CNN.com - Senator, family members killed in Minnesota plane crash - Oct. 25, 2002
Paul Wellstone was a senator I actually admired. I remember an interview he did when he first got into office; part of the interview focused on his view that it was irresponsible for senators to spend so much when there was a budget crisis going on. He insisted on taking commerical planes -- and going coach -- going from Minneapolis to D.C. The whole interview, he gave the impression of a regular guy who happened to get into office, and was just shocked by what he saw... but was going to change it.
I kept his name in mind while he went around, expousing views very similar to my own. He was one -- if not the only -- senator that I felt represented me well, despite the fact I don't even live in Minnesota. I admired him, and respected him, something I almost never do with senators. He was one of the good guys, and now he's gone. Go with peace, good sir; and thank you.
Posted by Ted Stevko at October 25, 2002 02:32 PMDon't be fooled. Wellstone might have been a nice guy who believed in what he was doing, but his political beliefs would only spell the ruin of a great nation. Like all "progressives," his first choice solution to all problems was to dig deeply and frequently into the wallets of people who work for a living. Like all who feel they are advocates of "social justice," what they really mean is a re-distribution of wealth. And they always mean to do that by forcibly taking hard-earned dollars away from working people. Always. Wellstone was no different. It is tragic that he died so untimely a death, but lets not lose our heads. His politics were wrong-headed and bad for America. Nice guy or not.
Posted by: Tracy Sharp at October 30, 2002 06:01 AMI would like to make a short statement in regard to what was ignorantly stated by Tracey Sharp on October 30th and all others who are so sadly misled by the greedy American nightmare. You should be ashamed of yourself for taking this opportunity to "loose your head" in making such utterly slanted statements. People like you need to look around and realize that our country is quickly becoming the Imperialist nation that it has always wanted to be. Our current goverment cares little, if not at all, about the well being of it's demos. As usual the vast majority of the monies our rich country enjoys is found in the top 8-10% of the population, like it or not. I also work for a living, very hard. So do many of the poorest people in our country. Paul Wellstone was an advocate for people like me. He stood for things like affordable healthcare, prison reform, drug reform (not this useless "war on drugs") and money for arts education in public schools. These are the things that we all know make the world a better place to live. The true thinkers, artists, musicians, writers, etc., as a whole, do not come from money; they come from true grit, something that people you will never understand. Perhaps when the entire structure of American government faces total colapse you will find the ability to stand back and realize what we have lost in Paul Wellstone.
Posted by: Christopher Robin Cox at November 7, 2002 12:39 PM