To: Smiling Bob who wrote (4599 ) 10/25/2002 6:12:04 PM From: Smiling Bob Respond to of 19256 Moms kill moms over cheerleading squads No sabotage here. Reuters Photo Sen. Wellstone Dies in Plane Crash (AP) - Sen. Paul Wellstone, an outspoken liberal Democrat locked in a re-election battle considered key to control of the Senate, was killed in a plane crash Friday in northern Minnesota along with his wife, daughter and five others. The twin-engine private plane went down in freezing rain and light snow near the Eveleth-Virginia Municipal Airport, about 175 miles north of Minneapolis. The cause of the crash was under investigation. More...Wellstone was up against Republican Norm Coleman, a former mayor of St. Paul and President Bush (news - web sites)'s choice to challenge the two-term incumbent. story.news.yahoo.com kare11.com Politicians Scramble to Deal with Wellstone Succession In addition to mourning the death of Paul Wellstone Friday, political leaders in Minnesota and Washington are forced to deal with more practical issues — who will replace Wellstone in the Senate and on November's ballot. His death marks the Democrat's loss of control of the U.S. Senate, where they held control by just one vote. And with elections just 11 days away, there is a scramble to figure out how to handle the death before the election day. Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch held a press conference to explain the procedure involved. Hatch, who at times choked back tears, said Wellstone's name would be removed from ballots before the election. There will be no re-issue of absentee ballots that carry the Senator's name. Hatch said that Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura can, but does not have to, appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of Wellstone's term. Ventura has a press conference scheduled for later today. The Secretary of State's office has issued a statement saying it is studying the issue and will brief reporters later in the day. A spokesman for Minnesota Democrats says he's confident the party will be allowed to offer a replacement candidate. Message 18151643