The corpse who won an election
QUESTION
Missouri’s Democrat Governor Mel Carnahan ran for the u.s. senate against incumbent republican John Ashcroft.
Three weeks before the November 2000 election, in rainy, foggy conditions, Carnahan was a passenger in a twin-engine Cessna plane piloted by his son randy. it crashed 35 miles south of st Louis, Missouri. All on board died.
Lieutenant Governor roger B. Wilson succeeded Carnahan as Missouri’s Governor, serving until the end of his term in January 2001.
under Missouri law, the deadline to replace the party candidate in the senate election was october 13, 2001, three days before Governor Carnahan’s death.
so Ashcroft had to run against a dead opponent.
Wilson acted quickly and gained the permission of Carnahan’s widow Jean to appoint her to the u.s. senate if her husband won the election.
Ashcroft lost to Carnahan by 60,000 votes. Wilson duly named Jean Carnahan to the senate and she became the first woman in Missouri history to take the role.
Ashcroft made a gracious concession speech in which he outlined plans to return to private life, but President George W. Bush appointed him attorney general. He was in that post from 2001 to 2005 during one of the most controversial times in u.s. history.
After the 9/11 attacks, he helped implement the controversial Patriot Act and provided legal justification for the iraq War.
Edward Borne, Leeds.
QUESTION
Did Fiat once test its cars on the roof of its HQ in Italy? FurTHer to the earlier answer, once a year the ‘jobbers’ of The italian Job Charity run get to drive on the roof, subject to weather conditions.
All you need is a vehicle that featured in the 1969 film or its modern equivalent.
it’s too late for this year’s run (it’s just finished), but there’s always next year.
Go to italianjob.com for details. it’s a fun way to raise money for a children’s charity, this year the Variety Club.