Welcome to our first post

In my Minnesota travels I've been seeing a surprising number of Wellstone bumper stickers, lawn signs and other indicators that Paul is still remembered, three years after his death. So it was good to see the article in today's Star-Tribune about the books, songs, play, movie, buildings and, most important, political organizing inspired by Paul's life. There will be much more to his legacy than bumper stickers and lawn signs.

I don't remember nearly this much activity after Hubert Humphrey's death in early 1978. Wellstone and Humphrey had some things in common--fiery orators, the inspirational leaders of the DFL party, and serving in the U.S. Senate until their deaths. Humphrey had a longer, fuller career, serving as
Minneapolis mayor before heading to Washington, spending 23 years in the Senate (twice as long as Wellstone), as well as serving a term as vice-president and coming oh-so-close to the presidency in 1968.

And yet Wellstone seems to be the more inspiring figure. Why?

1. AGE AND SHOCK. Humphrey was 66, or what at my age I now think of as "only" 66, when he died. But Wellstone was a decade younger. Humphrey's death was anticipated, the end of a long illness. The plane crash that killed Paul and
Sheila Wellstone, their daughter Marcie, and five other co-workers was a shocking tragedy, on the eve of what we thought would be Paul's re-election to a third term in the U.S. Senate. Marlon Brando vs. James Dean?

2. LEVELING OFF, HEADING UP. Humphrey had some great political triumphs, but at his death he was on the down side of his career. Wellstone was at the peak of his political career, just coming into his own, and never getting a chance to fulfill his potential. Paul, we hardly knew ye!

3. ESTABLISHMENT FIGURE AND OUTSIDER. As a young firebrand Humphrey had talked passionately and courageously about civil rights and other issues; he was an outsider, even a pariah in his early years in the U.S. Senate. By the time of his death, however, Humphrey was an establishment figure, liked by almost all, with only token opposition in his last Senate campaign. Wellstone, with a shorter career, remained an outsider to the end, fighting for the unrepresented. Humphrey had a stadium and airport terminal named after him. The Institute at the University of Minnesota that bears his name has never been a rallying ground for progressives; one of their major series of programs was co-chaired by conservative Republican < http://rightweb.irc-online.org/ind/weber/weber.php>Vin Weber and conservative Democrat Tim Penny (now in the Independence party). Wellstone Action! puts on workshops that help progressives get elected to office.

4. COMPROMISE AND COURAGE. Along the way Humphrey compromised, Wellstone did not. As Lyndon Johnson's vice-president Humphrey was a major cheerleader for the Vietnam War, despite his private misgivings. Wellstone, facing his first difficult re-election campaign in 1996, was the only Democratic Senator up for election to vote against the Clinton-Republican welfare cutbacks. Then in 2002, facing another tough election, he voted against the Iraq war. At the time, both were unpopular positions on emotional subjects, and yet Wellstone's courage on these two issues seemed to bring him greater support. Perhaps if Wellstone had lived long enough to serve as vice-president to an administration headed by Joe Leiberman or Al Gore, admittedly an unlikely possibility, perhaps he, too, would have disappointed people on the left. But it never happened,
and Wellstone at his death was the one U.S. Senator we felt we could always count on. In the years since his death, with Iraq, health care, immigration and a host of other issues, how often we have wished he was still in the Senate to speak out! And he would have!
Don Ostrom

So carry on, David and Mark Wellstone, Jeff Blodgett, and all the other activists at Wellstone Action! Paul and Sheila were with us for far too short a time, and there is much work to be done.

Don Ostrom

Comments

[Mike Tikkanen]

I am a long time businessman and volunteer Hennepin County guardian ad-Litem.

I have just finished a book, INVISIBLE CHILDREN and begun public speaking about the issues of abused children and our institutional failures in dealing with them.

Is there anyone in this organization that I can connect with you create greater visibility for my book and the issues it raises?

Thank you,

Mike Tikkanen

www.invisiblechildren.org

www.invisiblechildren.org/weblog

[Mark Ritchie]

Don, This is a wonderful piece that gives both a historical and political analysis that was very helpful to me. At the dedication event for the Wellstone Memorial at the crash site last week the power of conviction was so clear and evident in all aspects. Thank you for taking the time to think about and write this posting. Mark Ritchie