Posted on 10/31/2002 2:22:02 PM PST by mondonico
Political operatives at the Democratic National Committee in Washington developed the plan to turn the memorial service for Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone into a political rally, top party sources tell Capitol Hill Blue.
The party also urged the Wellstone family to ask Vice President Dick Cheney to not attend the service and concocted the excuse that security for the VP would disrupt the event even though Secret Service security was required for former president Bill Clinton, who was invited and who did attend.
Rick Kahn, the Wellstone campaign worker and friend, worked the highly partisan crowd into a frenzy with strong rhetoric urging them to get out and elect replacement candidate Walter Mondale.
"That was the plan all along and it was one of the reasons we didn't want Cheney at the event," says one Democratic political operative who spoke only under promise that his name not be used. "It was a high stakes gamble but this is a campaign that demands high risks."
The secret plan was developled at the DNC headquarters in Washington and approved by party chairman Terry McAuliffe, the source said.
Kahn was then briefed and urged to turn the memorial event into a political rally. Wellstone campaign manager Jeff Blodgett's apology Wednesday afternoon was also part of the plan, designed to provide party deniability, the sources said.
"There were two agendas at work," one source said. "We needed to draw attention to the election. Between the sniper and Iraq, the election has been lost in the news. And then we needed to energize the Democratic base and Wellstone supporters in Minnesota."
While Kahn's firey rhetoric, and walkouts by Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura and GOP Senate Leader Trent Lott, fueled controversy, Democratic political operatives in Washington congratulated each other Wednesday.
"Mission accomplished" was the message of the day at the DNC and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee offices.
Sources within both committees also said the Wellstone event is only the beginning of plans for media-generating activities through the election next week.
"This is war," one operative said. "The Republicans are too busy planning war on Iraq. They won't even see us coming."
The DNC and DSCC did not return phone calls seeking comment on this report.
© Copyright 2002 Capitol Hill Blue
HARHARHARHAR...They never saw that truck coming - big ol' pickup with Texas plates and a spaniel ridin' shotgun. Now all they can hope to do is crawl off the road before the country truck comes along and paints two yellow stripes across their legs...
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