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.
January 12, 1999 - Paul Wellstone, Minnesota's DFL U.S. senator, discusses his decision not to run for president and his view of outcome on Senate impeachment trial. Wellstone also answers listener questions.
March 4, 1999 - MPR’s Gary Eichten interviews Paul Wellstone, DFL-Minnesota U.S. senator, from Washington D.C. Wellstone discusses issues facing congress now that Clinton impeachment trial is over. Topics include social security, Medicare, taxes, health care, education and more.
April 7, 1999 - Minnesota's U.S. Senators Paul Wellstone and Rod Grams, give the annual Frank Premack Lecture sponsored by the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the Minnesota Journalism Center.
August 30, 1999 - Midday presents a Minnesota Citizens Forum on the future of rural Minnesota, held at the Minnesota State Fair. Panelists Paul Wellstone, Minnesota U.S. senator; Bob Ness, Minnesota state representative and chair of the Agriculture and Rural Development Finance committee; and Colleen Landkamer, Blue Earth County commissioner, discuss issues and solutions of the rural farm community.
August 30, 1999 - MPR’s Laura McCallum reports on a Minnesota Citizens Forum on the farm crisis held at the State Fair. A panel of elected officials from the federal, state and local levels talked about ways to help rural Minnesota survive, ranging from a government buyout of surplus commodities to more money for technology.
August 14, 2000 - U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone speaks from the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. Program also includes clips of speech Wellstone gave at "shadow convention.”
January 15, 2001 - The theme at 2001 Martin Luther King Day rally and march in St. Paul was progress in race relations. But many of the speakers gave their view of the distance to go before equity and justice are achieved.
January 18, 2001 - MPR’s Gary Eichten talks with U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone about his decision to run for re-election and the political environment. Wellstone also answers listener questions.
March 5, 2001 - MPR's Laura McCallum reports that Governor Ventura's education budget came under more fire from education groups who say it shortchanges schools. About a thousand students, parents, and educators rallied at the Capitol for more education spending.
April 2, 2001 - Paul Wellstone is voting for the campaign finance bill because it will get rid of the soft money. The main problem is that it takes the cap off of the hard money budget.