It's Fritz

Former Vice President Walter Mondale accepted his party's plea to replace the late Sen. Paul Wellstone in Tuesday's election, vowing to carry on Wellstone's "fight for the working people."

More than 800 Democrats met at a downtown theater Wednesday night and loudly approved Mondale by voice vote. There were no dissenters, and Mondale was mobbed as he made his way to the stage.

At the Minnesota Democratic party meeting to make the nomination official, Mondale shook hands with crowds of supporters making his way to take the podium as U2's "It's a beautiful day" played in the background.

Upon taking the stage, Mondale joked, "I understand by a close vote you have nominated me to run for the U.S. senate."

"I want you to know," continued the former Vice President, "I gladly accept the nomination."

Mondale made his stance in Wellstone's place clear, telling the DFL, "Tonight our campaign begins. I start it with a pledge to you. I will be your voice and I will be Paul Wellstone's voice for decency and better lives."

"If there was ever a time to put aside political dog fighting, now is the time," said Mondale as he outlined his campaign agenda, vowing to continue Wellstone's legacy.

Earlier Wednesday, Mondale ended any suspense about his intentions with a letter to Democratic leaders, declaring himself ready to run against Republican Norm Coleman if chosen.

Democrats were jubilant. Mondale, 74, is seen as their best shot at keeping Wellstone's seat as they try to hold on or add to their single-seat majority in the Senate.

The news came amid growing concern the results of Tuesday's closely watched election will be delayed at least a day. State and county officials warned that confusion over what to do with absentee ballots would slow things.

Coleman didn't wait for the official coronation of his new opponent: He targeted Mondale as he made campaign stops in three Minnesota cities Wednesday and launched new TV commercials.

"The challenge for the vice president is, what is his vision for the 21st century, how does he expect to get it done," Coleman said at a stop in International Falls. "Nobody hands you anything."

Wellstone was killed along with his wife, daughter, three campaign staffers and two pilots in a plane crash Friday in northern Minnesota. He had been in a nip-and-tuck battle against Coleman, a former St. Paul mayor.

Mondale has inherited the slight lead Wellstone had recently opened over Coleman, according to a poll of 639 likely voters released Wednesday by the Star Tribune of Minneapolis.

Mondale had 47 percent support to Coleman's 39 percent, according the poll, which has a margin of sampling error of 4 percentage points.

Ninety-eight percent of Minnesotans recognize Mondale's name and 66 percent say they have a favorable image of him, compared with 15 percent unfavorable. Even among Republicans, more respondents, 39 percent, view him favorably than unfavorably, 37 percent.

Mondale's campaign scheduled a full day of appearances and interviews on Thursday, and Mondale said he would travel the state in the brief time before the election.

"I'm asking everyone who's listening to us tonight: Please give us your help," Mondale said, his speech carried live to a statewide radio audience. "Help us bring some balance back to our national life. Help us bring civility back to our public debate."

Mondale's name and stature made him the only candidate seriously considered for the job of pulling together a campaign and winning an election in less than a week. Wellstone's two sons had asked Mondale to run.

"They knew that Paul would want someone of integrity and honesty and character to finish this race off," said Jeff Blodgett, Wellstone's campaign manager. "Fritz Mondale was the only one on that list."

Like Wellstone a staunch liberal, Mondale served in the White House with President Carter and in 1984 ran for president against Ronald Reagan. He served as ambassador to Japan under President Clinton, and since then has practiced law in Minnesota.

Mondale made history in 1984 by choosing a woman, Geraldine Ferraro, as his running mate on the presidential ticket. But he carried only his home state and the District of Columbia in a landslide loss to Reagan; even in Minnesota, he received just 4,000 votes more than Reagan.

Meanwhile, county officials continued to take different approaches on what to do about absentee ballots.

Some mailed out new ballots, despite statements by the secretary of state and attorney general that they should only be given out in person. A few officials told residents to scratch out Wellstone's name and write in their choice.

"Our hope is that whatever the outcome is here it is not decided by the few thousands of absentee ballots that may be in question — that we do not have a Florida here," said John Kingrey, executive director of the Minnesota County Attorney Association.

County officials agree the results in the Senate race probably won't be known before the morning after Election Day. Hennepin County, home to Minneapolis and one-fourth of the state's population, said none of its results would be available until midnight or later.

The state Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments Thursday in a Democratic Party lawsuit intended to make sure new ballots are mailed out to give residents a chance to vote for Wellstone's replacement.

Meanwhile, organizers of Tuesday night's memorial for Wellstone said they regretted its overly partisan tone. "It probably would have been best not to get into politics and elections in the way it was done," Blodgett said.

State GOP Chairman Ron Eibensteiner called the 3½-hour service "raw hardball political campaigning" and said the party has asked broadcasters that covered the service to give Republicans air time "for the sake of basic fairness."

Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, upset by what he felt was a partisan tone of the memorial service, said he will try to appoint an independent instead of a Democrat to fill Wellstone's seat until a new candidate is certified.

"That they turned a memorial service into a political rally made me so mad. That's why me and the first lady walked out,"' Ventura told CBS.

Ventura had said he favored a replacement from Wellstone's party, but that was before he walked out of the memorial service.

Ventura referred to a speech by one of Wellstone's closest friends, Rick Kahn, in which Kahn said to the crowd, "I'm begging you to help us win this Senate election for Paul Wellstone."

A temporary appointee would fill the seat until Tuesday's election results are certified.

Separately, GOP sources in Minnesota told CBS News that the morning after the Wellstone memorial service, money poured into the Coleman campaign in $100 chunks, overloading the campaign Web site.