We Still Miss You Paul

As a friend and I were lamenting the state of the Senate the other night, the only name we could think of in recent memory of a hero in that chamber was Paul Wellstone. Today is the fifth anniversary of when his plane went down in a storm, killing him, his wife and one of their three children.

His incredible life was cut short at the age of 58. The man that eventually replaced him was Norm Coleman, a petulant little scumbag that has done nothing for Minnesota and the honor of our country. Thankfully he should be on the way out next year care of Al Franken, but Paul was someone that brought an unheard of quality to the Senate, a desire for change and the perseverance to fight for it once he trudged in filth that is there now.

Today David Sirota reminds us to beware of the Santa Clausification of Paul's memory. Men like Paul are diamonds in the rough field of politicians and that coalfield of American politics generally shapes people like Paul and Bobby Kennedy into cartoon figures, as Sirota states. So if you remember Senator Wellstone or even as a professor beforehand, do not just lament the passing of great man, remember what he fought for and find that light inside of you, as it shines somewhere within us all.