Paul David Wellstone was an American Democrat politician, academic, and author who represented Minnesota in the United States Senate from 1991 until he was killed in a plane crash in Eveleth, Minnesota, on October 25, 2002.
Born July 21, 1944 in Washington D.C., Wellstone was a professor at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, and a community organizer in Rice County prior to entering public office. Wellstone gained national attention after his upset victory over Republican incumbent Rudy Boschwitz in the 1990 US Senate election. In his 1996 reelection campaign, he defeated Boschwitz in a rematch. As a member of the Democratic Farmer-Labor Party, Wellstone was a vocal leader of the progressive wing of the national Democratic Party.
October 15, 1991 - U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone comments on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Judge Clarence Thomas. Wellstone shares his concerns of the treatment of witness Anita Hill and discusses the topic of sexual harassment.
November 1, 1991 - Paul Wellstone comments on success of thwarting an energy policy in Congress that would have allowed drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge.
May 6, 1992 - Minnesota U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone talks to MPR’s Gary Eichten about congressional plans for urban revitalizations.
June 26, 1992 - U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone comments on the congressional battle over what to do with nuclear waste in the United States.
September 2, 1992 - On this special Midday program, MPR’s Bob Potter interviews U.S. Senators Paul Wellstone and Dave Durenberger. Wellstone and Durenberger also answer fairgoer and call-in questions.
January 1, 1993 - U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone talks about Russia elections, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty II (START II), and his takeaway view of the George H. Bush presidency.
February 11, 1993 - U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone visits the MPR studios to answer listener questions about current issues before the Congress. After returning from a congressional fact-finding trip to look at businesses located just over the border in Mexico, Wellstone discusses the pending North American Free Trade Agreement, among other things.
June 2, 1993 - U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone visits the MPR studios to talk health care and answer listener questions. Wellstone advocates for a single-payer healthcare system as a universal healthcare model.
June 24, 1993 - U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone comments on his potential vote choice on bill addressing federal budget. While he supports the tax piece, Wellstone shares his concern over what it does to Medicare.
August 16, 1993 - U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone talks about his concerns over the ongoing congressional battle on the different approaches over national health reform/mandate. Wellstone details the single-payer plan, which he prefers.