Senator Paul Wellstone was a model United States citizen. A public servant in the American Senate for 11 years, Wellstone was known as a staunch liberal and one of the last senators to actively remember the “little guy.” He was known for voting his conscience and stood strongly for what he believed, even as he faced a tough electoral challenge in this year’s elections.
Wellstone, who was killed in a plane crash at the age of 58 last Friday while campaigning in his home state of Minnesota, was on the losing side of many lopsided votes during his tenure as a senator, including last month’s Senate vote to authorize force against Iraq. After voting against war in 1991, Wellstone was one of 23 senators, and the only one facing a serious challenge in November, to vote against this year’s resolution. His Iraq vote could have meant political peril on Nov. 5, with a Democratic Senate majority on the line. Former Vice President Walter Mondale will likely take his place on the ballot for the general election, according to The New York Times.
Paul Wellstone should be remembered as a moral standard for all politicians, liberal and conservative alike. He was a man who put virtue over political interests, showing Americans that, even in a time of political cynicism, there are some in Washington who fight for their values and the values of those they represent, rather than the values of those with deep pockets.
And his example should hit close to home for Massachusetts voters.
Massachusetts Senator John Kerry’s push for the presidency has begun, and the state’s voters should worry about a presidential slide toward the center of the political spectrum. Kerry’s vote on the Iraq resolution is a testament to his political concerns, as he attempts to center his voting record and prepare himself for the far-less liberal population of the entire United States. Despite his track record as a strong anti-war Democrat, Kerry chose to prepare himself for the national stage, rather than stick to his conscience as he did in 1991. He voted against the reputation for which his Massachusetts constituents selected him, a reputation somewhat similar to that of the late Wellstone.
Kerry faces no serious challenge in this year’s elections, but his time representing the people of Massachusetts will not be over for at least another two years. He should take seriously the write-in campaign started Friday by Randall Forsberg, who has said she is running to represent Massachusetts anti-war activists’ displeasure with Kerry’s Iraq vote. Though Forsberg will likely garner a small percentage of the vote, Kerry should heed the message her campaign is attempting to send — that he will not be forgiven in the state for forsaking his political values.
Kerry should look to Wellstone as a role model. Wellstone, a bedrock of political virtue, maintained his moral center even in the face of serious political considerations. Kerry will significantly tarnish his credibility as an honest politician if his move toward the center continues. He should vote for those he represents now, not those he hopes to represent in two years.
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