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
The photo on the left (of the left may be more appropiate):
Mondale appears to be scared to death (who could blame him).
Hopefully he's praying for his salvation (considering he doesn't have the strength of will to remove himself from the situation that's been thrust upon him).
I think it's likelier the DNC lied to Ferraro too, so that she would spout their line with more conviction.
However, I somehow doubt if she will now hold that against them.
BE THERE!
BE THERE!
BE THERE!
.
This is frightening! I don't put anything past them!
The media's got round heels for this kind of stuff.
Click on the link to check them out. They're a Washington news sourse that stays pretty close to what's going on in DC. They follow up on rumors and ask questions. They do their best. They're small. Sort of a Washington gossip type paper.
As I mentioned on another thread, the fact that Cheney was "disinvited" was also very suspect. Why tell the vice president he can't come? You can handle the security for Clinton, who is loaded with secret service, why not the security for Cheney? It was because Cheney is a world away from Lott and other Congressmen - booing the vice president who is an older and dignified man would not have been something they were able to cover. Lott they could do it with impunity.
People would not have stood for it because Cheney is an extension of the presidency, and in America, nobody disses the presidential office without severe repercussions.
No, they won't because the press by and large would never report this.
I'm pretty sure I've heard Rush quote this news source before.
Anyway, I've e-mailed it out to the usual. Hannity, O'Riely, Rush.
Yeah, me too. The quotations sound stilted and a little too pat. Maybe a bit of pre-election paranoia on my part, who knows?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.