cannabisnews.com: Sen. Paul Wellstone Killed in Plane Crash
Sen. Paul Wellstone Killed in Plane Crash
Posted by CN Staff on October 25, 2002 at 13:59:17 PT
By Jesse J. Holland, Associated Press Writer
Source: Associated Press
Democratic Sen. Paul Wellstone of Minnesota, one of the last unapologetic liberals left in Congress and known among his friends as a "pied piper of modern politics," died Friday in a Minnesota plane crash. He was 58. Wellstone's wife, Sheila Ison Wellstone, and daughter Marcia also died in the crash. Three campaign staff members and two pilots also perished.
When Congress voted overwhelmingly earlier this month to authorize military force against Iraq, Wellstone was the only senator facing a tough re-election challenge to vote no. Outspoken and opinionated, Wellstone was popular among his colleagues in the Senate and back at home in Minnesota. "He was the pied piper of modern politics — so many people heard him and wanted to follow him in his fight. His loss is monumental," said Sen. John Kerry , D-Mass. Wellstone also was known for his sense of humor. When he made a brief and futile run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1998, he said conspiratorially to an Associated Press reporter that he really didn't think he had a chance to win. The reporter asked why, and Wellstone whispered: "I'm short, I'm Jewish and I'm a liberal." A former champion 126-pound wrestler from the University of North Carolina, he announced earlier this year that he suffered from a mild form of multiple sclerosis, evidenced by a pronounced limp when walked around the Capitol and the Senate chamber. He often was the last person in the Senate chambers at night, giving speeches and advocating his position late into the evening long after most others had gone home. Wellstone led crusades against bills he felt put the average Americans at a disadvantage. He railed against still-to-be-enacted bankruptcy reforms that enjoy overwhelming support in Congress as benefiting only banks, credit card issuers, automobile finance companies and retailers at the expense of people who "now find themselves in brutal economic circumstances." "Are single women with children deadbeats? This bill assumes that they are," Wellstone said before voting against the Senate measure in July. Before becoming a senator, Wellstone was a professor and community organizer. He fused the two together in a course he taught at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., called "Social Movements and Grassroots Organizing." Using the lessons from that class, Wellstone launched a longshot bid for Senate in 1990. He toured the state in a rickety old green bus that became a metaphor for his campaign, and stunned the political establishment by knocking off Republican Sen. Rudy Boschwitz. In seeking re-election this year, Wellstone reneged on his pledge of 1990 to seek no more than two terms, leading some people to suggest that Washington had changed him. Labeled by a magazine, Mother Jones, as "the first 1960s radical elected to the U.S. Senate," Wellstone still manage to disappoint liberal followers on occasion. In 1996, he angered gay rights supporters by voting for the "Defense of Marriage" bill, which allowed states to withhold legal recognition of same-sex unions from other states. Last year, he disappointed some civil rights and civil liberties activists by voting for legislation broadening the government's authority to conduct wiretaps in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Sen. Russ Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat often compared to Wellstone, was the only senator to vote against it. His vote against the Iraqi resolution was reminiscent of his 1996 campaign, when he was the only senator up for re-election to vote against welfare reform legislation. Wellstone wound up defeating Boschwitz in a rematch that year, 50 percent to 41 percent. But Wellstone said he hasn't changed his core values on issues ranging from education to affordable housing to labor rights. "I'm on fire on all those conditions and determined to make a difference," Wellstone said. Wellstone also had two sons, David and Mark, and six grandchildren. Complete Title: Minnesota Sen. Paul Wellstone, One of Last of Unapologetic Liberals, Killed in Plane Crash Source: Associated Press Author: Jesse J. Holland, Associated Press Writer Published: October 25, 2002Copyright: 2002 Associated Press Related Articles & Web Sites:Sen. Paul Wellstonehttp://wellstone.senate.govFighting The Drug War from The Treatment Fronthttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8897.shtmlBomb Discovered Before Visit of Senator http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7838.shtmlWellstone Heads to Colombia to Question Drug http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7806.shtml
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on October 26, 2002 at 10:07:49 PT
Patrick
It is more then likely just a tragic accident. I know when John Denver was killed they found out the plane crashed because he forgot to put on fuel. That was so very sad. Those little planes aren't very safe. Heck I won't fly on a plane unless it is necessary. I like to keep my feet planted on the ground. I know driving isn't safe either. We lost a long time friend last November because a gust of wind came out of no where while she was on her way to work and sent the pickup across the center divide and flipped. That was it. No drugs, no other circumstances just a gust of wind.
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Comment #9 posted by Patrick on October 26, 2002 at 09:02:23 PT
ICING
As much as I would like to believe that the EVIL empire was behind the crash of Wellstones plane...I think further inspection will prove that the more likely culprit was ICE. Icing is very common this time of year and also very fatal to small aircraft as well as large ones. It's also part of the reason why the media couldn't FLY in to tell all. Check the weather in the area and add the fact that the plane was on a final approach to land and a kindergarden student can see that this was nothing more than tragic bad luck. An accident that will probably be blamed on pilot error not Bushie pie.Notable Icing Crashes:
http://www.ucar.edu/communications/newsreleases/2002/icing.html
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on October 26, 2002 at 09:02:02 PT
Wolfgang
I can only comment about how I feel about party politics. I'm not a Republican or a Democrat or any other party. I personally respected Senator Wellstone's work. He tried hard and will be missed because of his efforts to fight what seems wrong to many of us. I am as far removed from politics as anyone could possibly be. I was raised to avoid talking about politics because they can only cause arguments.
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Comment #7 posted by WolfgangWylde on October 26, 2002 at 07:57:26 PT
Generally speaking...
...it takes some time to investigate the cause of a plane crash. Lots of little part to go through, doncha know. Also, I don't understand the abject worship of Democrats on this forum. They are not your allies in fighting against the Drug War.
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Comment #6 posted by DANA on October 25, 2002 at 22:27:18 PT
..Something STINKS!!!...
...When "plane crashes" occur,,,,we usually hear something about the CAUSE!...Instead,,all I am seeing on the network news,,is eulogies..."He was an outspoken liberal democrat"....that's all we are seeing on the network media..............."The plane crashed in a wooded are,The cause of the crash is still unknown.".........yup,,,,another one of those mysterious,unfortunate "accidents"......it will probably be linked to al-quaeda,,or Chandra Levy....I'm sure that "the black box",has been turned over to the proper authorities for programming,,er ,,no,,I mean analysis.......This was no "accident"....even without the Reynolds Wrap on my head,it's obvious!
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Comment #5 posted by DANA on October 25, 2002 at 19:09:51 PT
..think about it...
...this was a very important "plane crash"...It pretty much assures the Republicans will now end up dominating the senate............What I find suspiciously questionable,,is the near complete absence of any of the details concerning the crash in the media!..I surfed the major network evening news,and there was very little reporting on what ,where,and how!..In most aviation accidents,the first thing we usually hear about is what may have caused the crash...I think this was a "hit",,expidited by the dark powers of the empire!..
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Comment #4 posted by mayan on October 25, 2002 at 17:59:56 PT
More...
Wellstone Was Bush's Number One Enemy:
http://rense.com/general31/wells.htmShort-Term Bonds Rise On News Of Wellstone's Death:
http://rense.com/general31/sterme.htm
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Comment #3 posted by mayan on October 25, 2002 at 17:48:13 PT
Sad Day For Freedom
Yes, DANA, that is very interesting about the million dollar ad buy. This is a very sad day for freedom. With all that has happened since Bush II got selected, I do not rule out assassination. The timing of this tragic event is quite suspicious in itself. Didn't Missouri Democratic Senator, Mel Carnahan, die in a plane crash three weeks before the last election? He still ended up beating Ashcroft. Here is some info from the FOXNews link regarding the legal questions that have arisen. - "According to Minnesota law, the Democratic Party could nominate a replacement candidate to run. State Democratic Party spokesman Bill Amberg said he was confident the party would be allowed to offer a replacement. State officials were researching whether Wellstone's name would remain on the ballot, or whether independent Gov. Jesse Ventura or state Democrats could appoint a replacement to serve in the upcoming lame-duck session of Congress between Election Day and the arrival of new members. State law allows the governor to fill a vacant Senate seat, but also allows a political party to appoint a replacement in the event of a death of a nominee. The name must be offered within seven days of the death and at least four days before an election.
Ventura declined comment on what he would do about the ballot, saying only that he would not appoint himself to serve the rest of Wellstone's term."more on Wellstone -Dec.1,2000 — U.S. and Colombian officials today denied reports that U.S. officials visiting a remote Colombian town had been targeted in an assassination attempt:
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/world/DailyNews/colombia001201.htmlPaul Wellstone, Fighter:
http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20020527&s=nicholsDemocrat Senator Finds Anti-War Vote Does Not Hurt:
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/reuters20021025_198.htmlWellstone edges into lead in U.S. Senate race:
http://www.startribune.com/stories/784/3375463.htmlSen. Wellstone, Seven Others Die in Plane Crash(from the article:"Wellstone cast his vote earlier this month against legislation to authorize the use of force in Iraq -- the only Democrat facing a tough re-election to go against Bush on the issue."
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,66707,00.html
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Comment #2 posted by DANA on October 25, 2002 at 16:12:02 PT
A plane crash....?...Hmmm
..Notice,,no details are given about the "crash"????Here's a related article. Published on Wednesday, October 23, 2002 by the
Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Mysterious Group Spends $1 Million on
Anti-Wellstone Campaign
by Patricia Lopez Americans for Job Security, a Virginia-based
interest group that opposes the reelection of
Democratic U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone, has made an
unprecedented $1 million ad buy that will fill the
airwaves in the last two weeks before the election,
according to Wellstone campaign officials. Campaign manager Jeff Blodgett said the buy is so
large that it may equal what Wellstone and
Republican rival Norm Coleman and the two state
parties each are expected to spend on media in the
closing weeks. Blodgett said his biggest concern is that no one
knows who funds the mysterious group, which has
found a legal loophole that apparently allows it to
keep its donors secret. "In a state with a reputation for clean,
transparent campaigns, this is an outrage, that a
group can come in and spend this kind of money and
no one knows who their donors are," Blodgett said
at a Tuesday morning news conference. "We demand to
know. We ask Norm Coleman to join us in this." Michael Dubke, president of Americans for Job
Security, would neither confirm nor deny the amount
of the ad buy "because I don't want to play their
game," but said that "we're up [on TV] in
Minneapolis, Duluth, Rochester, Fargo and statewide
with radio and let's just say Minnesota's not an
inexpensive state." He said the group would have a "significant
presence" on radio and TV over the next two weeks.
Dubke said he has made similar-size buys in South
Dakota and Missouri -- the two other states that
are top targets in President Bush's attempt to put
Republicans in control of the U.S. Senate. Dubke is unapologetic about the group's refusal to
disclose its donors, saying the decision is legal
and is common among issue advocacy groups. Coleman campaign manager Ben Whitney said Tuesday
that Coleman would not be contacting Dubke's group
or asking it to disclose its donors. Wellstone, he said, had benefited for months from
ads run by liberal interest groups. "He's getting
money from radical groups like Council for a
Livable World -- and we don't know who its donors
are -- and then he demands that we ask someone else
not to advertise in Minnesota because he doesn't
like what they're saying," Whitney said. He noted that Coleman, at the beginning of the
race, had offered Wellstone a joint agreement to
keep third-party money out of the race and that
Wellstone refused. "It's brazen hypocrisy and it
leaves me kind of breathless," Whitney said. Kathleen Hall Jamieson, of the University of
Pennsylvania's Annenberg School of Communications,
said the group's tactic is "the reason issue
advocacy is so problematic. You can disguise the
nature of the group through a lovely sounding
name." Jamieson, a national expert on political ads, said
the sheer magnitude of such an ad buy could change
the course of the election. "Large amounts of money from a third-party group
late in a tight race can, in fact, shift votes,
unless the message is off-strategy," she said. The high-buck, high-profile race has been one of
the tightest in the country, drawing celebrities
and political luminaries from across the nation,
along with a raft of outside interest groups. Americans for Job Security has been a player in the
race since June, when it began a round of radio ads
that labeled Wellstone a "money-grubber" for his
opposition to a permanent repeal of the estate tax,
which it calls the "death tax." A new TV ad criticizes Wellstone for taking
special-interest money and for breaking a promise
not to run for a third term. Blodgett said Tuesday that he was less concerned
about the content of the ads than the sheer
magnitude of the buy, which he said might be the
largest ever by an outside group in a Minnesota
race. Little is known about Americans for Job Security,
which is based in Alexandria, Va., just outside
Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1997 with a $1
million contribution from the American Insurance
Association, which Dubke says is no longer
associated with Americans for Job Security. The Annenberg Public Policy Center Web site, which
analyzes issue ads, describes the group as a
"tax-exempt, conservative, business-backed,
pro-Republican organization" that was an offshoot
of a coalition of business leaders who came
together in 1996 to advocate against issues
promoted by the AFL-CIO. Americans for Job Security has taken several
unconventional tacks in this race -- it flew a
banner over the State Fair this summer asking
Wellstone to "stop taxing the dead." Its latest
radio ad features a couple speaking in English and
Norwegian. In the ad, Lloyd tells Ruth in Norwegian that
Wellstone is a money-grubber and should stop taxing
the dead. "If he doesn't get it in English," Lloyd
says, "maybe he'll get it in Norwegian." Dubke said the group is trying to "cut through the
clutter." "Our whole goal since June has been to energize the
debate," he said. "I think in American politics we
don't have enough debate on public policy issues.
If we let [candidates] do what they wanted, we'd
get a bunch of ads telling us how much their
mothers love them."
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Comment #1 posted by MaryJaneFreedom on October 25, 2002 at 14:40:10 PT
The last of a kind
Wellstone was the last far left liberal in Congress. He stuck by his guns and actually believed what he said. He will be missed by many.
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