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CNN Live Saturday
What Will Wellstone's Death Mean for Congressional Elections?
Aired October 26, 2002 - 13:24 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: Shaken Minnesota Democrats have less than a week to come up with a replacement for Paul Wellstone in a race that could decide control of the U.S. Senate. Joining us now from Washington to talk more about the political implications of Wellstone's death is Ron Brownstein. He is a political reporter for "The Los Angeles Times" and a CNN political analyst. Thanks so much for being here, Ron. We do appreciate it.
And there is so much to talk about with this. Let's take a moment, though, before we get into what this will mean for the balance of control. What sort of legacy does the senator leave for Minnesota as well as with his wife who was an activist?
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: You know, it's a sad day for everyone in the political world, because I think regardless of your views about Senator Wellstone's beliefs, just about everyone who came in contact with him really had the same impression, a very earnest, sincere, passionate, somewhat overused word in the last day, but a very earnest and passionate man who believed very much in his causes, but did not take himself too seriously. He was always very approachable.
I was out there a couple of months ago at the Minnesota State Fair watching his campaign, and people came up to him and called him Paul, you know, they didn't even call him senator. And there was that sense that people felt a connection with him.
He was also somewhat of a throwback in this age where politicians really build their careers around the media, around television and around advertising. He was someone who believed in grassroots organizing, that was his background before he was in politics, as a professor in Minnesota. He was involved in organizing for a number of liberal causes, and he really had a commitment to bringing ordinary citizens into the political process, and in some ways I think that is the noblest part of the legacy he'll leave behind.
COLLINS: All right, looking ahead, we have been saying that the Democrats have until Thursday to put someone else on the ballot. The name has come up, Walter Mondale. Let's talk about that.
BROWNSTEIN: Seems to be clearly the first choice of Democrats in the state at this point. Former Vice President Walter Mondale, who served in the Senate from Minnesota from 1964 to 1976 would be 74 years old, Heidi. This would be the second time this month, if it happens, the Democrats would reach back. Frank Lautenberg, of course, the former senator in New Jersey being chosen to replace Bob Torricelli.
The advantage of Mondale is that he is someone who starts with enormous name identification. You really have no time for a campaign; this is not going to happen until sometime this week. They are really shell-shocked, understandably, up there in the Minnesota Democratic Party. And he seems the front-runner.
There are other names out there, though, kind of intriguing ones. Alan Page, a former professional defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings, who is now in the state Supreme Court. Skip Humphrey, the son of Hubert Humphrey, the former state attorney general who ran and lost in the governor's race to Jesse Ventura in 1998. Ted Mondale, Walter Mondale's son, who was an unsuccessful contestant for that nomination in 1998. There is a bit of inter-generational history in Minnesota politics. But clearly, if Democrats had their druthers, it looks like they would prefer Mondale.
COLLINS: All right. Now, Minnesota law allows the governor to appoint the nominee, but also the political party can go ahead and choose. So what is going to happen there? We have already heard from Governor Ventura saying he is certainly not going to be involved as far as himself as appointing anyone. So what is the choice there, and why?
BROWNSTEIN: Well, basically, the way it works is the governor can appoint someone to fill the vacancy, but the party, the Democratic Party, gets to choose the nominee who will be on the ballot. The state law is very clear about that. As I understand it, as the state law was explained to me yesterday, that Governor Ventura's choice might serve only until the election, so that would be a matter of days. It's possible, I think there is some confusion whether it will be until the end of Senator Wellstone's term.
Ventura said only one thing, that he is not going to appoint himself. Now, whether he appoints anybody else as a caretaker could have implications after the election, because of the 50/50 Senate, whether they vote with Democrats or Republicans -- 50/49, excuse me -- whether they would vote with the Democrats or Republicans, but the Democratic Party does get to choose someone. They will have their person on the ballot, and Minnesota voters will have that choice probably within a few days from now.
COLLINS: We'd probably be remiss if we did not talk about a sympathy vote, probably not a phrase people like to hear at this time, but it's there, it's out there?
BROWNSTEIN: Not as direct perhaps as two years ago in Missouri, where Mel Carnahan, in a very similar circumstance, the Democratic governor, was killed in a plane crash right around this time. He was trailing in the polls against John Ashcroft, now the attorney general, then the senator, and when the governor said he would appoint Mr. Carnahan's widow, Jean Carnahan, to the seat if he won the most votes on election day, that's exactly what happened. There was a big sympathy vote. Jean Carnahan came to the Senate, where she is now trailing in a bid for reelection. There probably will be some sympathy vote in Minnesota. I don't think it's quite as clear, and there is a lot of uncertainty for Democrats who have been growing confident that Senator Wellstone was going to hold a seat, a seat they really need to hold, given, as I said, Carnahan's uncertain prospects. And now this has just thrown the whole thing into confusion, and made it very dicey, especially if they can't get Mondale. I think they'll feel they'll sleep a lot more securely if they get Mondale to do it. If they don't, it is going to be very uncertain in a year when both parties have virtually no margin for error.
COLLINS: Well, Minnesotans know him well indeed. All right, Ron Brownstein, CNN political analyst, we do thank you.
BROWNSTEIN: 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
Elections?>
Aired October 26, 2002 - 13:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Shaken Minnesota Democrats have less than a week to come up with a replacement for Paul Wellstone in a race that could decide control of the U.S. Senate. Joining us now from Washington to talk more about the political implications of Wellstone's death is Ron Brownstein. He is a political reporter for "The Los Angeles Times" and a CNN political analyst. Thanks so much for being here, Ron. We do appreciate it.
And there is so much to talk about with this. Let's take a moment, though, before we get into what this will mean for the balance of control. What sort of legacy does the senator leave for Minnesota as well as with his wife who was an activist?
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: You know, it's a sad day for everyone in the political world, because I think regardless of your views about Senator Wellstone's beliefs, just about everyone who came in contact with him really had the same impression, a very earnest, sincere, passionate, somewhat overused word in the last day, but a very earnest and passionate man who believed very much in his causes, but did not take himself too seriously. He was always very approachable.
I was out there a couple of months ago at the Minnesota State Fair watching his campaign, and people came up to him and called him Paul, you know, they didn't even call him senator. And there was that sense that people felt a connection with him.
He was also somewhat of a throwback in this age where politicians really build their careers around the media, around television and around advertising. He was someone who believed in grassroots organizing, that was his background before he was in politics, as a professor in Minnesota. He was involved in organizing for a number of liberal causes, and he really had a commitment to bringing ordinary citizens into the political process, and in some ways I think that is the noblest part of the legacy he'll leave behind.
COLLINS: All right, looking ahead, we have been saying that the Democrats have until Thursday to put someone else on the ballot. The name has come up, Walter Mondale. Let's talk about that.
BROWNSTEIN: Seems to be clearly the first choice of Democrats in the state at this point. Former Vice President Walter Mondale, who served in the Senate from Minnesota from 1964 to 1976 would be 74 years old, Heidi. This would be the second time this month, if it happens, the Democrats would reach back. Frank Lautenberg, of course, the former senator in New Jersey being chosen to replace Bob Torricelli.
The advantage of Mondale is that he is someone who starts with enormous name identification. You really have no time for a campaign; this is not going to happen until sometime this week. They are really shell-shocked, understandably, up there in the Minnesota Democratic Party. And he seems the front-runner.
There are other names out there, though, kind of intriguing ones. Alan Page, a former professional defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings, who is now in the state Supreme Court. Skip Humphrey, the son of Hubert Humphrey, the former state attorney general who ran and lost in the governor's race to Jesse Ventura in 1998. Ted Mondale, Walter Mondale's son, who was an unsuccessful contestant for that nomination in 1998. There is a bit of inter-generational history in Minnesota politics. But clearly, if Democrats had their druthers, it looks like they would prefer Mondale.
COLLINS: All right. Now, Minnesota law allows the governor to appoint the nominee, but also the political party can go ahead and choose. So what is going to happen there? We have already heard from Governor Ventura saying he is certainly not going to be involved as far as himself as appointing anyone. So what is the choice there, and why?
BROWNSTEIN: Well, basically, the way it works is the governor can appoint someone to fill the vacancy, but the party, the Democratic Party, gets to choose the nominee who will be on the ballot. The state law is very clear about that. As I understand it, as the state law was explained to me yesterday, that Governor Ventura's choice might serve only until the election, so that would be a matter of days. It's possible, I think there is some confusion whether it will be until the end of Senator Wellstone's term.
Ventura said only one thing, that he is not going to appoint himself. Now, whether he appoints anybody else as a caretaker could have implications after the election, because of the 50/50 Senate, whether they vote with Democrats or Republicans -- 50/49, excuse me -- whether they would vote with the Democrats or Republicans, but the Democratic Party does get to choose someone. They will have their person on the ballot, and Minnesota voters will have that choice probably within a few days from now.
COLLINS: We'd probably be remiss if we did not talk about a sympathy vote, probably not a phrase people like to hear at this time, but it's there, it's out there?
BROWNSTEIN: Not as direct perhaps as two years ago in Missouri, where Mel Carnahan, in a very similar circumstance, the Democratic governor, was killed in a plane crash right around this time. He was trailing in the polls against John Ashcroft, now the attorney general, then the senator, and when the governor said he would appoint Mr. Carnahan's widow, Jean Carnahan, to the seat if he won the most votes on election day, that's exactly what happened. There was a big sympathy vote. Jean Carnahan came to the Senate, where she is now trailing in a bid for reelection. There probably will be some sympathy vote in Minnesota. I don't think it's quite as clear, and there is a lot of uncertainty for Democrats who have been growing confident that Senator Wellstone was going to hold a seat, a seat they really need to hold, given, as I said, Carnahan's uncertain prospects. And now this has just thrown the whole thing into confusion, and made it very dicey, especially if they can't get Mondale. I think they'll feel they'll sleep a lot more securely if they get Mondale to do it. If they don't, it is going to be very uncertain in a year when both parties have virtually no margin for error.
COLLINS: Well, Minnesotans know him well indeed. All right, Ron Brownstein, CNN political analyst, we do thank you.
BROWNSTEIN: 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
Elections?>
