I brought up Paul Wellstone, not just because he was from Minnesota, but because I think he was a truly special figure in contemporary U.S. politics.
My memory on the details is hazy, and I havn't researched the matter, but I believe the following is true (or essentially true):
In the recent vote of the U.S. Senate, in a resolution to support President Bush's (aka "Shrub") desire for the U.S. to invade Irag, the vote was something like 99 to 1 in support of Bush's desires. Paul Wellstone was the one decenting vote.
While many may not feel in line with Wellstone's brand of "flaming" liberalism, I do think that having a figure such as him, in the Senate, is a very good thing.
The cite in the previous message indicates that Walter Mondale is being explored as a replacement candidate for the democratic party. I have nothing against, Mondale, but he sure seems to rather be a fossil of the past.
Another name being floated is Alan Page. He is an African-American, and a former hall of fame member of the Minnesota Vikings football team. After football, he was (is?) active in Minnesota government. I believe he was state attorney general of Minnesota, and subsequently served as a state supreme court justice.
Page is a well known and popular figure in Minnesota. How his politics compare to Wellstone's, I don't know. But Page is a very inteligent person, and I think he could be a viable candidate in this short time period leading up to the elections.
Moose
ps: Minnesota law does not allow Wellstone to remain on the ballot. Thus, Minnesota does not have the opportunity to elect a deceased candidate, as Misouri did 2 years ago.