[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 152 (Monday, October 27, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S13259]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING PAUL WELLSTONE

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today with a heavy heart. It was one 
year ago on October 25 that I lost my friend, and this body lost a 
great Senator. We all have our own memories of Paul Wellstone.
  We remember the passion of his beliefs. He was an uncompromising 
idealist who stuck to his principles and never wavered. When he fought 
for an issue like mental health parity, you knew he would never give 
up.
  We remember Paul Wellstone for his bravery, because even when his 
cause was unpopular, he followed his heart. He used to say, ``We should 
never separate the lives we live from the words we speak,'' and he 
followed that path.
  We remember what an inspiring speaker Paul could be. The first time I 
heard him was in the Capitol Rotunda at a ceremony for new Senators, 
and I was immediately impressed. Later, he came to Las Vegas and spoke 
to a convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. I have never seen a 
group so fired up.
  We remember his physical strength and stamina, even in the last year 
of his life when he was in so much pain. He worked out at the Capitol 
Police gym, and he still holds the record there for doing the most 
chin-ups.
  We remember Paul for his unassuming nature. He waged his first 
campaign in an old green school bus. There is no telling how many 
mechanics across the State of Minnesota worked on that vehicle to keep 
it running.
  We remember Paul Wellstone for all these reasons. Most of all, we 
will always remember how easily he made friends and how deeply he 
touched people.
  In this Chamber he had good friends on both sides of the aisle. But 
Paul Wellstone also befriended working people, like the janitors who 
cleaned his Senate office. One night, Paul waited until midnight so he 
could meet them in person and tell them thanks. And in Minnesota, the 
affection for Paul Wellstone cut across all segments of the population.
  A few days before he lost his life, Paul was riding around the State 
with Peg McGlinch, a member of my staff who is a Minnesota native, and 
her father. They were running behind schedule, as is often the case on 
those hectic campaign trips, but when they spotted some union workers 
on a picket line, there was no question that they would stop and offer 
support. As Paul hopped out of the nondescript car, people seemed 
shocked to see him, until one woman ran over, gave him a big hug, and 
declared, ``You're my hero.''
  Paul Wellstone was a hero to a lot of people. I went to Minnesota 
after his death, and I was amazed at the spontaneous memorial that 
sprang up all around his campaign headquarters. I saw thousands of 
flowers and candles. I read handwritten notes thanking Paul for work he 
had done to help people, and looked at pictures of him with people 
whose lives he had affected.
  And one thing I will never forget was a crayon drawing of a train 
chugging up into the sky, with a child's simple scrawl that read, 
``Paul Wellstone, the Little Engine that Could.''
  Paul Wellstone clearly had a special relationship with the people of 
Minnesota. His relationship with his beloved wife, Sheila, was also 
extraordinary. And their lovely daughter Marcia, who also perished in 
the tragic accident, was so much like both of them. She was an amalgam 
of all their best qualities.
  Today, as we remember how much Paul Wellstone meant to so many 
people, our hearts go out to his family--his sons Mark and David, his 
grandchildren, and other family members. Also to the families of Paul's 
staff members who were lost with him: Mary McEvoy, Will McLaughlin, and 
Tom Lapic.
  I said my heart was heavy today, and that is true. Paul Wellstone was 
my friend and I miss him. But I also feel grateful today that I had the 
opportunity to know this remarkable man, and I am grateful for my 
memories of him, which will never die.

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