Sorry, but I can't drum up the necessary sympathy over his demise..........and apparently neither could those who attended his "memorail."
The rah-rah Democrats lack of sympathy for Wellstone and seven others who died tragically is understandable since in their jaded eyes they are now non-persons.
Unlike many, I did not expect this 'memorial' to be anything other than what it was... a well crafted and perfectly ORCHESTRATED event, featuring the star players in the party. Note the way they entered the 'stage'. You think they all arrived a few minutes apart by coincidence? Not on your life.
The program was planned to elicit emotion, and it did. It's important to remember that Wellstone was in danger of losing this race; therefore, the Dems had nothing to lose by attempting a risky strategy. When your candidate is behind, you either have to motivate your base, or depress theirs. If you can find a way to do both, that's even better. The MN Dem party chairman had his 'mea culpa' ready for the press; they KNEW this would energize the Pubbies, but the hope was to get some Independents to fall their way.
This program wasn't designed primarily for MN. They had already selected Mondale, and assumed that he would vault into a substantial lead a la Lautenburg. This program was designed to play in 'Peoria', giving the Dems a chance to be on-stage elsewhere. In nearly every state, either Bill or Hillary or Kennedy are featured - even now, a week later - in little news soundbites about Wellstone's death -not his LIFE, but his death. How conveeeeenient, hmmmm?
I think they planned this hoping to tip the scales in MO. The Widow Carnahan is in deep trouble; the only way to resurrect (pun intended) her campaign is to remind people of Mel's death. The idea is for those soccer mom's to cry all the way to the polls.
If Wellstone was the most beloved Senator in the party, did Tim Johnson invite him to SD to campaign for him? How about Max Cleland? Or Erskine Bowles? Hmmmm?
If Wellstone was so brilliant, why wasn't he on Daschle's leadership committee? Mondale's already been awarded that honor....why not Wellstone? Hmmmm?
How many of these Senators attended a memorial service for Paul Coverdale? Hmmmm? With regard to Mondale, when was the last time he was invited to speak at a Dem convention?
When was the last time he was presented as the authority on any issue? Hmmmm? Dems were never taught 'cheaters never prosper', because in their world, cheaters DO prosper. It's time for the good people of MN to say 'enough is enough'.