Paul and Sheila Wellstone, 3 years since their tragic deaths 10-25-2002

[ISUGRADIA]

[Bluebear]

1. Thank you for everything Paul.

You are not forgotten.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. Thank you, ISUGRADIA, for this remembrance.

[bigwillq]

3. What a tragic loss.

RIP :(

[undeterred]

4. You are remembered.

[villager]

5. yes, a horrific loss -- more than we knew, in retrospect.

Not to get overly tin-foily, but I'm actually less inclined to believe it was an "accident" now than I was then...

[Greeby]

6. And I never knew them

Wish I'd gotten into this whole US politics thing a little earlier :cry:

[shance]

7. Another reminder of more incidents that have occured

because of this Administration and what they've potentially enacted.

[WilliamPitt]

8. God damn

I was driving down to DC for the protest in a wagon train that included matcom and several others. Got the word on this tragedy coming up to a toll booth. I almost crashed through the barrier.

[Coexist]

9. .

[Proud2BaLiberalMom]

10. Never forgotten...

You are my inspiration. We will never forget you.
sniff...sniff..:cry:

[MelissaB]

16. Welcome to DU, Proud2BaLiberalMom!

:hi:

[newyawker99]

37. Hi Proud2BaLiberalMom!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Mr_Spock]

11. Bummer

He was a cool Senator

[dave29]

12. Peace,

We love you Wellstones

[Lancer]

13. Thank you for this sad reminder

I miss Paul every day.

[callady]

14. His Senatorial career was bookended by opposition to war with Iraq.

A Eulogy: Wellstone, Unabashed Liberal

by Matthew Rothschild

His Senatorial career was bookended by opposition to war with Iraq. His first speech in the Senate was against the 1991 Gulf War, and his defiance earned him a famous sobriquet from President George H.W. Bush, who asked: "Who is that little chickenshit?"

Then, earlier this month and at great risk to his political career, Wellstone voted against the current President Bush's authorization of force for another war on Iraq.

<snip>

A radical professor at Carleton College in 1969, he early on was "a believer in grassroots organizing, in grassroots politics," as he writes in his autobiography. At twenty-five, he was determined to use his academic skills "to empower people and to step forward with people in justice struggles." So he studied, and began organizing, the poor people of Rice County, Minnesota. For that, and other political stances, he was fired. But the students rebelled and got him reinstated.

His first run for the Senate in 1990 defied all the odds. Never having won elected office and massively outspent, he managed to win by running a grassroots campaign that used humor and did not flinch from the liberal label. "This time, vote for what you believe in," he said. And he won, 51-to-49 percent.

<snip>

"I have dedicated my life to the cause of economic justice and equality of opportunity for all Americans," he writes at the end of his autobiography. "The famous abolitionist Wendell Phillips was once asked, 'Wendell, why are you so on fire?' He responded, 'I'm on fire because I have mountains of ice before me to melt.' So do we." Paul Wellstone breathed fire on those mountains.

http://www.commondreams.org/views02/1026-06.htm

[bobbieinok]

15. I had just begun to pay attn to him....when I 1st saw this thot maybe a j

joke

and his wife and a daughter and how many others died??

and the way the M$M trashed the memorial service was incredible

and later I realized how much the 2002 election was getting people in who would blindly follow W on Iraq

IMO, the family deaths sent a chill thru liberal politicians....even if you didn't believe he was 'taken out' the timing and effect (losing/removing an outspoken W opponent who was rapidly becoming a national leader) was certainly 'interesting'

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

17. We miss and need you, Paul and Sheila.

I was near to getting fired when I heard the news...
...banquet manager for the hotel said "well, if he'd have kept his promise and not run for a third term, he wouldn't be dead now, would he? It's his own damn fault."

I was this close to lighting into the woman with a hideous string of curse word that would have made Quentin Tarantino cower in shame. Instead, I went and made a few more pizzas.

[UrbScotty]

18. My love to their family.

:hug:

[Paulie]

19. Going to wear my Wellstone for Pres button

Glad I got to see Paul in person in Chicago back in 2000.

[celestia671]

20. And he could have been Pres too...

Makes me want to do this:

:tinfoilhat:

[serryjw]

36. I greet Paul Everyday

I have the memorial edition of the Minnesota Daily framed on the wall of my office...I remember that fateful day so well. I was fundraising for the DNC when someone whom knew how much I loved him told me. I was worthless the rest of the day so I went home to cry.
I think of him so often on how he would deal with what is happening in the Senate and the country. Now more than ever we need his voice.

[mzmolly]

21. Thanks for this thread.

Recommended

[stevedeshazer]

22. I'll never forget that day.

Never, ever.

[fishwax]

52. me neither

can still see my friend's expression when he broke the news ... :cry:

[IChing]

23. An assassinated future president, so sad....Wellstone

went to my high school:( ;( :cry:

[dflprincess]

24. Thank you for the picture

I haven't been down to Lakewood Cemetary since it was put there.

Wouldn't it be neat if Fitzgerald announced the indictments tomorrow? A little bit of justice on a very sad day.

[ISUGRADIA]

32. It's a well visited resting place. I'll have to find a pic I took of some

of the things that have been left on the stone in the past. I live fairly close to Lakewood so I stop by once in a while.

It would be some karmic justice if there was good news tomorrow.

[ISUGRADIA]

33. Some photos from his gravesite Oct 2004

I love the peace sign decoration that someone left there.

[Cults4Bush]

25. That hit me right in the gut... thanks for the reminder.

May the rest ever more soundly.

[DemonFighterLives]

26. Paul was one of those people who was much more

than we knew at the time. He was like a starman and would have been one like JFK, RFK, JFK Jr who would've been great to lead this country.
Very fitting Stone, it looks sWell.
The guy has an enormous amount of quotable quotes.
http://en.thinkexist.com/quotes/paul_wellstone/

Paul Wellstone said: "I'm from the Democratic party-wing of the Democratic Party"

The people of this country, not special interest big money, should be the source of all political power

Politics isn't about big money or power games; it's about the improvement of people's lives

A politics that is not sensitive to the concerns and circumstances of people's lives, a politics that does not speak to and include people, is an intellectually arrogant politics that deserves to fail

:cry: :mad: :cry:

[Raine]

27. Awful

just awful, I'll never forget hearing that news. :cry:

[mandyky]

28. I cried for 2 or 3 days straight

I knew what woould happen as a result, not in detail, but I knew shrub had growns even more rots over this one!

[newspeak]

29. I'll always remember Wellstone

I've never lived in Minnesota, but donated to his campaigns more than once. I loved that he really did care about people. I begged him to run for President. On my little altar, with all loved ones I've lost, I have a picture of Wellstone. He was the hope for America...........:cry:

[peekaloo]

30. RIP.

:patriot:

[Carolab]

31. I will never forget. It was my birthday. And my senator and neighbor.

Wellstone was a great man.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

34. and we lose rosa parks today

fight on for these folks and make 'em proud

[Wilms]

35. Thanks for the heads-up.

And bowed down.

Peace.

[KitchenWitch]

38. I miss you every day!

This world lost much on that terrible day!

:cry:

[newyawker99]

39. You are not forgotten, Senator. Rest in Peace.

[chat_noir]

40. RIP

[FreedomAngel82]

41. So sad

I read about this in Al Franken's book. Sounds like they were great people. :(

[myrna minx]

42. I will always miss you, love you and respect you.

May your legacy soar. :cry:

[melody]

43. Great people are often the casualties of wicked men

Taken down by Bushco, but they'll never, ever be taken out.

[Lisa]

44. here are some of his campaign ads

http://www.northwoodsadv.com/our_work/case_studies/case_study_wellstone.html

(click on the link under the print ad, and then scroll down under "view related pieces", for footage of Paul and the campaign bus.)

[TNOE]

45. So so very sad

thanks for the post. That was a very tragic day not only for DU but for America. RIP.

[Neil Lisst]

46. Paul Wellstone was a hero ...

I still think he was assassinated so that scumbag could win.

I have a thread about the 5 living Dem progressives you most respect, and he would be on mine if he were still alive.

[spuddonna]

47. May they rest in peace...

I was just reading another thread, "What living progressives do you admire?" but my brain just fixed on Paul...

I really admire many of our Dems, but Paul was a special person. I would have been so proud to work on his campaign for his presidential election.

:( Such a loss... Sheila and Paul were such good people. My heart aches for their family.

[MN ChimpH8R]

48. I still miss my senator so much.

It will be a long time before we see Paul and Sheila's like again.

:cry::patriot:

[DemonFighterLives]

49. Paul on channel 2 PBS

Talking about the haves and have nots. Wild hair and all.
:bounce:

[DemonFighterLives]

50. Raising hell with W1 on the 1st war

"It will not bring a New Order, but it will bring a disorder". Right before being called a chickenshit by dubby's daddy Poppie.

[DemonFighterLives]

51. I don't mean to discount Sheila here

They were talking about how they liked to argue. Sheila said, " it is tough with him, he is so articulate- he always has the right word".
Paul said he would never be in a tux, but Sheila made him for his daughter's wedding. And he looked good!

[Justice]

53. It seems like an eternity that we had Paul's voice around us and in

the Senate. I long for those days.

[DemonFighterLives]

55. No voice has filled in for him yet

After watching some of the clips, I can see why the pubes and poppy felt threatened. He was damn outspoken, but spoke for the people. We can't have that!

[grannylib]

54. What a loss that was. I will never forget hearing the news from a friend

at work, he was just coming on shift and came into my office and told me, I was so stunned.
And the shameful lies told about the Reich Wing about the memorial service, what filth they were to desecrate something beautiful and heartfelt and to try to turn it into such ugliness....but then, consider the sources....
Rest in peace, Paul and Sheila.

We need to be the ones to carry the torch!

[DemonFighterLives]

56. Paul against pre-emptive strike on Iraq

He was scared of the decision because it he thought it would alienate him.
He then thanks his staff for letting him do his thing. The polls jumped up for him and the staff then thanked him.

[DemonFighterLives]

57. Now showing the dreadful day

Paul and Sheila were really loved. Huge public memorial wirh 25,000 people.

[DemonFighterLives]

58. Stupid Tucker Carlson mocking Mondale and the memorial

:argh:

[DemonFighterLives]

59. Mondale saying that all Paul would have wanted was for the battle to

continue.
Say No To War!

Camp Wellstone Lives!

Sheila Wellstone Institute Lives!

Paul and Sheila Wellstone Elementary School Lives!