To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (313996 ) 11/4/2002 10:26:21 AM From: PROLIFE Respond to of 769670 To be so well loved---old McCauliffe sure was quick to jump up and down on Wellstones grave and family.... Sunday, Nov. 3, 2002 9:12 a.m. EST McAuliffe: Wellstones to Blame for Memorial Debacle, Including Lott Boofest Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe blamed the grieving family of the late Sen. Paul Wellstone on Sunday for turning last Tuesday night's memorial service for the dead senator into a campaign rally, and even suggested it was their fault that Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott was booed during the ceremony. Asked about a Zogby poll showing that the majority of Minnesotans say politicizing the memorial service was "inappropriate," McAuliffe told NBC's "Meet the Press," "I agree." "This memorial service was planned by the Wellstone family," he quickly added, after MTP host Tim Russert flashed video of Bill and Hillary Clinton whooping it up along with the rest of the raucous crowd. "It was not planned by the state party or anyone involved in politics," insisted the DNC chief. In fact, said McAuliffe, he was as stunned as anybody else that the Wellstones had tried to make political hay over the tragedy. "I was there. I happened to be there. I went into what was to be a memorial service," complained the DNC chief. "As soon as they put Paul Wellstone's picture up there. 20,000 people - many of them young people I haven't seen active in politics for a long time - were up. Listen, the Wellstone family has apologized as well as Walter Mondale's campaign. It was inappropriate." McAuliffe even went so far as to suggest that Wellstone's relatives had a hand in the rally's ugliest moment, when Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott was booed by the crowd. "You never boo anybody," the DNC chief told Russert. "But [as] I say, it was planned by the Wellstone family."newsmax.com