did they ever get around to lighting a bonfire or dancing a jig in honor of Palestinian suicide bombers?

[M. Thatcher]

Good word.

Agreed. Especially apt when discussing Democrats.

[billclintonwillrotinhell]

I would hope the cable news networks (especially Fox) set aside a lot of time later today to show some of the more outrageous clips from the pep rally. And we'll have to see what treatment this gets on the three broadcast network morning shows.

If this does backfire with an American public that always tells pollsters we should all just get along, I see this having a positive impact on GOP get-out-the-vote efforts NATIONWIDE.

[billclintonwillrotinhell]

It's almost like the Wellstone kids would have no problem calling Fritz daddy and Hillary mommy. Apparently, it's all about politics for them.

[Dianna]

I'm sorry for your loss. I don't know how I will deal with losing my parents. I can't imagine it.

I only watched a little of the rally, but I kept expecting them to shout Wellstone's name as he came running into the building, backslapping and high fiving all his friends.

[Dianna]

Hey, Greta just reminded me that Harkin is up for re-election.

I pray this backfires on him too.

[#3Fan]

That is what flabbergasted and appalled me. The sons lost their father, mother and sister, yet were up there rallying the troops to get out the vote. I heard very little sympathy or sorrow in their voices. If I didn’t see it myself, I wouldn’t have believed it. As a matter of fact, I’m still not sure if I believe it.

I'm not making excuses for the sons but I'd bet they were brainwashed by Democratic operatives from Daschle, Clinton, and McAuliffe who convinced them that the best way to honor their stricken family members was to do this hideous display. I'm sure they made the sons feel like the most important people in America right now. The son's usefulness to these professional users will end though Nov. 6 and they're going to find out what a cold shoulder really feels like. They'll be discarded like yesterday's newspaper and the only thing they'll have from this episode will be three graves that was once their family.

[billclintonwillrotinhell]

George W. Bush should NOT visit Minnesota this weekend. After the socialist freak show last night, GOP voters are now 100 percent energized, and the President is not all that popular in Minnesota. Bush's time would be better spent in South Dakota, Missouri, Arkansas, Florida and Georgia.

Coleman is mayor of St. Paul and he should spend all five days of this campaign challenging Mondale to debate LOCAL issues. Coleman should use the words VISION, FUTURE and ENERGY every chance he gets as he tours the state.

[M. Thatcher]

George W. Bush should NOT visit Minnesota this weekend.

Was he planning to?

[FourteenthProfile]

scrofulous

adj

1: afflicted with scrofula
2: morally contaminated; "denounce the scrofulous wealth of the times"- J.D.Hart
3: having a diseased appearance resembling scrofula; "our canoe...lay with her scrofulous sides on the shore"- Farley Mowat
Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University

[billclintonwillrotinhell]

According to the story, Bush is scheduled to campaign for Coleman in Minnesota on Sunday. One of the networks said that it won't be too concerned about over-covering the Bush visit since it spent so much time on the memorial/pep rally for the democRATS last night.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Check out this post (excerpt);

Norm Coleman was actually there. Security had to move him out of a section because it was "unfriendly." Apparently they couldn't find any section for him to sit it. This was widely reported so the public should know that he was there but never appeared on television. This is fantastic as it appears that Coleman is the only one not trying to exploit Wellstone's death for his own political advantage.


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/778258/posts?page=1008#1008

[kcvl]

An enthusiastic cheer went up as former Vice President Walter Mondale and his wife, Joan, accompanied by Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., entered the arena to the strains of "Love Train." Democratic party officials have been urging Mondale, who served 12 years in the Senate, to take Wellstone's place on the ballot for the Nov. 5 general election. The crowd also cheered former Vice President Al Gore as he entered.

Gov. Jesse Ventura was booed.