Paul Wellstone CNN is reporting that Sen. Wellstone was on a plane that has crashed in Minnesota. Eight people on board, "with fatalities". ---- threads merged
Reports have Sen Paul Wellstone being a passenger in a fatal plane crash in northern MN.Its a sad day, one of the loudest opponents to Bush's Iraq policy.I may be an ultra conservative, but I did admire the guy.One of the few Dems who actually practiced what he preached.Its a sad day for American democracy.
Confirmation here http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=104&sid=14899 That sucks. Wellstone was a good man. A friend of mine used to work for him. Horrible that his wife and kids were killed too.
Regardless of your ideological convictions you have to admit this man had a hell of a lot of integrity. A tragic loss.
This is tragic. Truly a good man and a strong progressive that kept the people I don't like in check. Even the Green Party left the ticket rather than challenge him.
First Mel Carnahan, now Wellstone. There's obviously a vast national Democratic Party conspiracy to kill its candidates in close races in order to gain sympathy. It's too late to put someone else on the ballot. If Wellstone's name wins the election, does it not fall to Jesse Ventura to name a replacement?
You think maybe you can wait a few hours before cracking the jokes? Back to the tragedy. While is wife and daughter were on the plane, his two sons and six grandchildren fortunately were not.
What a tragedy. As an ultra liberal, I agree wholeheartedly with zverskiy yobar--he was one of the few who actually stood up on his hind legs and did the job he was elected to do during the Iraq resolution debate. And I wasn't the least bit surprised to see him do it.
Political ideology aside, if everyone in government had his integrity I think we'd all have a lot less to argue about on these boards.
Sorry, but some right-winger somewhere is already working on this theory. I guarantee it. There is likely also some intern in a law library in St. Paul right now, trying to find out if Wellstone can be expunged from the ballot. Politics is nasty business, even in death.
what kind of twisted cosmic joke, allows strom thurmond to make 99...and kills the only upstanding, moral person on capitol hill at 58? simply gutted. prayers to all the victims families...
Politicians tend to get labeled and pidgeonholed by their ideologies to the point that they almost become de-humanized and unapproachable. Having learned more about Mr Wellstone in the past hour, he seemed like just a normal guy who anyone could approach if you crossed paths with him on the street. On the news channels, People both on the left and right are talking about how much they respected Mr Wellstone and how much he'll be missed. Today, not only have we lost a compassionate public servant, But also, a kind and decent human being.
There are certain politicians whom I respect even if I disagree with them because they tend to stick to their values regardless of fashion or convenience. I even have a small amount of grudging respect for Jesse Helms because as looney as he is he sticks to his guns. I respected Wellstone for that reason as well. I also admired Wellstone because it's easy to stick to your guns when your guns are pointed the same direction as those of the wealthy and powerful but difficult to hold to your principles in the face of powers that can make your life hell. Wellstone did a delicate balancing act in trying to bring progressive values to a Congress dominated by Big Business bribery. Even in liberal Minnesota, I doubt there is anyone there to continue his progressive voice in Congress. The USA and its democracy are poorer today.
Saw it somewhere earlier, will look for it now. I believe that Minnesota law allows for a replacement to be named as late as four days before the election in a scenario such as this.
This is very sad. He was one of the few members of either house of Congress who I still looked to as a defender of justice. And his wife and daughter were in the plane as well. I can't even imagine how horrible it must be for his other two children right now. After the election--Wellstone seemed to have a very good chance of winning and must be certain to win now--I hope Ventura has the decency to appoint someone who represents everything for which Wellstone stood. Very, very sad. This is the first time I remember being sad--much less close to tears--upon news of the death of a serving politician. Wellstone never voted or campaigned for politically expediant purposes. I wonder how many senators out there who voted for the war and for whom every other vote is motivated by their own chances for reelection can look at themselves now and say that if they were to die today that they used their time on earth to fight for the causes in which they believe. I always thought we needed more like him. Now we don't even have him. A sad day indeed. :-(
That's what msnbc.com is saying as well. Frankly, Ventura should reschedule the election if possible. Ten days is not enough time for people to make an informed choice concerning a new candidate.
From cnn.com: Under Minnesota law, if a nominee in a Senate race dies during a campaign, his or her political party can select a replacement candidate no later than four days before the general election. Election Day this year is November 5.
Thanks Godot, I'm poring through MN statute looking for the proper law. I trust CNN, you think I might have looked there first. Thanks for saving me the work.