Paul Wellstone
From dKosopedia
Paul Wellstone | |
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Former U.S. Senator, Minnesota | |
Party | Democratic-Farmer-Labor |
In Office from January 3, 1991 — October 25, 2002 | |
Preceded by | Rudy Boschwitz |
Succeeded by | Dean Barkley |
Born / Died | July 21, 1944 — October 25, 2002 |
Spouse | Sheila Wellstone |
Religion | Jewish |
Paul Wellstone was the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Senator from Minnesota. He served from 1991 until his death in a plane crash on October 25, 2002. Suspicion that his death was not an accident continues. Wellstone was a leading spokesperson for the progressive wing of the national Democratic Party.
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Background
Attended University of North Carolina and became a political science professor at Carleton College in Minnesota. Elected to the Senate in 1990 and re-elected in 1996, Wellstone was facing a tough re-election fight against Republican Norm Coleman in 2002 when his campaign plane crashed in Northern Minnesota with him, his wife, his daughter, and his campaign advisers onboard. Frequently regarded as one of the most liberal members of the US Senate, Wellstone often found himself on the losing side of lopsided votes. Today, he is considered by liberal Democrats to be one of the greatest grassroots activists and political thinkers of the past half-century.
Senator Wellstone was known for his work for peace, the environment, labor, and health care; he also joined his wife Sheila to support the rights of victims of domestic violence. He opposed the Persian Gulf War in 1991 and the Invasion of Iraq in 2002. He was strongly supported by groups such as Americans for Democratic Action, the AFL-CIO, the Sierra Club, the ACLU, and People for the American Way.
References
- Four Arrows & Jim Fetzer. 2004. American Assasination: The Strange Death of Senator Paul Wellstone. Vox Pop #1. ISBN 0975276301.