The American Spectator

p> MAKING A DIFFERENCE br> Democrats in Washington were cheered by the decision of Sen. Paul Wellstone ‘s family to essentially disinvite Vice President Dick Cheney from the Tuesday night memorial service in Minnesota. Not because the family’s move was necessarily politically motivated (more on that later), but because of how it might effect future politically motivated moves. Late Monday night, it was decided inside the White House that President Bush would make one more trip to Minnesota before election day, most likely on Sunday. This, after fresh polling data showed Republican Senate candidate Norm Coleman performing better than expected against anticipated Democratic replacement candidate Walter Mondale . /p>

“We think a visit by Bush puts Coleman where he needs to be on Tuesday,” says a White House political operative. “The national party has done everything it can in Minnesota to get him to this point, and he hasn’t disappointed.”

And Bush’s trip to Minnesota has Democrats there nervous. For all their talk about how Bush doesn’t have coattails, Democrats have seen GOP candidates spike in the polls, particularly among undecided voters across the country this year. “You look at poll numbers in California after Bush has been there and Bill Simon cuts the lead of Davis,” says the operative. “In South Dakota Thune pulls up on Johnson. In Florida, Bush solidifies against McBride. This president may not have coattails, but with his appearances he’s making some races more competitive than they might have been.”

When word leaked out that the Wellstone family had asked Cheney not to attend, Democrats in Minnesota quickly told reporters it was because the family was angry at the way some Republicans continued to campaign over the weekend after the senator’s death. Now Democrats in Minnesota are trying to fan the controversy enough so that the White House will be skittish about sending Bush into the state.