Senator Paul Wellstone...1944-2002

[ProudMNDemocrat]

19 years ago on this date, Minnesota lost a humble Senator and Statesman who dedicated his life to making others lives better.

My husband and I grew to know Paul and Sheila Wellstone. They were people easy to approach, talk with, their passion was genuine. When they both perished in a plane crash in Eveleth there in the Iron Range, it was if a member of the family had died.

I still have our 2002 yard sign.

Rest In Power Paul and Sheila.

[a kennedy]

2. I was in a drive thru McDonalds when I heard on the radio his plane crashed.........just started

bawling, get to the window and the girl asked if I was ok, I said no, and told her Paul Wellstone had died. She said oh that’s so sad. Ordered my stuff, paid, drove to a spot, parked and couldn’t eat what I ordered. Still just sick about him passing. He was Al Franken’s idol.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

4. I still miss them.

He was a friend as well as our Senator.

Jonathan Capehart of MSNBC was one of his students at Carlton College in Northfield. I am certain he remembers Paul with a genuine respect and affection.

[Wild blueberry]

3. Great Senator and real mensch

Still miss him.

[mahina]

5. What an iimmense loss

🕯

[IbogaProject]

6. so sad

I was just thinking of that Senator last night and how he was one of the best at advocating for progressive reasonable change. I had no memory of when in the year he died was just ruminating.

[Doc Sportello]

7. Greatest Senator Ever

And from all I've read, an even better human being.

[Bettie]

8. He was a great man

and it was a terrible loss.

[hlthe2b]

9. A tremendous loss (and not just for Minnesotans)...

Thinking of you, Senator Wellstone.

[PlanetBev]

10. Their daughter was killed with them

I remember how terrible I felt for their two surviving sons.

[TygrBright]

11. I still have my sign, too. I put it in my window, today. Vale, Senator. n/t

[SleeplessinSoCal]

12. I recall watching the memorial service on c-span

Being so close to the 2002 midterm election there was an outpouring of anguish and frustration. The Limbaugh gang went totally ballistic and managed to turn that emotional evening into a win for Norm Coleman.

What a nightmare. A truly honorable family was bludgeoned by hate spewing political ops.

[FakeNoose]

13. That's a wonderful tribute to a great American

[wellst0nev0ter]

14. Rest in Power

The Senate will never realize how much it needs your progressive leadership

[Kid Berwyn]

15. Presidential Timber

Our nation suffered an infinite loss. Karl Rove called Sen. Wellstone the administration’s “enemy number 1” for opposing war on Iraq.

I still can hear Wolf Blitzer demanding the reporter on the scene say the crash was weather related.

[SergeStorms]

16. I remember it well.

The mood on DU was somber and conspiratorial. This is where the "don't fly on small planes" meme originated, if I'm not mistaken.

It was a sad time, and many of us thought the door was wide open to republican malfeasance without Wellstone.

Little did we know........

[Blue Owl]

17. I moved to Minnesota around the time of Paul's untimely, tragic departure

And every day since then his loss feels more noticeable -- not just for Minnesota, but for the entire country. He was a true man of the people...

[electric_blue68]

18. So sad...

losing another great voice.



But wow, I thought it was late the '90s.