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CNN Live Saturday

Wellstone's Death Adds to Uncertainty in Next Month's Election

Aired October 26, 2002 - 13:06   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Federal investigators are looking into the cause of the plane crash that killed Senator Paul Wellstone, his wife, daughter and five other people. Their plane went down in northern Minnesota in freezing temperatures and light snow. The crash adds new uncertainty to next month's election. We get the latest from CNN's Jonathan Karl in St. Paul. Hi, Jonathan.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi. You know, the very latest here actually comes from the state of Missouri, from the one person in the country that can perhaps most empathize with what has happened to the Wellstone family and to those that knew and loved Paul Wellstone here in Minnesota -- that's Jean Carnahan, Senator Jean Carnahan. If you remember, it was two years ago that her husband and her son were killed tragically in a plane crash just before the election. Her husband was Mel Carnahan, a candidate for Senate, just like Paul Wellstone. And in that case, what happened in the state of Missouri, is that it was too late to get Mel Carnahan's name replaced on the ballot. He was actually elected anyway. That's how Jean Carnahan came to serve in the United States Senate; she was appointed by the governor to fill in for her husband.

Well, today, in the state of Missouri, she came out and reacted to what happened to Paul Wellstone. Here's what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JEAN CARNAHAN (D), MISSOURI: I -- I do, in the sense that you just -- you just have to keep going on. You try to make sense of what has happened and you have to realize you have to rely on family and faith and friends, the things that have been the anchors for my life and things that I trusted in two years ago. And that's what I would suggest to them, as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KARL: And here in Minnesota, as people remember Paul Wellstone, they are also trying to figure out what happens next in the state of Minnesota. Those who knew Wellstone best said that he would doubt that he would want people to sit around and mourn for a long time, would want people to get up and pick up, get on with the fight, get on with that political fight.

Democrats here in Minnesota are trying to figure out, who do they get to replace Paul Wellstone on the ballot? They have until Friday at 4:00 to make that decision. And the candidate that most of them would like to see as the candidate is the former vice president of the United States, Walter Mondale. Mondale has been approached by party officials here in Minnesota and in Washington and asked if he would come in and take Paul Wellstone's place on the ballot. Mr. Mondale has not given an answer to that. He is from Minnesota, of course. He is actually a former senator from Minnesota in addition to being a former vice president, and he is said to have said that he does not want to make a decision now. He has not ruled out the possibility of coming in for Wellstone, but he wants to wait, give people time to mourn the death of Paul Wellstone before making that decision -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. Jonathan Karl, in St. Paul, Minnesota today. Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Election>


Aired October 26, 2002 - 13:06   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Federal investigators are looking into the cause of the plane crash that killed Senator Paul Wellstone, his wife, daughter and five other people. Their plane went down in northern Minnesota in freezing temperatures and light snow. The crash adds new uncertainty to next month's election. We get the latest from CNN's Jonathan Karl in St. Paul. Hi, Jonathan.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi. You know, the very latest here actually comes from the state of Missouri, from the one person in the country that can perhaps most empathize with what has happened to the Wellstone family and to those that knew and loved Paul Wellstone here in Minnesota -- that's Jean Carnahan, Senator Jean Carnahan. If you remember, it was two years ago that her husband and her son were killed tragically in a plane crash just before the election. Her husband was Mel Carnahan, a candidate for Senate, just like Paul Wellstone. And in that case, what happened in the state of Missouri, is that it was too late to get Mel Carnahan's name replaced on the ballot. He was actually elected anyway. That's how Jean Carnahan came to serve in the United States Senate; she was appointed by the governor to fill in for her husband.

Well, today, in the state of Missouri, she came out and reacted to what happened to Paul Wellstone. Here's what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JEAN CARNAHAN (D), MISSOURI: I -- I do, in the sense that you just -- you just have to keep going on. You try to make sense of what has happened and you have to realize you have to rely on family and faith and friends, the things that have been the anchors for my life and things that I trusted in two years ago. And that's what I would suggest to them, as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KARL: And here in Minnesota, as people remember Paul Wellstone, they are also trying to figure out what happens next in the state of Minnesota. Those who knew Wellstone best said that he would doubt that he would want people to sit around and mourn for a long time, would want people to get up and pick up, get on with the fight, get on with that political fight.

Democrats here in Minnesota are trying to figure out, who do they get to replace Paul Wellstone on the ballot? They have until Friday at 4:00 to make that decision. And the candidate that most of them would like to see as the candidate is the former vice president of the United States, Walter Mondale. Mondale has been approached by party officials here in Minnesota and in Washington and asked if he would come in and take Paul Wellstone's place on the ballot. Mr. Mondale has not given an answer to that. He is from Minnesota, of course. He is actually a former senator from Minnesota in addition to being a former vice president, and he is said to have said that he does not want to make a decision now. He has not ruled out the possibility of coming in for Wellstone, but he wants to wait, give people time to mourn the death of Paul Wellstone before making that decision -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. Jonathan Karl, in St. Paul, Minnesota today. Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




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