Contributing Writer
Former Vice President Walter Mondale, who died Monday at age 93, did more for the high office he held as President Jimmy Carter›s stand-in than any previous occupant, by defining its prime functions in his own application for the job.
In 1976, prior to his selection as Carter›s running mate, Mondale wrote him a letter outlining how he would serve. He detailed not only his own qualifications but also how he could best assist the Carter administration, lacking as it did Washington experience.
Mondale at the time was a U.S. senator from Minnesota. He and his veteran chief aide, Richard Moe, composed a job application casting himself as veteran of the national political and legislative scene who could help Carter navigate unfamiliar waters.