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Open Thread, Remembering Paul Wellstone

Crooks and Liars honors the late, great, progressive Senator Paul Wellstone,
(July 21, 1944 – October 25, 2002). This video was made by Senate Democrats last year at this time (h/t Hold Fast).

Open Thread below...

About Bluegal aka Fran
Bluegal aka Fran's picture
Executive Producer of The Professional Left Podcast. On staff at Crooks and Liars since 2007. Master's degree from Harvard. Happy wife of Driftglass. Mother of three geniuses. Obsessive knitter. Blogs at http://bgalrstate.blogspot.com. .
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114 Comments
RepublicansAreBoring's picture

That's a pretty weak attempt at humor.

Formerly Anonymous's picture

You were one of the best.

Out of Wellstone's own mouth to a Veteran's Group right before he was assassinated:

http://www.duckdaotsu.org/thoreau291203.html

BTW, a friend of mine produced a series of videos about "Camp Wellstone's" where they teach people how to organize and run for office. Check them out on Google.

I was honored to meet Paul Wellstone when he was President of Americans for Democratic Action.

What an incredible human being....


"The US has an army of 90,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and is spending $100bn a year, but has still been unable to defeat 20,000-25,000 Taliban who receive no pay at all." - Patrick Cockburn

Orangutan.'s picture

I still don't understand why grown adults are hesitant to talk about the realities of state sponsored assassinations and false flag terrorism. Grow the fuck up. Grow some balls. These people are getting away with murder over and over, and we sit here like children hoping it will all go away. Wake up.

Tyler Durden's picture

Because dealing with reality would require action from their part.

MsJoanne's picture

I just returned from MN and am very happy to report that the people in my class were raging democrats much like me. Every single person in the class.

Ferrofluid's picture

Theres only a hardcore of Repugs left up here, the usual wealthy tax avoiders types,
The blue collar Republicans have had their eyes opened about the realities of Bushco, 401Ks savings, pensions and the inflated value of their houses dropping down to reality levels did the trick.
There will always be a few refusers who hang onto the 'fear' and vote R, but they would do so no matter what.

The rich Repugs got their WcCain/Stalin signs out early, but Obama/Biden and Al Franken signs are mushrooming everywhere now.
Norm Coleman and his lobbyist gifts, Palin and her freebies, the knowledge has spread, people are fed up with the crooks(R) and liars(R)

MsJoanne's picture

Check out this bullshit. Some "interview"...asking Biden about Marxism and whether Obama will turn America into a Socialist nation.

http://tpzoo.wordpress.com/2008/10/25/fair-an...

Appalling.

ron's picture

That bitch should feel pretty embarrassed because Biden more than handled her stupid questions. Al she had was republican talking points. No way to conduct a serious interview.

MsJoanne's picture

that Obama and Biden are afraid of real interviews because they cancelled an interview with this bimbette and Jill Biden. It's all over the wingnutosphere.

Apparently, the interviewer's husband is some GOP tool, an advisor to someone. How patently offensive.

Orangutan.'s picture

She is a disgrace to journalism.
http://www.wftv.com/video/17712615/index.html

MsJoanne's picture

I don't recognize my country anymore.

I grew up with Walter Cronkite and real journalists who actually did their job. I remember a radio guy who retired a couple of years ago and when they were interviewing him on his last day, he said he felt his greatest accomplishment was that none of his co-workers knew his political leanings.

If only. (dreamy sigh)

dkmnow's picture

but I remember when Ted Koppel left Nightline, he quipped to someone that he wanted to get out, as he put it, "before I was asked to cover a wet t-shirt contest."

Now we need an army of Murrows.

oncall's picture

I wonder who that bimbo is voting for?


I believe today that my conduct is in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator.
Adolf Hitler


I believe today that my conduct is in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator.
Adolf Hitler

MsJoanne's picture

about that "interview" with Joe Biden, go here:

http://www.wftv.com/contact/index.html

Uncle Joe Mccarthy's picture

that has gotta be the funniest question ever

sweden??? i would love if this country was like sweden

swedes all get free healthcare...university education...they have a lower infant mortality rate, lower crime rate, and are generally happier people

if obama turns us into sweden, i will kiss his feet

then, i will find this bimbo...and give her....A SWIFT BOOT TO THE HEAD

dkmnow's picture
+

Sweden: far less religion.

'Nuff sed.

Tyler Durden's picture

God forbid we are turned into a country with great education, free health care, some of the highest wages in the western world, and above all... the Swedish Bikini team.

Only in America, would a candidate who is pretending to run as a "populist" make a claim that "spreading the wealth" is somehow a bad thing.

The GOP is akin to a wolf running for head sheep at the herd, and the sheep being stupid enough to buy the wolf's speech exalting the benefits of a meat-centric diet.

dkmnow's picture

Sooner or later, that wolf is going to "go out for wool and come back shorn," as it were.

Hopefully sooner.

numfar's picture

Wellstone was one of the best. One of the few reasonable voices that spoke out against the war.

constituent's picture

paul wellstone was tough and smart. he loved his job. i don't believe BUSH and cheney cared for him much. there are people who still wonder how that plane crashed. the pilots had a lot of flying hours and the plane was one the best you could get. there are stories about a high frequency device used to jam the
plane instrumentation to bring it down.

ron's picture

If i'm correct, there wasn't much of an investigation over the plane crash. I think there may be more to his death than meets the eye.

dkmnow's picture

"Republicans don't die in plane crashes."

xoites defends Constitution's picture

Rock stars do. Which explains why Republicans hate modern music, i suppose.

razzamatazz's picture

As a Minnesotan, I will never forget where I was when THEY killed him.

The Tim who used to be in Japan's picture

This video was kind of painful for me.
I was one of those young and hopeful kids who helped Paul Wellstone get elected.
It still and will always hurt to be reminded of what America lost.

RIP Paul. We miss you more than we ever thought possible.

Amitola's picture

I'm not a Minnesotan, but I can relate to your pain - and the pain of all Americans who've been robbed of the possibility of a hopeful, peaceful, prosperous future by the few sick people who perpetrate these crimes.

As a young person back in the 60's, I watched JFK, MLK, and RFK, brilliant, thoughtful, energtic and compassionate men, just like Paul Wellstone, also be murdered by the smug, small, evil group of men who are always in the background in our government.

I, too, am reminded not of "what America lost" - but what has been taken from us by these abhorrent factions. Wellstone's murder should also remind us, once again, not to be complacent - ever.


"Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of Stupidity" - Frank Leahy

Orangutan.'s picture

Hey MsJoanne, A sitemonitor said you may know of a way to change the display preferences of the comments here on C&L. Is that true?

MsJoanne's picture

Go down to the bottom of the page and click Post a Commment (do not REPLY).

When the dialog box displays, you will see a little tiny gear on the upper right side of the box. Click on it, and a little option box will open.

Select the radio buttons as per your preference and then click Update.

MsJoanne's picture

you don't even have to click Post a Comment...that little gear is at the right of the same blue line where it says Post a Comment.

Even easier now. :-)

Orangutan.'s picture

THANK YOU. Thank You.

MsJoanne's picture

Glad I could help.

VegasRage's picture

Holy crap! IRR service man recalled to duty after 12 years.

www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/10/25/lawre...

Jesus


Goodnight, Frau Blücher

MsJoanne's picture
Wow

and potentially 60,000 more families will be impacted. Wow.

xoites defends Constitution's picture

They may have pulled it. I can't get it to work.

xoites defends Constitution's picture

Ok, i got it to work by switching from Mozzilla to IE.

I am tired of seeing people going off to war. Very tired.

Wellstone fought for peace, but in case you missed it he also set an example for all the rest of us. Not an easy example to be sure, but being a political activist (as Obama has been) is open to all of us. You don't even have to go to school for it and there are no age requirements. All you have to do is decide to do it and commit yourself to it. We should all consider it.

MsJoanne's picture

And it works fine. What version of FF are you on?

Was it you who posted the new Mozilla browser link the other night? I couldn't find the download...I wanted to check it out.

xoites defends Constitution's picture

3.0.3

No it was not me. It took me a minute to figure out my own version.

MsJoanne's picture

and you don't see the little icon I mentioned?

xoites defends Constitution's picture

Oh, yes. Sorry i was talking about getting a CNN video link to work. I found that icon a few days after C&L switched to its new format. Thank you. :)

MsJoanne's picture

nevermind.

Did you ask me a question about the CNN thing?? Sheesh, talk about being out of it.

MsJoanne's picture

I got you confused with Orang.

oncall's picture
Wow

I feel so badly for that guy. In some ways, I admire his sense of duty, but I also pity him for not doing everything he can to challenge his recall. He has kids who need him more than a country that needs him to join an indefensible occupation of a country that never harmed us.


I believe today that my conduct is in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator.
Adolf Hitler

calgarylady's picture

Plain and simple.

Orangutan.'s picture

I wish more people would consider the possibilities and set forth a little effort to investigate and explore the alternative theories and evidence in cases like this.

...this great man. Sorry I didn't, but this video makes me wish we had 100 more like him today. God knows this country needs them.

Instead, we have trash like mitch mcConnell, joe lieverwurst, etc, etc. Shameful. What an ass backwards nation.

xoites defends Constitution's picture

There are tens of thousands and you are probably one of them.

ron's picture

It's not our fault when so many voters were disenfranchised, votes switched and caging plus all of the other Rovian tactics used to steal the elections. We don't know how many good people lost elections because of the fascist actions of the repugs.

xoites defends Constitution's picture

While i agree with you, Ron i would like to point out that we all can't be and do not have to be elected officials to enact change. There are a million alternatives and we can all think of at least one.

The best we can do now is to get so many milllions out to vote, they can't steal it without raising eyebrows. That AP poll that said it was close interviewed 44% evangelicals. They will stop at nothing.

MsJoanne's picture

posted this this morning:

Here’s an interesting tidbit from Rassmussen this AM.
Today’s results mark the 30th straight day that Obama’s support has stayed between 50% and 52%. During that period, the number voting for McCain has stayed in the 44% to 46% range every day and the gap between the candidates has ranged from four to eight percentage points.

However, while the overall levels of support have remained stable, voters have become more certain of their intent. Today, the percentage who say they could still change their mind is down to single digits. Forty-eight percent (48%) are now certain they will vote for Obama while 40% say the same about McCain. Nine percent (9%) lean one way or the other but could change their mind. The remaining three percent (3%) are either committed to a third party candidate or remain undecided.

Thirty days ago, while Obama enjoyed a five-point lead overall, just 41% of voters were certain they would vote for him. At that time, 39% said the same about McCain

Can you say Seal the Deal?

tyree's picture

ok how about im sure paul wellstone would have concidered obamas intentions of sending iraq war weary soldiers to afganistan to be a big mistake and if he hadnt been killed in a plane crash he would have been among the first to object to it!

xoites defends Constitution's picture

I am a non violent pacifist so there is no war i will support. Having said that from the viewpoint of a pragmatist i have to say that if we (as a country) are in a war we have to wage it correctly. I know that sounds wierd, but it is a fact. I would prefer we dismantle the Pentagon and disband the military. We won't in my lifetime.

My pragmatic concept of the war in Afghanistan was and would be today the same: Get the leaders of the Taliban and Al Qeada, set up an orderly Government and police the country and do not allow poppies to be grown again.

We did everything exactly the opposite of that. We enabled War Lords and increased Heroin production by not worrying about it.

Bush and Company are either incompetant bufoons or heroin trafficers or (in my opinion) both.

tyree's picture

xoites well said , but a true pacifist considers thier is no justification for war and does not make a distincion on weather a war is being conducted correctly or not, he considers all aspects of war as being evil,

xoites defends Constitution's picture

And i do.

Look at the other side of the coin. If there is a war a non violent person also wants the least number of deaths and the least number of victims and much more. A non violent person also wants a just outcome. We have none of these in Afghanistan or Iraq.

dkmnow's picture

It's the old utilitarian conundrum. Oddly enough, all moral or ethical philosophies ultimately fall prey to the same paradox. Some just go to greater lengths to conceal it (usually in service of ego-defense).

I prefer the Theravada Buddhist approach, myself. But there is still no crystal clear guide ... except, perhaps, one: to commit to the principle "I will not kill," and then fully accept any an all consequences that may entail. It ain't easy.

xoites defends Constitution's picture

I have to agree and yes i have fallen victim to dealing with what is rather than what i would like. I still refuse to kill or condone killing, but to be pure; to be totally without blame one would have to fast to the death while sitting on a sidewalk and then roll over onto the earth to decompose and thus replenish the planet.

I will have to remain selfish and cling to life and be imperfect.

dkmnow's picture

Well, I'm plenty selfish, but I don't eat shellfish.

And as I am now reduced to making pathetic jokes, it seems ...

I'm going to bed.

MountainMan23's picture

Skull and Bones was founded by opium traffickers.


When will government of the people, by the politicians, for the corporations perish from this Earth?

Not soon enough!

GonzoD's picture

Paul Wellstone was a great human being!

OldKoloa's picture

We need MORE like YOU.


America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. ~ Abraham Lincoln

Batocchio's picture

I still really miss Paul Wellstone. What a loss, especially for the causes of poverty, mental health care, and education.

mudshark's picture

If he were alive today. Would he be in Obama's shoes right now?
makes ya think, don't it?


What is your conceptual, continuity?

xoites defends Constitution's picture

I am thinking more along the lines of Joe Biden's shoes.

Orangutan.'s picture

Bill Hicks was pretty good.
http://www.guba.com/watch/2000950423

Himself's picture
Why

I watched this video and flat out cried. I am still pissed at Paul for getting on that gd plane.

One of my earliest memories is watching JFK's funeral on a black and white TeevEE. I am the same age as JohnJohn but remember where I was when I found out about The Crash - on fox no less. This country would be at least 140 degrees different with him.

idealistic in NM's picture

I just returned from Obama's rally here in Albuquerque--man, the excitement level was AMAZING, everybody was smiling and happy and psyched. News reports puts the crowd at 35,000+. It seemed more than that. What I love most of all is seeing the excitement level of all us enthused voters ! Get out and VOTE, everybody !

tyree's picture

well ive done my bit, haveing been to war and understanding the uselessnes of it i can only do what i can, when i vist my mothers grave i can see a brass covered placq with the name of joeseph harp usmc killed in vietnam 68 tet ofensive, i talked to the boy just before he inlisted, explained they were killing marines there in vietnam, beged him to reconsider , he was eighteen 6 months later he fell mortaly wounded at a roadblock outside of danang, what a waste , g-night

MsJoanne's picture

And an absolute waste. That war was an abomination, and the ones we are in now are, too. Fucking MIC will rule throughout my lifetime. Maybe after we've nuked half the planet, we will learn.

MsJoanne's picture

God, I need a life. (sigh)

I'm still here.

MsJoanne's picture

I thought I was all alone and feeling blue. :-)

Taarak's picture

Not only am I not here...I never was.

MsJoanne's picture
Oh

I didn't think so. You are a pigment (in the color) of my imagination.

dkmnow's picture

Rene Descartes walks into a bar. The bartender asks if he'd like his usual. Descartes replies, "I think not," ... and promptly vanishes!

MsJoanne's picture

...therefore I am...single.

dkmnow's picture

I always failed the Good Little Predator test:

"Now, wash the blood off your hands before you come to the table."

There was never anything to wash off.

Me ≠ obedient hunting-dog/guard-dog/sled-dog

dkmnow's picture

Some claim that life exists on other blogs.

I, for one, don't believe it.

MsJoanne's picture

That I can believe.

Uncle Joe Mccarthy's picture

mccain volunteer

http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2008_10_25...

for those who dont know mark, he is a great writer of books, movies, tv and comics and is the foremost authority on jack (the king) kirby

its sad that mccain had to use fear to energize his base

i thought the dems were the party of fear? times, they are a' changing

ron's picture

If someone tries to tell me that they think Obama might be a Muslim, I'm going to tell them that McCain might be the Manchurian Candidate. He just might be. Now that is reality.

dkmnow's picture

But how many of them will understand that reference?

ron's picture

He isn't black.

Thats the reality of 'Comrade' WcCain, programmed and brainwashed during his five years in a POW camp, to return to and destroy the USA from within.

Any alert observer would say 'Comrade' WcCain and his Repug followers have 'mission accomplished' big time, the US economy and financial system is in ruins.
They sold everything including the family silver to his Chinese and Vietnamese masters.

He sold out the POW/MIA victims big time too when he sat on (and controlled) the Congressional MIA committee, was he following hidden implanted orders, or covering his posterior by stopping any witnesses from coming back and spilling the beans on how he collaborated !?

'Comrade' WcCain was at the heart of the Savings and Loans financial thefts and cover ups, was he then following hidden orders !?

'Comrade' WcCain was and is at the heart of the current financial melt down...

Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, third time is PURPOSEFUL.

Tequila's picture

What "really" happened to Ashley Todd. Did Bill C. finally make nice with Obama?
Those damn "activist" judges, and their refusal to support Republiscum
frivolous lawsuits over voter rolls. For a "non-socialist" like herself, Palin didn't seem to allow for much bidding on an oil pipeline. Texas "justice"
strikes again in the case of that black guy dragged to death by a noose attached to a truck. [But how can there be racism in the South?!]

Uncle Joe Mccarthy's picture

makes sense

paulbots are all basically insane

dkmnow's picture

He's draining votes from McCain.

MsJoanne's picture

I loves me some Paul and Barr. A vote for anyone but McCain is okie dokie by me.

dkmnow's picture
Yup

If McCain and Palin weren't so dangerous, I'd be casting my usual third-party protest vote.

As it now stands, I'm more concerned with how best to motivate President-Elect Obama to seriously re-examine his lineup of advisers.

MsJoanne's picture

to not set up too high of an expectation for Obama, because he is much farther to the right then I would like, and hearing him say he wanted Colin fucking Powell as an advisor sent some chills down my spine, but as I have said for months, it will be Obama or McCain (and his loopy, dopey, ignorant, sleaze of a running mate) and it is a total no brainer.

dkmnow's picture

It was his vote on the FISA bill that clued me in to why GovCorp was still allowing him to suck air (admittedly, I hadn't paid much attention until then). So I looked up his record, and said, yup, there it is -- if the moneybags/warheads weren't sure he was brandable, he would have been brushed aside long ago. So the question is, to what extent will he do their bidding? I would hardly expect him to start deconstructing Palpatine's CheneyCorp's Empire, even if he could. But will he be instrumental in saving us from national suicide, or will he be, at worst, a stall?

We'll see.

Uncle Joe Mccarthy's picture

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Orlando_TV_Anch...

watch how biden calmly answers the questions, no matter how absurd they are

watch how she brings karl marx into the conversation

and what is so bad about being like sweden? is sweden the new france?

She was way out of line. She was repeating the repug talking points. Faux must own that tv station also.

GNA! Be back tomorrow.

MsJoanne's picture

Sweetest dreams to ya.

Tequila's picture

She was 26.

MsJoanne's picture

Add to that Jennifer Hudson's mom and brother being killed and her 7 year old nephew is still missing.

calgarylady's picture

Life can be so cruel, harsh and unfair. My deepest sympathies go to her.

MsJoanne's picture

Apparently, her ex brother in law is a low life big time criminal (on parole for previously violent acts) and he has been arrested for the murders. No clue where the child is as of yet.

calgarylady's picture

I fear for the boy's safety. Maybe he saw something.

MsJoanne's picture

but, the child has been missing since when this story broke, last night. They got the guy but the boy is nowhere to be seen. It does not sound good at all.

Very, very sad. Hudson was close to her family from what I read.

xoites defends Constitution's picture
xoites defends Constitution's picture

I can't remove this comment and it was not meant as a reply.

xoites defends Constitution's picture
Maples's picture

After many years reading C&L, my very first comment.. Wellstone was my hero, I will always remember when I heard about the plane crash.. it was devastating, and what followed horrifying. There may never be another Wellstone but we finally have a candidate who may come close. Go AL, take back that seat, Paul would be so proud and honored. Too bad it's been soiled by Coleman and the like, who should never have been put there in the first place.

After Nov 4th when Wellstone's seat is back in the hands of someone who can and will represent Minnesota in a manner in which Wellstone will be proud, may he finally RIP.

clumberfeet's picture

The second day the music died.

Mike The Riverine's picture

Inspiring. If anybody asks you, THIS IS WHY WE FIGHT!


Democratic Party progressive, Vietnam veteran and proud Union member for 41 years

RepublicansAreBoring's picture

I took a Poli-sci class from Wellstone at Carleton. I didn't really stand out in the class, but he still remembered my name years later when I went to campaign for his first run for the Senate.

After getting to know him more, I really felt like part of his family.

He and Sheila and Marcia were true angels.

tyree's picture

what is an open thread? if this thread is not open to diffrent views why say its an open thread? last night i posted on this thread and used obamas view on afganistan when i replyed to a poster reporting on a ex military guy who had been out of the military for 12 yrs and was called back to active service, i said dont worry about it the war will be over soon, obamas going to bring the guys home but first they will go by way of afganistan forgot to add packistan also, now that was obamas promiss to us, it was deleted without an explination, by the site monitor, my question is why ? is an open thread really open i said nothing that wasnt true !

Ferrofluid's picture

In all the faux (and Fox) outrage......

Let's not forget Nancy Takehara.

Who's Nancy Takehara you ask? Not surprising, it's not like she's a 20-something McCain campaigner with mental issues.

No, Ms. Takehara is the 58-year old campaigner for Sen. Barack Obama's campaign that WAS attacked for real last weekend.

Her attacker was 71-year old Ronald Goetsch. While going door-to-door campaigning, Ms. Takehara went to Mr. Goetsch's door. Mr. Goetsch is a McCain supporter and contributor.

http://www.yestodemocracy.com/yes_to_democrac...

JohnnyBravo's picture

We miss you Senator.


NOBODY 2012

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