DESPITE CLASSY CONCESSION, ISSUES LINGER

Any way you look at it, Missouri made history this past week. Following the tragic death of Gov. Mel Carnahan, his widow Jean announced just a week prior to the election that she would accept Gov. Roger Wilson's offer to appoint her to the Senate seat should the Carnahan name prevail on the Nov. 7 ballot.

Our experience in Missouri during the three weeks leading up to the last Tuesday are without precedent in American history. Although dead men have, in the past, remained on the ballot for the U.S. House of Representatives, this had never happened for a nominee for the U.S. Senate in the 85 years or so since their election by state legislatures gave way to their direct election by the people.

Facing the impossible situation of having to campaign against both a dead man, lionized in media accounts, and his widow, John Ashcroft ended up losing a race he had seemed on the verge of winning shortly before the fatal air crash. (The last independent, nationally reputable poll conducted and released just hours before the tragedy had Ashcroft leading Carnahan by a margin of 50-40.)

Ashcroft lost narrowly, his once promising national political career at least derailed, if not ended entirely. A defeated Ashcroft came immediately under enormous pressure from GOP partisans to dispute the result and file legal challenges to block the seating of Jean Carnahan. In one of the classiest performances ever by a losing candidate in a disputed outcome, on Wednesday Ashcroft stood up and made a concession speech that is being widely hailed as a model for the graciousness and equanimity with which he accepted the verdict of the people. The senator also firmly stressed he won't be a party to any legal challenges.

Be that as it may, legal issues linger.

A federal constitutional question remains as to whether a dead man can win an election in the manner Missouri has just seen. Another question is whether the U.S. Senate will choose to seat Jean Carnahan.

There will be time to consider these questions. For now, Missourians are catching their breath after one of the most amazing elections ever.