[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 20]
[House]
[Page 28249]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1530
              HONORING THE LIFE OF SENATOR PAUL WELLSTONE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ellison) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ELLISON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call to the House's 
attention that it was on October 25 a few years ago, not long it seems, 
only days ago, in 2002 that our State of Minnesota lost Senator Paul 
Wellstone.
  Paul Wellstone, Mr. Speaker, was a United States Senator, was a 
professor of politics, political science, at Carleton College. Paul 
Wellstone was an organizer of average citizens in Minnesota and helped 
them to discover their own power and their ability to maneuver the 
instrumentality of government to work for the benefit of the average 
citizen. Paul Wellstone was actually the State Chair of the Jackson for 
President campaign in 1988.
  Paul Wellstone was truly a friend of all working people everywhere on 
the globe. And I just wanted to let you know, Mr. Speaker, that as we 
approach October 25, and I reflect back upon my own personal exposure 
and friendship with Paul Wellstone, whose picture hangs in my office 
right now, that I just wanted this day to go by with us in 
contemplation of what a true servant leader represents.
  Paul Wellstone was a friend of mine. I'm proud to say that he was a 
political hero of mine as well. I had the awesome benefit of knowing 
him, and I'll never forget some of the things he said to me. But, among 
those things was to make sure that you never ever stop listening to the 
people.
  Paul Wellstone was comfortable anywhere he went. He was comfortable 
in the hair shops, the beauty salons and the laundromats. Paul 
Wellstone obviously was comfortable in the halls of power in Congress.
  Paul Wellstone, wherever he went, was a person who understood that he 
carried a sacred trust, that government service was a trust that the 
people of the State of Minnesota entrusted in him, that it was not a 
privilege, but it was an awesome responsibility, and he never forgot 
it.
  Paul Wellstone was a leader in many ways and was an example to young 
people like myself. And as I think what his life means to me, means to 
the people of Minnesota, I have to consider that it is also that 
awesome responsibility that he laid out there. A servant leader, Mr. 
Speaker. Not just somebody who was looking to be served but a person 
who was looking to serve.
  Paul Wellstone's favorite color was green, that was the color of his 
campaign literature, because it symbolized life. And I shamelessly 
copied it, Mr. Speaker, because I wanted to carry on that spirit of 
service, of being evergreen, of being ever new, and being committed to 
the idea that we have to constantly and continuously renew ourselves, 
our values, our faith, and our consistency when it comes to serving 
people all over the world.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I want to say that whether it was veterans, of whom 
Paul Wellstone was a tireless advocate, or whether it was students or 
whether it was the poor in our country, and I will never forget the 
tour he took around this country to highlight poverty in America, Paul 
Wellstone could always be found serving people. His loss was a tragic 
loss.
  Only the day before we lost him, he was scheduled to come to my 
office, and we were going to do some campaigning together. It was a 
long night, Mr. Speaker, when we heard back the reports as the news 
reports said that a plane has gone down in Ely, Minnesota, and it was 
thought to be containing Paul Wellstone and his partner, Sheila 
Wellstone, and their daughter and several other campaigners. We hoped 
all night that what we thought might have happened didn't happen, but 
at the end of the evening, we learned that that tragedy, in fact, did 
occur. Our worst fears were confirmed when we learned that we lost him, 
but it was a long several hours before we realized that that tragedy 
had actually occurred, and we had hoped against hope. I will never 
forget that night.
  Mr. Speaker, as I wind down my remarks, I just want to say that in 
many ways I have dedicated my service and take great inspiration from 
Senator Wellstone. I will never forget him, and I hope that this House 
and Senate never do, either.

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