Jon S. Corzine: “I rise to add my words of respect and praise and thanksgiving for the life and leadership of my friend and colleague…”

“I rise to add my words of respect and praise and thanksgiving for the life and leadership of my friend and colleague and, in fact, political hero. Paul Wellstone was a good man who did his very best to do good things--very simply, good things for others. With his wife Sheila, their lives were about service, service and advocacy for others. In fact--I think the Presiding Officer probably knows this--they may well have been the most unselfish people I ever observed. The drive was not to power. It was not to popularity. It certainly was not to wealth. It was to service--service to those without a voice. Paul Wellstone really did believe all men and women are created equal and therefore should be treated accordingly. As a friend, Paul was always supportive and full of counsel for a fellow progressive--or should I say liberal. While our paths to the Senate could not have been more different, our paths in the Senate were much alike. He was a pathfinder for me and for many others because of his personal passion and principle with which he was so secure--it was deep in his soul. It gave him vision. His words and deeds were an example for all who seek to lead. As he so often implored, our actions cannot be separate from our words.”