Posted on 10/30/2002 12:02:11 PM PST by William McKinley
Honor & Civility: R.I.P.
A memorial service for Paul Wellstone becomes a DNC pep rally as the Democratic party reaches a new low. by Fred Barnes
10/30/2002 2:10:00 PM
FIRST, Democrats in Minnesota used the death of Democratic Sen. Paul Wellstone in an attempt to silence the Republican Senate candidate, former St. Paul mayor Norm Coleman. Then, they turned a widely televised memorial honoring Wellstone into a partisan political rally for electing ex-vice president Walter Mondale to Wellstone's Senate seat. And now, they're planning to make Mondale as inaccessible as possible in the closing days of the campaign, so he can ride the emotion of Wellstone's tragic death in a plane crash to election victory on November 5.
Cynical? It sure is. But it shows how desperate Democrats are to keep control of the Senate, which they currently hold by the slim margin of one vote. Even outside Minnesota, Democrats are citing Wellstone's death as a reason for stepped-up Democratic campaign activity. In New Jersey, Republicans accused Democratic Senate candidate Frank Lautenberg of saying voters should honor Wellstone by electing a Democratic Senate. In Iowa, Senate majority leader Tom Daschle said Democrats are more active and energetic in the week before election as they grieve for Wellstone.
The exploitation of Wellstone's memory began within two days of his death. Several prominent Democrats, including Senate whip Harry Reid of Nevada, called Coleman the most viciously negative Senate candidate in the country. The gist here was that Coleman had attacked Wellstone not only relentlessly but also unfairly and should stop his criticism at once--even criticism of his new foe, Mondale. Other Democrats were more explicit, insisting the campaign stay positive in the final days, if only to avoid dishonoring Wellstone. Of course this would help Mondale by keeping his own record as a senator, vice president, and Democratic presidential candidate in 1984 free of a rigorous critique by Coleman and Republicans. In fact, when former House speaker Newt Gingrich criticized Mondale on TV on Sunday, the Democratic state chairman in Minnesota declared this inappropriate.
The memorial service was shameless in its partisanship. It started with emotional remembrances of Wellstone, a politician loved by liberals and respected by conservatives. But then Rick Kahn, a friend of Wellstone, turned the event into a partisan pep rally. Democratic celebrities, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, Teddy Kennedy, and Al Gore, were cheered wildly. When Senate GOP Leader Trent Lott and former Republican senator Rod Grams of Minnesota were shown on the TV screen at the service, there were boos. When Mondale was shown on the screen--he didn't give a speech--he was cheered amid chants of "Fritz, Fritz, Fritz."
Kahn told the crowd of roughly 20,000: "We are begging you to help us win this Senate election for Paul Wellstone." He urged Republicans to give up their opposition and let Mondale win with bipartisan support--a clever invocation of bipartisanship to achieve a partisan end, the election of a Democrat. Kahn even called on a Republican House member, Jim Ramstad, by name, saying he should help Democrats win the Senate race.
Both Gov. Jesse Ventura, an Independent, and Republicans were furious over the transformation of the memorial service into a highly partisan event. Ventura and his wife walked out, shaking their heads, during Kahn's speech. "What a complete, total, absolute sham," Vin Weber, a former House member from Minnesota and now an adviser to Coleman, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The Democratic party "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."
The Coleman campaign has asked for five debates, one a day until the election. Mondale has agreed to none and, according to media reports, will limit his campaigning to a few speeches. What Republicans fear is that this tactic will allow the race to be about Wellstone and not about Mondale, who hasn't been on the ballot for statewide office in Minnesota since 1972. His views on major issues--Iraq, the war on terrorism, the Wellstone agenda of left-liberal issues--is largely unknown. In this case, that may aid his election.
Fred Barnes is executive editor of The Weekly Standard.
...handwriting was on the wall for all to see, years ago.
The handwriting was, but unless the Media's Bias towards the Clinton's and the Liberal-Left is disputed with actual PROOF, the Media will continue their shameless promotion of this Evil Attack on America.
Our best weapon is TRUTH. The In-Your-Face-Wake was Truth, Monica's Dress was Truth.
America isn't lost, we're just being lied to.
Sounds good, Ms. Joy.
Disputed *with* whom?
Any suggestions where to start?
The "truth" is whatever one *thinks* the truth "is"; no more, no less. Right?
(notice: I avoided the toughest question of all, too, "Just how does one go about making another listen &/or see "truth," anyway?)
"...is disputed with actual PROOF the Media will continue their shameless promotion of this Evil Attack on America."
Sure; so who would you suggest we take this little *problem* of our's to, Joy?
Is there some great, omnipotent grand "Arbitor" who'll hear our pleas; in this world?
Surely you realize a full half of the Liberal-Socialist Lamestream mediat's smear J-O-B on the ideological right "is" to not report our side's story.
Which incidentally is rediculously easy to do, when you've your own constitutional amendment protecting LIES as equally as "truths," y'know?
(Catholics call this behavior, "The Sin of Omission.")
So yea, truth or no truth it'll have to go through our media first, eh?
Under those circumstances, Joy, it's the truth be damned.
Those, dear Joy, are the rules.
They are "the media," Joy.
Is there something about that fact you don't understand?
"Our best weapon is TRUTH. The In-Your-Face-Wake was Truth, Monica's Dress was Truth."
Who's truth might those two instances (& a thousand more instances over the past 10 years as bad or worse...) "play to," Joy?
There's at least HALF of this nation's eligible voters who thought Monica's dress was a *lovely* color of blue; white seman stained, or not.
As for the, "In-your-face-wake"?
There were a LOT of people [there] in attendence of the, "wake."
Some very prominent leaders -- political & otherwise -- were seen all over the audience & I saw nothing but smiles, Joy.
There were then-again that many people who were watching this, "wake" at home, too.
Most thought there absolutely nothing wrong with the abomination we witnessed, Joy.
Nothing. Nada. Neitz. Nyet.
Understand?
Make you a wager, Joy.
I bet YOU'd never be permitted to speak of either of the two examples you've cited -- the wake OR Monica's dress -- to the congregations in 9 of 10, "Christian" denomination churches.
I'm afraid they'd simply not hear of it, Joy.
Moreover, if you pushed the matter too hard with 'em, insisting they listen?
First & foremeost you'd be labeled a disseminator of, "Hate Speech."
Don'tcha know that by now, Joy?
The "conditioning" has been that thorough, that complete, Joy.
The die has been struck.
Listen...
The election next Tuesday's going to settle a LOT of questions in my mind.
Such as: which direction this nation's heading, the impact a conservative administration's had, the effectiveness of the media, what people will & will not accept from their pols, whether the taxpayers have finally & successfully been nuetralized by the freeloader-class.
Those are the main questions I'm looking to have answered, myself, Joy.
This election's a, "Judgement Day" -- of sorts -- Joy.
Can you handle the, "truth," Joy?
Have you prepared yourself for the, "truth"?
Will you be able to deal with the "truth"?
I only ask [you]; because, I'm not so sure, myself.
"America isn't lost, we're just being lied to."
...didn't I said that to begin with?
I have an aunt like that. My family is very outgoing and we talk politics anytime, anyplace...but SHHUSH! She tells us, reminding us that she's eager "to go!"
Evil is only getting a stronghold, because the Liberal-Left and the Christian Right are both excited about it's arrival...but for different reasons.
My aunt figures I'll be 'left behind.'
Isn't that a Lovely Thought for her to think of her dear sweet neice?
I love God and Jesus...but that's not enough. I need to be a vegetable too.
Well yeah--we are being lied to, but that is why the Lord gave us a brain and the ability to discern. There are millions of people who apparently like being lied to--they reelected Bubba simply because he "felt their pain!!" The only pain that POS has ever lived with is his wife!
Exactly!! The Vast LeftWing Medyuh Whore'd and the PRO-Socialism FederalEducationSystem shares much of the blame fer the Sheeple's Ignorance, but you gotta wanna be STOOOOPID if you remain a Leftist RAT Dolt into yer adult years. Seriously, do YOU really believe OJ Simpson couldn't fit his bloody glove on his hand?! Do you?!! The Double-Murderer/EX-football star had a latex glove on his hand, you DOLT!! Combined with the shrinkage of a blood-soaked glove that anyone who's ever had a blood-soaked glove knows all about, well, YOU do realize the glove that was on the hand of Nicole's and Paul's killer...and that blood-soaked glove was on OJ Simpson as he sliced the throat of his wife--the mother of his two children--and an innocent bystander!! You do realize that, don't you?!
Yeah, "RATS're Dolts!!, but they got no one to blame 'cept fer their own lazy, handout-beggin', Self-LOATHING** 'selves!!!
"There are millions of people who apparently like being lied to--they reelected Bubba simply because he "felt their pain!!"
Yeah, Scholar, that's what I meant...LOL!!
FReegards...MUD
BTW...**I sincerely believe you must LOATHE yerself to be a willing participant in the DemonRATS' PowerGrab!!
Governor Ventura and all who walked out with him were wise to do so...MUD
Nothing personal, Ms. Angela, but that there's POPPYCOCK!! I'm a born-again Christian and a proud member of the Christian Right, and I ain't lookin' fer Armegeddon to happen while I'm on this Planet, at least not if I can do anything to avert it!!
EVIL is a proponent--and a tool--of the Left...MUD
Of course, y'all DO AGREE with me on that, Right?!!
FReegards...MUD
Yes, I agree that Coleman's tactic is the stupidest move since Dumbya appointed Harvey Pitt to head the SEC. What will Coleman do in the debates, tell more lies about Mondale's record ala Newtie?
Dumbya's corrupt SEC appointee has our 401(k)'s in the pitts, and all the Repukes can do is bitch about a memorial service to a great patriot and veteran? Shame on the Repukes and shame on you, MUD!
I reckon yer back to bein' unhospitable to me again, ain'tcha, ma'am?!
MUD
Do you mind copying me on the "LIES" Mr. Gingrich told on Russert? No...I didn't think so...MUD
Oh, please.
Yer probably right, Lefty...the bubble created when the Clinton Administration committed FRaud in exchange for campaign donations was popped when the GOP got in there and actually enforced the Law...whatta concept...LOL!!
"...all the Repukes can do is bitch about a memorial service to a great patriot and veteran?"
BWAHAHAHAHA...yeah, the "great patriot and veteran" Clinton's thugs off'd so as to give them excuse to hold a 3-hour nationally-televised DemonRAT Convention...RATS're Dolts, MurryMom, and I'm soooo glad that yer coming around to my way of thinking!!
MUD
The problem goes far deeper than that fer MM, I'm afraid...MUD
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