Remembering Paul Wellstone

Kari Chisholm FacebookTwitterWebsite

Five years ago, a plane crash claimed the lives Senator Paul Wellstone, his wife Sheila, their daughter Marcia, two pilots, and three campaign staff members.

He was an extraordinary champion for working people, for children, for mental health, for peace, and against the powerful interests that seek to dominate our economy, our politics, and our lives.

But don't listen to me. Listen to Paul:

(Video by my friend Adam Conner. Hat tip to Left in the West.)

You can learn more about Paul Wellstone at Wellstone Action, the organization that carries his activist legacy onward.

  • ellie (unverified)
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    That "... Focus on a good education" was really powerful.

    What a sad loss for all.

  • anonymous (unverified)
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    For Democrats who don't believe the Warren Commission findings on JFK and his lone assassin, there's a great book by Professors Don Jacobs (Four Arrows being his Native American Name) and Jim Fetzer that makes a powerful argument that Paul Wellstone was murdered and not the victim of a plane crash due to foul weather. The book is called "American Assassination: The Strange Death of Paul Wellstone."

    Among details in the book: (1) The FBI arrived suspiciously early took over the investigation at the scene, when it was it was the NTSB's responsibility, yet the final NTSB report doesn't reference the FBI's role; (2) standard protocol was to have a public hearing for witnesses to come forward and report whatever they had seen or heard, yet despite multiple witnesses contacting authorities, no hearing was held and no testimony reported; (3) an NTSB simulation of the flight could not be modeled on recorded conditions that would result in the crash and no mechanical failures were found, leaving the NTSB to formally admit when questioned they did not know what caused the plane to crash; (4) former CIA agent, Carol Carmody, who was assigned to lead the NTSB investigation in Minnesota had also led the investigation in Missouri of the suspicious plane crash that killed Democratic Senate campaign front-runner, Mel Carnahan (who was running against... future Bush Atty Gen, John Ashcroft).

    Wellstone was a true champion of democracy and the American people, as well as a pesky anti-war senator before the invasion of Iraq. The best way to honor him is to think for yourself and reconsider his death based on the evidence in the book and in the NTSB report.

  • Tom Civiletti (unverified)
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    Here's another feisty little guy who acts on what he knows is right, even if powerful interests disagree.

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    "If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for, at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them."

    "Politics is not about power. Politics is not about money. Politics is not about winning for the sake of winning. Politics is about the improvement of people's lives. It's about advancing the cause of peace and justice in our country and the world. Politics is about doing well for the people."

    Paul Wellstone was a great man and I was blessed to have met him and to have had him as my Senator. We should all aspire to be so passionate, dedicated, and principled as he was. I can't find the words in myself to describe the tragedy of that day and the devastation that many people still feel today from his death.

    I'm sorry Tom, but nobody compares to Paul Wellstone.

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    Well, the key difference is that Paul Wellstone was actually successful at pushing a progressive agenda and influencing the public debate.

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    And in a further step in the ongoing cover-up, the video is no longer available. Coincedence? I think not!

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    And now it seems to be back. Mysterious....

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    The same people who cry "conspiracy!" at the Wellstone plane crash also want a biochem investigation into Sen. Johnson's mysterious brain injury last December. Come on, folks.

    But more on-topic, Sen. Wellstone was a great leader and a true progressive. His loss still reverberates on the Hill today, and he sorely missed by those of us who pride ourselves on those precious lawmakers whose progressive will doesn't bend.

  • Travis Diskin (unverified)
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    While I didn't have the privilege of meeting Sen Wellstone, I did have the pleasure and honor of attending the Wellstone Action Advanced campaign management school this summer.

    You can tell the character of a man by the people he surrounds himself with and the people that put on this training were top notch. They knew what they were doing and had great passion for meaningful change. I highly recommend their programs to anyone interested in being agents of real change.

    Paul's legacy lives on not just in memory, but also in the hearts and actions of those whose lives he and his foundation have touched.

    We need more patriots like him.

  • Tom Civiletti (unverified)
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    I'll let each person draw his own comparisons. As I look over statements and records of the late Senator Wellstone and presidential candidate Congressman Kucinich, I see one major difference. Kucinich is more willing to notice the humanity of Palestinians.

  • james Mattiace (unverified)
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    Hate to muddle a perfectly fine conspiracy theory convention, but in the spirit of Senator Wellstone, I thought I would mark the passing of another champion for social justice. Down in Eugene, labor activist Lucy Lahr was struck and killed in a hit and run accident.

    Her memorial service had less pageantry and celebrities than Paul Wellstone's but she deserved every bit.

    http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?mid=7284

    Rest in Peace Lucy. You kicked a$$.

    James Mattiace

  • Brian (unverified)
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    Tom,

    I'll see your feisty candidate and raise ya'.

  • Grant Schott (unverified)
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    I had the opportunity to meet Paul Wellstone twice, once at a Bill Bradley rally in Vancouver, WA in Feb 2000, and a month before he died in 2002 when I was field director ND Demcoratic Party Pomeroy campaign- there I talked to Paul breifly at a rally in East Grand Forks, MN. I also saw him at a debate in Moorhead a week before he died. Paul's passion was evident both on tv and live, but he had a wonderful sense of humor that I didn't catch until I saw him in person. At the E. Grand Forks rally he told the story he mentioned in his autobiography when, after an early senate speech, Senator Hollings said, "Young man, you remind me of Hubert Humprhrey...you talk too much." Paul laughed louder than anyone when he told that stroy. He also went out of his way to ask my name an that of others.

    I, for one, do not beleive in the conspiracy stories. There were lengthy media reports and an official report that detailed the history fo the incompetant pilots who were flying way too slow at desent. The main pilot had lied about his expereince (he was in jail when he said he was flying for American) and was described by many of his peers as careless and inept. Charter firms don't always have the best pilots. Numerous politicans have died in place crashes over the eyars and had close calls. I would also add that Carnahan's death in a place crash in 2000 actually boosted his poll numebrs and pushed "him" (or his wife) over the top. Wellstone was behind, then Mondale surged ahead...before the memorial service that Fox news and others ripped apart.

  • Tom Civiletti (unverified)
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    Brian,

    Paul is the leading R [by far] on KPOJ's preference poll. Although I disagree with him on most economic issues, he's preferable to Hillary Clinton on the military, foreign policy, and civil liberties.

  • Brian (unverified)
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    Tom,

    What really gets me about H. Clinton is the air of arrogance. She's has the $$$, the political influence and has already been anointed the Democratic nominee, barring some fatal mis-step. Though many who brand themselves with the progressive label appear to have strong misgivings about her candidacy, who cares? Part of the strategy seems to be taking the progressive vote for granted, assuming that she'll get those votes anyway when she is inevitably crowned the nominee. They sure as hell wont go for Guiliani, Thompson or Romney, so we own 'em.

    In my warped mind, I could in good conscious cast a vote for Bill Richardson on the D side or Ron Paul on the R ticket, even though they represent different things. Seeing as how I am not allowed to vote in partisan primaries and neither of those men have a reasonable chance of receiving the nomination they seek, I anticipate "throwing my vote away" yet again on a third party candidate. However, none of us should ever give up hope on what we want from government and the kind of folks we want representing us. If it's Kucinich you want, by all means support the man. Don't sell out simply because the machine tells you that Clinton or Obama are your only viable choices. That's how I feel about Paul.

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    I also had the chance to meet the senator - at a conf. on homelessness in his home state. He was a hero to many of us.

  • joel (unverified)
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    An effective progressive. An intellectual rooted in the real world. I want to be that brave and I want to see leaders who can be that capable.

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    Paul Wellstone played a pivotal role, albeit indirectly, in my evolution from a right-leaning Independent to a progressive Independent.

    During the 2004 presidential campaign I jumped on the Howard Dean bandwagon due in large part to a couple guys who had a blog called Independents for Dean. Through them I found another blog, both of which were central to my starting PK, by a couple of progressive women who are also Independents.

    At that time I'd bought into the rightwing spin hook, line and sinker about how deplorably Democrats had behaved during his funeral. So anyway I was involved in some discussion thread at the second blog where I'd mentioned Wellstone's funeral and one of the women suggested that I read Al Franken's book Lies and the lying liars who tell them because Franken has a big section on that very funeral. I ass-u-med that she meant that Franken did an expose on the whole thing... and I further ass-u-med that it would jive with my (mis)understanding of what had taken place.

    Convinced that here at last I was going to find a Democrat who would be honest about the deplorable actions of his fellow Dems during the funeral, I ran out and bought the book the next day and immediately started reading.

    Holy moly!!!! Yeah... I was surprised, to say the least. But everything Franken said absolutely had the ring of truth to it and I was convinced right then and there that I'd been played for a sucker by the GOP.

    Long story short... I haven't voted for a single Republican since then.

    And yes, I did go back and thank that women for opening my eyes via the book recommendation.

    I related this story to Becky Miller, one of our other writers at PK and she said that she'd had the exact same reaction to reading Franken's book.

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    <h2>Somebody send this to Sen Harry Reid....</h2>

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