Posted on 11/01/2002 3:07:43 AM PST by kattracks
November 1, 2002 -- That was some "memorial service" the Minnesota Democratic Party threw for the late Sen. Paul Wellstone the other night.
It started out dignified enough, with eulogies and poignant anecdotes.
But then it degenerated into a hysterical partisan pep rally in which speakers demanded that the GOP sit back and permit Wellstone's designated successor, former veep Walter Mondale, to take Tuesday's election by default.
This, after the Democrats - who'd called for a campaign moratorium until Wednesday - excoriated the Republicans for just raising the issue of campaign debates this weekend between Mondale and GOP candidate Norm Coleman.
Talk about hypocrisy!
It was, as former Rep. Vin Weber said, "a complete, total, absolute sham," adding that for Minnesota Democrats, "Wellstone's death, apparently, was just another campaign event."
No wonder even some Democratic officials are apologizing for an event they now concede went way over the top.
That the event was meant to be more than a simple memorial service was apparent when it was learned that labor unions were busing members to the rally, which was attended by some 20,000 people.
And forget about putting aside partisanship so that all those gathered - Republicans as well as Democrats - could share their sorrow at Wellstone's untimely death: When Republicans, like Sen. Trent Lott, appeared on the giant screens, the crowd erupted into jeers and catcalls.
Not to mention the fact that Wellstone's family publicly disinvited Vice President Dick Cheney - at least in part because of his strong public support of Coleman's candidacy.
Little wonder, then, that the most partisan of Democrats - Bill Clinton - was seen cheering the speakers on and pumping his fist in the air. He didn't bother wasting time with his trademark bite-the-lip sign of feigned grief.
Given that the event was broadcast live throughout Minnesota (and nationally on C-SPAN), it amounted to little more than a free, three-hour campaign commercial.
That Paul Wellstone himself would have loved it is beside the point; he was, after all, one of the most enthusiastically partisan members of the U.S. Senate.
The fact remains that, for all their protestations of outrage at the other side, behind their tears the Democrats were cynically engaged in politics as usual.
Here's hoping they pay a price for it at the polls Tuesday.
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