Paul Wellstone, R.I.P.

Last night, I finished next week's column and patted myself on the back. It was a typically silly bit designed to be cynical and incendiary. Maybe you'll get to see it some other time, I don't know. Today, I feel compelled to comment on the loss of Paul Wellstone, Democratic Senator from Minnesota. The impact of his absence on the political landscape cannot be overstated. Honestly, he was one of the only politicians - no, I won't call him that, he was a political leader, but never a politician - who was worth anything in our government. "He was a man true to his convictions," is a cliche for obits, but those words truly define Sen. Wellstone and his career. He wasn't one of the multitudes of rubberstamping bureaucrats that inhabit Washington. He had his own agenda as one of the only progressive leaders in Congress. He voted his conscience not political expedience, including voting against Welfare reform and the Iraq resolution, both popular, partisan issues that most politicians caved on.

I wonder if he was the role model for President Jed Bartlett on the show, "The West Wing." They're both ex-college professors, political underdogs, and they both have M.S. I've never heard Aaron Sorkin (West Wing creator) admit it, but it seems obvious. People watch the program and fantasize about a leader as great as President Jed Bartlett. We've just lost one in real life. No one can fill the void left behind when someone dies, but we need to find a whole bunch of new leaders to place our faith in. So when a tragedy like this occurs, we aren't left scrambling for hope.

Hasta la victoria siempre,

TVD

--- 10/25/02

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