Jim Ramstad: “one of my favorite recollections of Paul was the time he was considering a campaign for President. Before he got on the…”

“one of my favorite recollections of Paul was the time he was considering a campaign for President. Before he got on the airplane for our weekly commute back to Minnesota, I instructed all of the regular commuters to start humming ``Hail to the Chief'' as soon as Paul got on the plane. On cue, the passengers struck up a cord of ``Hail to the Chief,'' and Paul saw me sitting in the back and came right over to me and said ``Ramstad, do not forget. I might be only 5 feet 5 and you are 6 feet 3, but don't ever forget I was a wrestler and you were only a basketball player.'' That was Paul Wellstone, always in good humor, always flashing that contagious smile that reflected his love for all people. Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, Paul Wellstone was a person of great courage. Who can forget Senator Wellstone painfully walking around the Capitol bent nearly double from the back injuries he had sustained as a wrestler and from his struggles with multiple sclerosis, but always the first to run back into the kitchen of the Senate Dining Room to thank the cooks and dishwashers for his meals. Mr. Speaker, I ask all in this body to pause for a silent moment to pay our respects to Paul and Sheila Wellstone, their daughter Marcia, and to the others who perished in that plane crash, Tom Lapic, Mary McEvoy, Will McLaughlin, Richard Conry and Michael Guess. My heart goes out to the family members left behind and to Paul's dedicated staff. May you rest in peace, dear friends. Amen.”