There Was A Congressperson

Once upon a time, Minnesota had a congressional delegation member who was one of the most incredibly polarizing figures in state history. 

This person – who came to politics relatively late in life – never minced words, campaigning from the heart with a platform based on solidly, articulately-held beliefs.  The Congressperson was an activist before getting into politics, and even then had been a polarizing figure, who had either rabid supporters or fervid enemies.  Nothing changed on the campaign trail…

…or, for that matter, in Washington, where the Congressperson got into an awkward scene with President Bush that made the detractors titter with glee.  The Congressperson was not afraid to be on the “wrong” side of issues – indeed, to buck the tide in voting on the basis of beliefs that, for the Congressperson, trumped politics.

Which drew admirers – on both sides of the aisle, at least from fellow legislators who respected commitment to principle.  Naturally, it also drew detractors – people who detested commitment to principles who were not their own.  The Congressperson was a lighting rod for media figures who found boundless “red meat” in the Congressperson’s tendency to put the heart on the sleeve.

These beliefs and principles were sure and steady enough to prevent excessive insecurity even when the Congressperson, shooting from the hip, would say things that’d draw ridicule from enemies (and the odd groan from more politically-sensitive, less issue-and-principle-driven supporters).  The tendency to shoot from the hip – to put principle first and political expediency somewhere down the list – was a headache to orthodox politicians, and material on the hoof for the detractors.

It also made politics interesting for the casual observer.

16 thoughts on “There Was A Congressperson

  1. Nice job, Mitch. I feel much better about mocking that congressperson’s memory now…not that I ever hesitated. *snicker*

  2. Now, I think you are comparing Saint Wellstone with Congresslady Bachmann.

    Let’s see. Bachmann, was a successful businessperson with her husband (I think). Foster parents to 19 kids. Legislative leader.

    Wellstone: A community organizer in Northfield

  3. an UnAmerican socialist boob to boot… probably could have been Obama’s pick for (Re)Education secretary, second only to Bill Ayers.

    They named an aviation standard departure proceedure in his “honor”. It’s called the Wellstone 1 departure. Considering how his last aviation departure from the metro area ended, I consider it to be bad taste. I suppose it’s better than the Wellstone 1 arrival.

  4. Chuck,

    Bingo.

    Two sides of a similar coin.

    Or “good” and “evil”, depending on how invested in either you are.

    Me? I support Bachmann, and I respect Wellstone’s integrity and memory if not his policy and political legacies.

  5. Mitch,

    Paul Wellstone at no time, and in no corner, used the kind of venomous, hateful rhetoric that routinely passes Bachmann’s incipid lips. Once again, it’s Mitchey revisionism, like when you tried (fatuously) to say the M1 program was roundly criticized – or at least tried to suggest it was – and then when confronted admitted it was really mostly from a single significant source AFTER the M1 was in production (approved by Carter), and of course, you’d failed to mention that the precursor to the M1 – MBT70 – WAS a flop and WAS cancelled.

    Please try to float this crap with the MSM – and get laughed out of the room. Wellstone showed more compassion in his little finger than Bachmann has shown as she raised her middle one and pointed it toward any free thinking American. Or perahsp you can point out where and when Paul Wellstone called for an investigation of congresspeople who hold ‘Anti-American’ views. What would be the outcome of such an investigation? Perahsp we’d have a house committee on unAmerican activities – you have your little Nazi Frau on your side, and on Wellstone’s side, a man widely respected for his KNOWLEDGE of issues, COMMITMENT TO FAIRNESS AND COMPASSION, and general civility. I’m quite sure that M. Bachmann would be considered civil – in some world, someplace, but not this world, and not THIS place.

  6. ” I respect Wellstone`s integrity.” Except for the blaring fact that he said he wasn`t going to run for another term.” Small stuff, maybe, but a Republican would have been run out of town. ” Wellstone had more compassion in his little finger….” Compassion directed in the wrong direction can be a very bad thing. Not Wellstone`s fault, but Dems ‘compassion’ for low income earners who couldn`t afford a house is the major reason for the financial mess we`re in.

  7. A liberal’s compassion can be likened to giving a wino money to buy a bottle of wine. The lib & the wino may both get something they want out of it but it’s hard to find virtue in the transaction, especially if the lib gets the money by extorting it from a third party.

  8. Pigenma, you’re a liar. Paul routinely was over the top and out of bounds. I know because when I was still a pinko he even embarrassed me. Even the Minnesota press was embarassed by his outragous behavior. And I’m being kind to Paul. Ya know, kinda like his memorial/pep rally, if ya get my drift. There’s three things all Democrats are and that’s liars, thieves, and socialists.

  9. PIGenma, you’re a liar. Paul was often over the top and out of bounds. Even the Minnesota press was embarassed by his antics. When I was still a pinko even he embarassed me. He was not Senate matterial, for that matter Al Franken isn’t either. They both share some common DFL traits. They are liars, thieves and socialists.

  10. I recall stepping into a Democrat rally back in the 90’s. Wellstone bragged about how he and his left wing buddies took over the branch of a small, locally owned bank. They jumped on the counters and closed the bank down.

    One of my pet peeves are Republicans (like Norm Coleman) who make it sound like Wellstone was a nice person. He was a useless little worm who never created anything in his life.

  11. PIGenma, you’re a liar. Paul was over the top and out of bounds most of the time much like you. The Minnesota press was embarassed by him as was I when I was still a Pinko. My god, you socialists are so sensitive when one of your icons gets commented on. Do I need to remind you of that fiasco that was the Wellstone memorial/pep fest?

  12. PIGenma, you are a liar. Paul was out of bounds and over the top all the time. Chuck is right, and let me add, he was a generous man…… with other peoples money. He was a liar, a thief, and a socialist. And I’m being kind to Paul!

  13. “Saint Paul” Wellstone was at best even, probably on the virge of losing that election.

    Did anyone see the article about George Latimer claiming it was impossible for him to do anything during the Wellstone “super-jumbotron” memorial service?

    Latimer was no doubt “paralyzed” by the thought of all the frre airtime the democrats could get less than a week before the election.

  14. Anyone who thinks that Paul Wellstone had a COMMITMENT TO FAIRNESS AND COMPASSION never saw any of his speeches. The guy was as nasty a demagogue as has ever set foot in Minnesota.

    Some of us remember the guy, Peev. It wasn’t that long ago.

  15. Peev,

    As usual – no, as ALWAYS, you miss the point.

    Indeed, you don’t even know what the point IS.

    Indeed, your petty little outburst proves my point.

    Beyond that? Your character judgements of both Bachmann and Wellstone are ignored because neither is anywhere near the point of this post, other than to show the extent to which both Wellstone and Bachmann are lightning rods for the opposition and, in some cases (like, every thing you’ve every written about Michele Bachmann) bring out the worst and occasionally most-depraved sides of their detractors.

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