Political Quotes

“I come to the floor to close this week but more importantly to address and continue the comments and remarks that have been made with regard to the death on October 25th last year of Senator Paul Wellstone. Senator Wellstone's plane, the plane he was flying in, was lost in the Minnesota wilderness on that day, October 25, with all eight passengers aboard, having lost their lives in a tragic accident: Senator Wellstone, his wife Shelia, his daughter Marcia, staff members, the two pilots. Today, on the eve of that sad anniversary, we pause to remember Senator Wellstone and his remarkable, his tremendous contribution to this body and, indeed, to the United States of America. I have tremendous respect for what he demonstrated both on the floor of the Senate and the many committee hearings we both attended, especially the Health, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee, where he focused so much of his attention and energy on mental health. I respected his tenacity, his intelligence, his commitment, his humor, his integrity. He was a kind man, a gentle man, never mean-spirited or one to make personal attacks. In this body, you look and you categorize certain people in terms of impressions. And the one word that summarizes my impression of Paul Wellstone is that he was a real idealist in the very best sense of the word--principled and tough, a stalwart defender of his ideals.”