Paul Wellstone Iraq War Speech

[midnight]

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10 years ago this month our nation lost some inspiring fighters for progressive values when Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN), his wife Sheila, his daughter Marcia, three campaign staffers, and their two pilots died in a plane crash on a cold, dreary day in Minnesota. To ardent supporters of working people, labor unions, social justice, and the belief that government can and must be used to improve the lives of everyday people, the loss of Paul and Sheila was truly heart wrenching. But we also know that Paul and Sheila would have believed that the best way to honor their legacy would be to carry on the fight for the progressive values that they, and we, hold dear.

In honor of Paul, Sheila, and their legacy, below is the post that we wrote on the eighth anniversary of Paul’s death, and which still holds true today. We also urge our readers to share a tribute to the Wellstones at the memorial page that has been set up by Wellstone Action. And please check out this tribute to Paul and Sheila written by WP contributor Joanne Boyer, who included a profile of Paul in her book Wisdom of Progressive Voices.

In Memory of Paul Wellstone
We here at Winning Progressive are not the type to have political heroes. While there are many political candidates that we proudly support because they share the views we believe in or because they are significantly better than the alternative, we realize that all politicians are humans and, therefore, flawed. In addition, politicians work in a system that is flooded with well-funded interests and that requires compromise to get things done. As such, we realize that we can often only get progress out if we politically force our elected officials to aggressively support our interests. In short, even our favorite political leaders are bound to let us down on occasion, just as we are sometimes let down by our friends or relatives. Therefore, even as we strongly support various candidates, we recognize that raising a politician to hero status places unrealistic expectations on that person.

Having said that, there are some political leaders who we hold in especially high esteem. One such leader is Paul Wellstone, the former Democratic U.S. Senator from Minnesota, who tragically died eight years ago today. Senator Wellstone was first elected in 1990, and quickly became a leading progressive in the Senate for his willingness to strongly and eloquently stand up for progressive causes even when they were not politically popular. Senator Wellstone was re-elected in 1996, and died eleven days before election day in 2002 when he was running for a third term.

[Wellstone ruled]

1. For all of us who

new him personally and as a friend,we remember how he would tell us to always look for the good in every human. But,do not give up your progressive ideals.

Still,yet to this day,I remember being in Northfield,on that day when I heard the news. What a shock and what a loss. Tall Paul,this one is for you my old friend.

[midnight]

2. I love the name Tall Paul... How did he earn that?