Rick Kahn says he regrets (Wellstone) memorial service (campaign rally) speech, fears its impact

Minneapolis Red Star ^ | November 7, 2002 | Chuck Haga

[Ax]

Man, that was E L O Q U E N T !! I only hope that Rick Kahn reads it. He'll bear that millstone around his neck for the rest of his life. You rock.

[Future Useless Eater]

It wasn't specifically Kahn, or the Wellstone kids...

It was Bill and Hillary showing up in flyover country, laughing their heads off during the funeral, and encouraging the Boo'ing of their political 'enemies' who came to pay their respects to the dead Senator.

Not only did that drop Mondale 10 points but Republicans (and Dems) all across the country saw that, and it dropped all other DEMS about 5 points!, just enough to sink them!

[Abigail Adams]

It's fun to bash Rick's speech. But, I can only imagine how awful this guy feels to have not only lost a close friend and mentor...but also to be pointed out as the whole reason Mondale lost the election. I pray he doesn't get suicidal or something.

I think the whole rally thing just shed a little light on the cockroaches. They are now running for cover, but it's too late. America has seen the RATs for who they really are.

[SkyPilot]

For Kahn, it didn't. The 50-year-old lawyer, accountant and Wellstone campaign treasurer

They left out "homosexual activist" (which he is). I wonder why?

[nutmeg]

"All I was talking about at the rally was that Paul was a brother to me," Kahn says in the report.

What a slip! He admits that it wasn't 'just a memorial'. It was a rally, pure and simple, and the final bit of evidence came out of his own mouth.

Ha! Great catch and great post, WileyC!

[nutmeg]

Thanks for posting this thread, GreatOne!

FReepers: In case you missed it, watch Rick Kahn's now famous speech here: Wellstone "Memorial": See Rick Kahn Ask Republicans To Commit Suicide (Video) Use the sliders on RealPlayer to quickly queue right up to each of these events:

See Jesse Ventura get booed by The Party of Tolerance at 30 min 23 sec. (There's also booing of Sen. Trent Lott and other Republicans, but I don't know where exactly in the clip that takes place.)

Rick Kahn's speech starts at 2 hr 3 min.

Mark Wellstone's speech starts getting "interesting" at 2 hr 55 min.

Tom Harkin's speech starts at about 2 hr 57 min.

[MEGoody]

"Many Democrats, including Mondale, have acknowledged that its tone was unfortunate but, given Kahn's still-raw grief and other circumstances, should be forgiven."

People who are grieving talk with love and a lump in their throat about the loved one they lost. They don't turn memorial services into political rallys.

[Antoninus]

"We're going to organize, we're going to organize, we're going to organize, we're going to organize, we're going to organize..."

You're going to lose, you're going to lose, you're going to lose, you're going to lose, you're going to lose.

[laconic]

Thank you! And someday Trent Lott will realize that the embarassment discomfort of being loudly and publicly booed at a televised memorial service constituted the best contribution he made to the Republican Party and his fellow Republican senators since he became their leader.

[GreatOne]

Here's what I'll do - I'll wait a day or two until this thread dies out, then I will print it out and mail it, with all of our comments, to Mr. Kahn, to show our appreciation for his efforts.

[NYC GOP Chick]

Those photos of Mundale and Clinton yukking it up at the "fun-eral" were worth more than money to the pubs.New DNC slogan:

DEMOCRATS: WE PUT THE "FUN" BACK IN FUNERALS!

[Pagey]

What a hypocrite, first he says "It wasn't about politics. It wasn't about partisan politics. It was a public expression of my private grief". Then later he tells Newsweek: Kahn was among the first people to view the boggy, wooded site near Eveleth, Minn., where Wellstone's plane crashed...Kahn trembled as he walked into the debris to make a vow, according to the Newsweek account. "It's not going to end here in this awful place," he said. "Not in this way, not now."
Yes Mr. Kahn, you are a liar, just like Mr. McAWFULiffe, it wasn't a DemoncRATic Partisan Party, it was just a funeral with 20,000 people. (Still LOL at their stupidity, and The REAL face of Partisan Politics!)

[NYCVirago]

What cracks me up about the Wellstone funerally debacle is McAuliffe's reaction. He claims he didn't plan it, had nothing to do with it it was all the family's fault - heck give him a few more days and he'll be saying he wasn't even there!

Exactly. The thing of it is -- if you believe McAuliffe, that everything bad that happened there was the Wellstone kids' fault, then why didn't any Democrat step in and tell them to stop it? Why were Bill and Hil and the rest of the Dems laughing up a storm?

[NYC GOP Chick]

What cracks me up about the Wellstone funerally debacle is McAuliffe's reaction. He claims he didn't plan it, had nothing to do with it it was all the family's fault - heck give him a few more days and he'll be saying he wasn't even there!

McAuliffe is a weak, spineless, sniveling turd. Instead of being a man, he deflects blame to the grieving members of what's left of the Wellstone family.

From this past Sunday's Meet the Press:

MR. RUSSERT: And Democratic luminaries applauding and cheering, whooping it up. Mr. McAuliffe, John Zogby has taken a poll, and it shows that Minnesotans by 55-to-30 believe that it was inappropriate for the memorial service to turn into a political rally.
       MR. McAULIFFE: I agree. This memorial service was planned by the Wellstone family. It was not planned by the state party or anyone involved in politics. You know, people love Paul Wellstone and what he had fought for. I was there. I happened to be there. I went into what was to be a memorial service. As soon as they put Paul Wellstone’s picture up there, 20,000 people, many of them young people I haven’t seen active in politics in a long time, were up. And, listen, the Wellstone family has apologized, as well as Walter Mondale’s campaign. It was inappropriate. You never boo anybody, but I’d say it was planned by the Wellstone family. And this election is about the future, not about the past.

McAwful is totally shameless and cravenly stupid.

[cajungirl]

yep, the low point is McAuliff blaming the Welllstones. I do think we owe this guy Kahn, I truly think he helped us win as much as Bush did,,hahahhahahah. And note who is skating free,,The lip biter and the lamp thrower, amazing how they never get blamed.

[xJones]

Let's don't sent Kahn any thank you notes. He helped turn his dear friend's funeral service into one loud whoopie cushion blast. With friends like that, you'd only need Democrats.

[cherry]

...and Kahn was not the only one or either the chief reason this whole shameful episode came off as it did....

the booing of Trent Lott...( ...sure..I would like to boo him too but I wouldn't do it at a funeral service..LOL)..and the dis-inviting of our Vice-President....among other things....that is what did it for me...

I dare say that it invigorated a lot of people to go and vote on Tuesday with their disdain.....

[Boxsford]

Hey, you could write a book on this subject. It would sell. Either you have an extraordinary memory or there already is book on this--and you own it! lol

[Dr. Scarpetta]

Thank you bump to Rick Kahn...