Well, That Answers A Few Questions
By Mitch Berg
Franken “vows to honor Wellstone”
He will sit at desk No. 94 — the one left by his political hero, Paul Wellstone.
Senate leaders have told Al Franken that they have kept the desk open for him. Its significance will not be lost.
OK, not that it was a huge surprise.
But the significance that Democrat leaders believe a seat in the Senate “belongs” to a person or a party, rather than the people? No. The significance will not be lost.
Franken shares Wellstone’s politics and passion. It was Wellstone’s death in a plane crash in October 2002 that spurred Franken to run.
“Paul looked at his job as improving people’s lives and that’s what I want to do,” Franken said Tuesday, one day after winning an epic battle against the man who had replaced Wellstone in the Senate, Norm Coleman. “I’m not Paul,” Franken said. “I’m not going to be able to fill his shoes. But I’m going to work as hard as I can to fulfill that goal, which is improving people’s lives.”
Which is a fine goal in a human, and (generally speaking) a terrible one for a politician. Government that wants to get into peoples’ lives “to help them” “for their own good” is, ultimately, a terrifying thing.
Still, taking after Wellstone might not be the worst thing that could happen (other than that whole “sixty-vote majority” thing); Wellstone was politically insignificant, and marginalized himself and his constituents at every turn.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:58 am
The most frightening words in the English (or any other) language:
I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Al Franken said he looks to Wellstone as his “model”. Say, didn’t Wellstone also fail to procure workers’ comp insurance for his employees? Why, yes. Yes, he did.
Mission accomplished, Al!