I'll be the first to admit that I've been oblivious to what has been
going on in the world for the past few days because of my work
schedule. But when I was flipping through the channels and saw
a political rally for democrats, at least what I THOUGHT was a
political rally, I stopped to watch a few minutes of the event. This was a memorial service. I saw people cheering
and hooping and hollering. I saw people booing members of the
Republican party. I saw behavior in general that I have never
seen at a "memorial" service. This was one of the most appalling
sites I can recall in recent memory. I don't care if this man was
a democrat, a republican, a independent, or an alien from pluto,
the behavior at this thing was atrocious. I can not believe that
members of the Republican party who attended this thing were
booed. They show their respect for this man by attending his
memorial and they were booed for their trouble. Am I the only
person who sees something wrong with this?

 

What did you expect??? It's a week before election day.....

Some of the participants were shameless, yes. Booing ,Trent Lott was way out of line On the other hand however, we have to consider whose memorial this was. It was, Paul Wellstone's!!!!! Have you seen how animated, Paul Wellstone was on the Senate Floor or at any of his ralleys??? This was his party.

Everyone knows that if it were a Republican's memorial, it would have also been used to forward their own purposes. Republicans just wouldn't have had the gusto to boo someone with the stature of, Trent Lott.

For everyone who doesn't live in Minnesota: Jesse Ventura is a moron!!!! His comments on this prove that the goop between his ears in rancid and stinky The man only thinks of himself. He is treatening to send Joe Nobody to finish, Wellstone's term, to protest the behavior at the memorial. Instead of sending someone who could perhaps make at least a small difference, he's thinking of sending someone on a vacation to Washington, DC.

George Bush is attending a ralley here as well and it is going to be given 3 hours of airtime, just like the memorial. We all know that it won't make anyting more than a ripple in the national media, because Republicans are BORING!!!

This is not a big deal here in Minnesota.

 

No, you're not the only one. It was tasteless, doubly so because it was carefully, methodically, and intentionally choreographed to not only maiintain Democratic seat and promote the replacement candidate but to deny equal time to Republicans. Republicans are now stuck in a tough position where if they protest too loudly over this, they can be villified and if they sit silently, they will allow the Democrat lead to widen in what was already a losing race. It may stand as a new low in campaigning.

 

Jesse Ventura called it for just what it was a complete shame. They used him and everyone else. No you would never see Republicians act that way at a memorial. This was Liberal democrates, not necessaliry your main stream or conseritive dems, but the wacko liberal ones. Not only did they use Jesse they also USED Paul Wellstone.

It's was a political party on TV and they should give the same time to the Republicians to have a party on TV and show the liberals for who they really are, USERS, who don't care about anyoone but themselfs. The liberals 3 most important things in life are MONEY, POWER, and CONTROL and will do what ever they need to to get it.

They all sh*t, spit, and pissed on Paul Wellstone grave the other day and though I am a conseritive republician I have ALOT of respect for the man Paul Wellstone. I didn't believe in his views, however he had charcter, and values. He met what he said and believed in it with a burning passion. For them MORON liberals to be SH*TING, SPITING, and PISSING on his grave just really pissed me off. It is just unbelievable, but what do you expect with Billy Boy, Monica's man sitting there with a big ol' grin on his face, was Monica on her knees????

 

I guess I expected a memorial service. Why was the statement
by Ventura prove he is a moron? Wasn't he actually telling the
truth? Now, don't get me wrong, I am certainly not saying he is
a intellectual giant by any means, but I didn't see how his comments were that far off. I'll agree with chaean on this one, it
was a definite low point in partisanism.

 

I don't think the Republicans would have been booed if they all hadn't walked in doing the Macarana and giving each other high-fives.

 

Read what I wrote, goofballs!!!

Equal Time!!! The Republicans get 3 hours of free "primetime" airtime for their ralley!!!

Who are you to tell people how to mourn??? Paul Wellstone's son was involved in the producing his memorial and I'm certain Paul, himself is pleased to see it was used to celebrate his views on the world and continue what he was fighting for.

You're biggest gripes have been addressed. The Republicans get equal time and his family approved of the memorial. The rest is just politics.

As for Jesse: He has used his entire term as a publicity stunt to make money. There is not one program that he started that will leave a legacy in Minnesota when he's gone. 2 things he did that gain initial approval have turned into nightmares for the residents of Minnesota. First he gave a tax surplus back to every Minnesotan and the state went into debt 6 months later because we didn't have any reserves.

He cut state property taxes for everyone and then the state didn't have enough for school budgets so instead of state property taxes, we all received a local property tax increase that went beyond what we had been paying previously for state and local property taxes and school programs and bussing were cut throughout the state.

Jesse only acts and speaks for himself, not Minnesota.

Remeber one more thing: Your vote doesn't count here!!!

Jesse needs to go back to kindergarden, where he belongs

 

First off,
Who cares about three hours of "primetime"? That's not what
this is about. I could care less if I don't here from either party
for the rest of my life.

Secondly,
I didn't say Wellstone's family wasn't fine with it. They obviously
were, judging by the excited screeching his son was doing. I
felt like I was watching a pep rally at the local high school. Silly.

Third,
Unless I'm mistaken, your illustrious governor was ELECTED to
office. Right? So apparently my vote, as well as your vote don't
count. You folks are the ones who shot yourselves in the foot. I remember when he was elected and the rest of the
country was in shock that voters actually put this yo-yo in office.

Lastly,
Please try to refrain from calling people goofballs, please address
us with the respect we've earned. YOU may call me nimrod!

 

trapper, the only problem * have with your *tate ** *t u*ed up all the S's and I's and d*dn't leave any for the re*t of u*.

 

like I've never heard that one before!

 

I found it to be very tasteless and if I were a member of the Democratic party I would be ashamed of my fellow members, not only for this event but for having Clinton represent me. Sufficed to say, I belive we should abolish SS tax and lower the Fed Income Tax. All welfare shoule be taken out (none what so ever) and farm subsadies programs should be cut to $0.00.

 

SOME of the speakers went beyond the bounds of good taste, but some of the memorial was fitting and proper.

As for the rest of the comments above, did you really expect anything different? There are no depths to which today's politicians won't sink to achieve their ends: getting re-elected and getting rich (if they aren't already).

I certainly don't agree with all of Welstone's views, but the one thing I admired him for was that he was unashamedly on the side of the litttle guys, unlike the Republicans, who only want to take care of their rich buddies or suck up to the big lobbies.

It's all gotten to be totally about one thing: $$$$$$$$ MONEY. Money buys you influence and access in our wonderful system. If you don't have the money to buy off the legislators, you're SOL.

No wonder I feel dirty when (and IF) I vote these days.

 

It was sad to see the "memorial" degrade into a political rally. It was embarrasing to watch Republicans who came to pay their repects be booed by the crowd. It was embarrasing to watch the deaths of the 6 passengers and two pilots be marginalized into a win one for Paul ceremony. It was embarrasing to watch Clinton and Mondale posing for the cameras.

Democrats have been criticizing republicans for politicking during a time of mourning. What did they consider the memorial service to be?

Folks who I have talked to are pretty disgusted. I work with a bunch of folks with pretty diverse in their political views. At least half who planned on voting for Wellstone have now said they will either not vote for a canidate or will vote for somebody besides the DFL canidate (like the greens canidate).

It was sad to see Democrats commenting that they were disappointed in the republicans response to the rally. Had the "memorial" been handled appropriately, there wouldn't have been a need for a response. The dems brought all of this on themselves, and its sad.

I applaud Ventura for having the guts to walk out of the "memorial" when it became clear that wasn't what it was anymore. I'm not a Ventura fan, but he can be extremely reasonable at times like these.

Your claim that six months later the state went into debt is incorrect. To date IT STILL HAS NOT! We had tax refunds for three straight years! In addition, we had almost a billion dollars in reserve after all of the refunds. Granted, we face a hole in the future, but show me a forcast that has been correct in the last 10 years! They have been so far off its not even funny.

State funding of schools has continued to outpace inflation. Claims that we have "cut " their budgets are completely untrue. State funding of schools currently consumes almost half of the state budget as it is. If your school budget and tax has gone up, it is only because your district had the VOTERS up their taxes. By state law, that is the only way they can do it. Local taxes (city, county) are different, but to say the schools have done it is also untrue. If your taxes went up beyond what they were before, it is your responsibility to deal with your elected officials. My property taxes went down over 10%, even with local government increases.

Its not a big deal in MN? Thats news to me! Thats why its only the leading story on nearly every local news outlet and about the only conversation around the water coolers...

 

gopher

I appreciate hearing from a citizen from Minnesota who sees first hand how people living and working there are reacting to the memorial service for Paul Wellstone. Thanks for your unheated statements.

My personal opinion is that it showed a new low in politics.

I am so tired of hearing politicians tell me they are going to "fight" for me. But maybe that is the only thing they really are truthful about! Seems they all go to Washington and just fight .........not really work to get anything done.

 

I heard that STUPID statement on TV the other night "Who are we to say how to mourn Paul Welstone" Who are we? Americans with taste, Americans that had respect for Paul Welstone regardless if we believed in his views. Your damn right we have the RIGHT to say how they screwed up the memorial service. I don't care that his sons had no taste and were pushed around by the POWERFUL dem's in charge, specifically Billy Boy The master of BAD taste.

I don't need to here these liberals wine asses excuse of pulling something over everyones eyes as "Who are you to say"

And for the record and a FACT Mondale is not someone that Paul Welstone liked or looked up to. In fact Mondale was the type of person that Paul Welstone could not stand, big money, in a big law firm, for the big people. Paul Welstone was for the everyday person, the little guy. I think Paul would personal sh*t if he could have seen what they did in HIS name.

Liberals simple just have no taste what so ever. That shouldn't be new to anyone. It is hard for someone that has no backbone, no core beliefs, no values, no self respect, no brains to know what is tasteful and what is not. The fact that they booed Republicians just goes to show it was no memorial, its was a political party that took ADVANTAGE of Paul's death to march on.

I said it ain't right, and I have a RIGHT to say it. His son's (if they really were in charge or not) should be deeply ashamed that they sh*t, spit, and pissed all over their fathers grave. Paul deserved much better then that.