A memorial the likes of which was envisioned and carried out for Sen. Paul Wellstone and the other victims of the crash that killed them was a noble idea. Doubtless, the senator had a great following. He believed in people and people believed in him, so as I sat down to watch the memorial service, I was expecting an evening of respects, anecdotes and reflection. However, what eventually transpired sickened me.

The memorial degenerated into a circus, unabashedly serving up DFL rhetoric to a TV audience watching on every metro-area station. Now, I take no issue with those in attendance exploiting the senator’s memorial for a chance to rally the troops within the confines of Williams Arena. If they thought that’s what Wellstone wanted, that’s acceptable.

But their de facto convention proliferated far beyond the walls of the Old Barn. To take advantage, for political purposes, of over three hours of free airtime on a half-dozen television stations as they did was shameful.