Sorting Out A Missouri Tragedy
Newly appointed Missouri Gov. Roger Wilson says that, if she accepts the offer, he would choose Mel Carnahan's widow, Jean, as interim U.S. Senator in the unlikely event that the late governor gets more votes than GOP incumbent Sen. John Ashcroft.
The term-limited Missouri governor and the incumbent Senator were locked in a tight race for the U.S. Senate when Gov. Carnahan, his son, and a campaign aide were killed in a plane crash Oct. 16.
Wilson made the announcement Tuesday morning from the Missouri Statehouse.
Jean Carnahan has not publicly discussed the matter. But on Sunday, she said to mourners "Don't let the fire go out." That was widely taken as a signal that she would accept such a role.
Mrs. Carnahan talked with Wilson by telephone ahead of Wilson's announcement, which she did not attend.
"She indicated that was certainly not a decision she was ready to make at this time and I respect that," Wilson said.
Jerry Nachtigal, Wilson's spokesman, said Mrs. Carnahan indicated that she would "consider" Wilson's offer.
If appointed, an interim Senator would serve from Jan. 3, 2001 until the next general election in November 2002.
On Monday, Wilson praised Mrs. Carnahan for her "simply amazing" public composure and dignity since her husband's death, including leading the memorial procession behind his casket on Friday during ceremonies that were broadcast statewide.
"It seems to me, with her display of grace under pressure, that Jean Carnahan can will herself to do whatever needs to be done to help people," said Wilson, also a Democrat.
Many backers of the late governor weren't waiting for Wilson's announcement, which has been anticipated for days now. The Sierra Club, for example, issued a statement Monday urging Missourians to cast their ballots for Mel Carnahan on Nov. 7.
Mrs. Carnahan's public composure has been much praised since the small plane crash Oct. 16 that killed her husband, her eldest son Roger Carnahan, who was the pilot, and Carnahan adviser Chris Sifford.
"Her standing in for her husband could be as poignant and powerful as any political image ever shown, and it has to leave Ashcroft wondering how to respond, and it would be virtually impossible to respond," said Rick Hardy, a political science professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
A subdued Sen. Ashcroft was back on the campaign trail Monday, refusing to speculate about what shape his campaign will take in the two weeks leading up to the election.
 A stunned Sen. Ashcroft reacted to Gov. Carnahan's death last week. (AP)SIZE> |
Ashcroft's visit Monday to the Sunshine Mission, a St. Louis shelter for the homeless, marked his first campaign appearance since Gov. Carnahan died on Oct. 6.
Polls throughout the campaign showed Carnahan and Ashcroft, longtime political rivals, to be neck-and-neck in the race.
Wearing an apron, Ashcroft served breakfast to the shelter's residents while answering questions from the media. Later Monday, he appeared at a homeless shelter in Kansas City.
"We decided to take a couple days after this thing was concluded to reach out," said Ashcroft, who appeared somber throughout the event. "It's an opportunity for me to work through this situation."
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