Taxpayers to Pay for Wellstone Rally !!

World Net Daily ^ | 10/30/02

[LiveFreeOrDie2001]

Who foots bill for Wellstone memorial/rally? Questions raised as to use of military as support staff for event

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: October 30, 2002 6:00 p.m. Eastern

Editor's note: WorldNetDaily is pleased to have a content-sharing agreement with Insight magazine, the bold Washington publication not afraid to ruffle establishment feathers. Subscribe to Insight at WorldNetDaily's online store and save 71 percent off the cover price. By Scott Wheeler © 2002 News World Communications Inc.

A memorial service for the late Sen. Paul Wellstone, that some say more closely resembled a political rally, has raised questions as to whether or not taxpayers should be reimbursed for the cost of flying a large delegation of mostly Democratic congressmen, senators and their spouses and staffs from Washington, D.C., to Minnesota aboard U.S. Air Force jets, according to a report in Insight magazine.

According to Pentagon sources, the Air Force supplied two C-32 aircraft, the military equivalent of the Boeing 757, and one C-9, the military equivalent of a McDonnell Douglas DC-9.

According to the Insight report, the cost to taxpayers of the congressional flights, with crew, was approximately $119,961.

A 1964 Department of Defense directive authorizes the use of military aircraft for official business of Congress, or to attend the funeral of a sitting member, only if a request is made to the ''secretary of defense by the president of the Senate, the speaker of the House or their designated representatives.''

A spokesman for Vice President Dick Cheney, constitutionally designated as the president of the Senate, says Cheney made no request of the secretary of defense for military support to transport the congressional delegation to the Wellstone memorial.

A spokesman for Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., confirmed that Hastert made no such request either, according to the Insight report.

The political memorial for Wellstone was attended by Democratic Party activists and luminaries from all over the country, including former President Bill Clinton, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., former Vice President Al Gore, former Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey (who was appointed to the ballot in his state when the incumbent Democrat was caught up in a bribery scandal) and former Vice President Walter Mondale, who will replace Wellstone on the ballot for next Tuesday's election.

According to the Insight report, the arena crowd of 15,000 cheered remarks by Wellstone's son David, who said, ''We all know what we have to do.''

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Rick Kahn, a close friend and Wellstone campaign treasurer, ''shifted the tone of the event from a memorial service to full-throated, foot-stomping, fist-pumping political rally.''

The paper reported Kahn told the crowd: ''We are begging you to help us win this Senate election for Paul Wellstone,'' and called on the rallying Democrats and others to ''help us win this race.''

KARE-TV, the NBC affiliate in Minneapolis, reported viewers were outraged, saying what began as a poignant farewell turned into a political rally for national Democrats.

The station reported receiving more than 100 telephone calls complaining about the coverage.

According to the Insight report, uniformed members of the U.S. Marine Corps were also used as escorts for those attending the event and may have also provided ground transportation.

Sources say the delegation that left Andrews Air Force base yesterday for Minneapolis, and returned late last night, was comprised of an unknown number of senators, 11 members of the House of Representatives and ''some spouses and staff members.''

The total came to 120 people.

Aboard the return flight to Washington, one senator reportedly called the event ''a damned political rally.''

According to the Insight report, another shrugged, ''Well, that was fitting for Wellstone. He always went up to the line – and jumped over it.''

[concerned about politics]

I e-mailed this to Sean Hannity, Bill O'Riely, and Rush. Hope they catch it.

[lonestar]

The bill should be sent to the DNC.

[concerned about politics]

I e-mailed this to Sean Hannity, Bill O'Riely, and Rush. Hope they catch it.

[concerned about politics]

I e-mailed this to Sean Hannity, Bill O'Riely, and Rush. Hope they catch it.

[ffrancone]

IT'S 6 DAYS 'TIL THE ELECTION

GOOD INTENTIONS DON'T WIN ELECTIONS.

YOU CAN HELP, TODAY. GO TO:

TakeBackCongress.org

A resource for conservatives who want a Republican majority in the Senate

[concerned about politics]

Is this site down or am I in the Twilight Zone?

[danzaroni]

I'm from Minnesota and even my most liberal Wellstone-supporting friends felt the memorial went way to far. As one put it "Wellstone wouldn't have used 8 deaths to promote a political agenda."

[terilyn]

I don't know the answer to any of those questions yet. Local media is typically pretty liberal and probably won't dig too hard to find out.

But I will say this...Norm Coleman and the Republicans couldn't have received better PR had they paid a billion dollars.

This has energized Minnesota Republicans and undecidedes like you wouldn't believe.

Norm's campaign has received tons of money from all over the country in the past 24 hours. More people showed up to volunteer than they had parking for. People double parked all over. Can't get the signs delivered fast enough - people coming in to pick them up.

Local media saying they are going to broadcast the Coleman rally Sunday with George W. Bush LIVE IN IT'S ENTIRETY! They said they feel they owe Norm equal time.

The media has been blasted - TV, radio, print...liberal media is appalled.

This is incredible. Local political reporter for ABC affiliate said on the radio this morning that Norm now has the high ground. Nothing more can be said to him about politicizing this campaign. The memorial/rally last night was more political under false pretenses than anything Norm could possibly think of.

WOO HOOOOO!!!

[concerned about politics]

Now that's great news. Keep the momentum (especially now that voters may have to pay for the rally) up! Keep talking and calling and writing!

[terilyn]

For a great overview, check out this thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/778824/posts?page=20

"Last night has turned into a disaster for the Democrats. Powerline has delved deeper into the Star Tribune's poll showing Mondale up 8 and has found out that the poll sampled 51% DFL/Democratic supporters and only 36% Republican or GOP leaning supporters, a total of 11% more Democrats than their previous Wellstone/Coleman poll. JM 4:49 pm"

[Fracas]

Were you the 'Terri' from Minneapolis who phoned Rush today? I hope so, because it was a great call! LOL.

For the first time last night, I was cheering Jesse Ventura.

Thanks to everyone from MN for keeping us posted on what it's like at Ground Zero.

[Fracas]

Ah, that sounds good, BUT will they still vote for Mondale?

[Delta 21]

According to Pentagon sources, the Air Force supplied two C-32 aircraft, the military equivalent of the Boeing 757, and one C-9, the military equivalent of a McDonnell Douglas DC-9

To bad we couldnt have had a few more plane crashes

[RoseofTexas]

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT THE RALLY this evening?? I didn't even know there was one held for Colemen today!! INFO PLEASE, just dying to know!! HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE THERE?

[timestax]

YIKES!!

[RoseofTexas]

OOOps Colemen=Coleman...got a little excited!

[A Citizen Reporter]

"Oh yea, does everyone know Trent Lott was BOOED at "The Memorial Service"...???"

This is a subtle point, but an important one, IMHO. I was speaking to a friend tonight, who had only heard about this Wellstone memorial fiasco because he listened to Rush today. He understood that Trent Lott had been Booed, however he did not understand that Trent Lott was actually in attendance, and WAS BOOED WHEN HE APPEARED ON THE JUMBOTRON (FANTAVISION?). My friend thought that there was a film played, in which Lott appeared, that caused the booing. When I told him that Lott was actually there......he was more mortified. (BTW, to those DemoRAT strategists who lurk here, this friend is another you've lost permanently. This guy comes from a die-hard, dyed-in-the-wool democrat family........gone, gone, gone.....)

[terilyn]

LOL, no not me - I'm a working girl!

I'm glad she did a good job though :)

I give Jesse a lot of credit for leaving and for his comments today. I'm pretty critical often, but will give credit when credit is due.

Senator Lott called in to the local radio this afternoon. Very nice, very polite, very southern. Said he was shocked last night. Had been to dozens of memorials and funerals over his 30 years in public service and had never seen anybody from either side booed. Also had never seen a memorial service that turned into an obvious political rally. It was great!

[terilyn]

Rally for Coleman is Sunday at 2:00. I'm going! WOO HOO ;)

They are trying to fill the Xcel Energy Center (where the Minnesota Wild play hockey).

It's free but we have to have tickets for security purposes.

I'll post on Sunday when I get back and be sure to ping you!

[concerned about politics]

(BTW, to those DemoRAT strategists who lurk here, this friend is another you've lost permanently. This guy comes from a die-hard, dyed-in-the-wool democrat family........gone, gone, gone.....)

LOL. Keep up the good work. Talking to everyone you see is a good thing. LOL.