Tomorrow is the 5th anniversary of Mel Carnahan's death

This is an excellent article about the death of Mel Carnahan and the changes in the political structure of Missouri and the country since he died.

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Posted on Sun, Oct. 16, 2005

Anniversary of deadly crash

Governor’s death rocked political world

By STEVE KRASKE

The Kansas City Star

A horrific plane crash five years ago tonight seemed to upend everything. It saw the death of a Missouri governor, and the defeat of a U.S. senator. The deadlocking of Capitol Hill and the naming of the next U.S. attorney general. A Democratic triumph in Jefferson City in the face of ballooning Republican muscle. “The legacy of that night is just amazing, isn’t it?” said Rick Hardy, a University of Missouri-Columbia political scientist.

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And, as with many sudden tragedies, there are always the what-ifs.

FARINELLA: There’s another side to this. Roy (Temple) and I told Mel, don’t run for the Senate. Stay put. You could be Al Gore’s running mate. Mel was seen as a senior statesman. He was a popular Democratic governor from a battleground state. There was no one else like that on Al’s list. Mel had great (poll) numbers. And Gore needed someone who looked mature and stable coming out of the Clinton years. He would have been on the short list.

If he had been Al’s running mate, Mel never would have been on that plane. Mel clearly would have carried Missouri for Gore, and Al would have been president. Gore needed one more state anywhere, and Missouri quite conceivably could have been it.

But Mel was a humble guy. His response was, “No one is going to pick me for vice president.” He was 66. He wanted to run for Senate. He felt he was the only guy in a position to beat Ashcroft.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/columnists/rhonda_chriss_lokeman/12913220.htm

I've often wondered. We know they'd stop at nothing if they thought they could get away with it.

I never thought of that until I read it here a year or so ago.

Ashcroft is most definitely evil. I wouldn't put much past him. He was behind in the polls the day Carnahan died. Some say by as much as 13 points. Ashcroft's people say they were even with Carnahan that day.

This article is really excellent. Be sure to read it. It is first hand accounts of the crash and the aftermath leading up to the election. The reporter talked to both campaign managers and Carnahan's wife Jean. One imteresting note is that Ashcroft refused to be interviewed for the article. (hmmm)

I think, very likely, the cause is the GOP crooks.

Please?

Did you read this article? It is fascinating.

Coming to the meetup Wed?

And, yes, I'm coming to the meetup. It's become my social life. How sad is that?

by implying that getting together with a group of DU friends once a month is not a great social life. :cry:

I'm truly sorry. I meant no implication. I look forward to the meet-ups. :hug:

Jan 20th 2005. That is if the Supreme Court not decide to pick our President for us in 2000. This man suffered no fools and was proud of it. Had candor and confidence that most Dems lack. Mel was take no prisoners. Knew how to talk to the average American -did not to sound like a Harvard pinhead (Kerry). And he sure would have been a better pick for Gore as VP and would have carried his state, could have helped Gore carry his neighboring home state.

Carnahan left a wonderful legacy to education in Missouri. He took a state with so-so schools and turned us into a model for the nation. I can name several programs in place at my school alone that were brought to our kids by Gov. Carnahan. Thanks to him, we are the only elem school in the country with a dental clinic.

And Baby Blunt is trying hard to undo the good Carnahan did. Bastard.

RIP Mel Carnahan.

this true?

He put an alarm system in the gov's mansion as soon as he moved in. It is next to a prison, has been for years. Never a problem. But Baby Blunt had to have this alarm system.

His wife wore a fur coat to the inaugural. So I guess their agenda was to piss off the animal rights folks first.

He has dismantled Medicaid and has taken health care away from a large segment of the population. Parents who earn more than $350 a week are not eligible for Medicaid now. Disabled people no longer get wheelchairs or other medical equipment from Medicaid.

He has infuriated the disabled community. He held a meeting this summer with leaders of disabilty rights groups from across the state. The meeting was held in a room with no handicapped access and the doors were barred to keep 'undesirables' from entering.

He is awarding motor vehicle licensing office franchises to friends and political contributors. The transfer has been chaotic and disruptive. For nearly 6 months, there was no office in Kansas City. He also refused to let the state auditor (his opponent in the gov election) go into these offices and inventory the contents before they were turned over to these private contractors.

His dad is either dating or married to a tobacco lobbyist. Missouri has one of the lowest tobacco taxes in the country. There is talk of putting a tobacco tax on the ballot as a statewide referendum in 2006. Baby Blunt is doing nothing to promote this tax, which could probably be easily passed through the state legislature.

He is one of the most unpopular governors in the country. And he has been in office less than a year.

There is more bad news about Baby Blunt here:
http://www.firedupmissouri.com/

John Ashcroft

Who was John Ashcroft's campaign manager in his prior campaign?
K-K-K-Karl Rove

named Ayres.

I was working here in Philly with a guy from Missouri at the time and I'll never forget his stunned reaction.

That's interesting and sad that he might have been Gore's running mate. Sheesh, the wonderful people we've lost....x(