[Deathwatch] Paul Wellstone, U.S. Senator, 58

[Deathwatch Central <cdw@slick.org>]

Sen. Wellstone Dead in Minnesota Plane Crash

By Todd Melby

MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - Democratic Sen. Paul Wellstone, one of the
standard-bearers of the left in American politics, was killed on Friday
along with seven others when his plane crashed in rugged northern
Minnesota two weeks before the congressional elections.

Wellstone's wife, Sheila, and a daughter, Marcia, were among those
killed.

Wellstone, 58, was in the midst of a re-election battle with Republican
Norm Coleman, the former mayor of St. Paul. A former college professor
and passionate liberal, he fought for expanded social programs and most
recently opposed President Bush (news - web sites)'s call for Senate
support for an attack on Iraq.

"The reports are that there were no survivors," Colin McGinnis,
Wellstone's chief of staff, said in Washington.

Wellstone's death could have an impact on the Nov. 5 congressional
elections because Democrats control the Senate by only one vote.
Wellstone had a slight lead in recent polls in his bid for a third term
and had recently disclosed that he had been diagnosed with multiple
sclerosis.

His death was eerily similar to the circumstances surrounding the
October 2000 plane crash that took the life of another Democratic
Senate hopeful, Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan (news - web sites). His
plane crashed in rain and fog in southeast Missouri shortly before that
year's election.

Carnahan's name remained on the ballot and he was elected after his
death. His widow later was appointed to the seat.

The plane carrying Wellstone crashed during a flight from St. Paul to
Eveleth, about 135 miles to the north.

Eveleth-Virginia Municipal Airport assistant manager Gary Ulmond said
there was light snow at the time of the crash at about 10:30 local
time.

The plane -- a Beechcraft King Air 100 -- was making its approach on
instruments and there was no unusual radio contact indicating trouble,
Ulmond said. The crash happened about 2 miles from the airport.

The plane involved is a two-engine turboprop popular for travel by
business executives. It was the same kind of aircraft that crashed last
year killing 10 people, including members of an Oklahoma State
University basketball team.

A Wellstone aide said "trusted pilots" were at the controls when the
plane went down. Fellow Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts
was also in the state campaigning for Wellstone Friday but was not on
the plane, aides said.