Free Republic

In a bizarre plea to the GOP to forfeit the race for Paul Wellstone's Senate seat, a Wellstone family friend told the memorial service for the late liberal Tuesday night that both local and national Republicans owed it to Wellstone to abandon their support for his GOP opponent, Norm Coleman, as a tribute to the dead senator's memory. "Can we not set aside for just one week all of the partisan bickering, all of the political strategy and all of the nastiness," Rick Kahn told the crowd gathered at the University of Minnesota's Williams Arena. "So that we may...

<p>Though it was billed as a memorial service, many irate viewers and Republican leaders said the gathering for U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone and five others degenerated at times into a blatant political rally.</p> <p>"What a complete, total, absolute sham," said Vin Weber, a former U.S. representative from Minnesota. "The DFL clearly intends to exploit Wellstone's memory totally, completely and shamelessly for political gain. To them, Wellstone's death, apparently, was just another campaign event."</p>

<p>The White House yesterday insisted that Vice President Richard B. Cheney was not snubbed when the family of the late Sen. Paul Wellstone declined his offer to attend last night's memorial service.</p> <p>Instead, the family begged off because of the logistical problems that would be created by the vice president's intensive security protocols, said a senior administration official.</p>

The presence of Bill and Hillary Clinton loomed large at Tuesday night's University of Minnesota memorial service for the late Sen. Paul Wellstone, leading some to question whether the family's decision to disinvite Vice President Dick Cheney was tied to the former first couple's reported efforts to "humiliate" President Bush. In fact, Clinton operative James Carville may have played a key role in the Cheney snub by characterizing relatively innocuous comments made by ex-Speaker Newt Gingrich on Sunday as an "attack" on Wellstone's successor, Walter Mondale. "Wellstone's two adult sons, Mark and David, are upset with what they believe...

<p>MINNEAPOLIS — About 20,000 people gathered to bid the late Sen. Paul Wellstone farewell yesterday in a ceremony that began as a poignant farewell, but turned into a fiery Democratic rally for election victory.</p> <p>The first eulogies were tender remembrances. But when it was time to recall Mr. Wellstone, who was locked in a tough re-election fight when he died, his friend and campaign treasurer Rick Kahn took a different tone.</p>

'Win for Paul! For Paul! For Paul'...Cheering, handshaking, speechifying, yelling, clapping, stomping, laughing and shouting -- there's never been a memorial service like it... Instead of eulogies, stemwinders. Instead of pray for his soul, get out the vote. Instead of weeping, cheering. Welcome to bigtime politics 2002, where a memorial service for a tragically killed senator becomes a raucous DNC rally... RALLY ON A CORPSE: DEMOCRATS TURN WELLSTONE MEMORIAL IN TO FIERY CAMPAIGN CALL!

20,000 gather to honor Wellstone Former President Bill Clinton; his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y.; and former Vice President Walter Mondale join in the national anthem at the start of Tuesday's service.