“PAUL WELLSTONE WAS a man of deep convictions, a plain-spoken fellow, who did his best for his state and for his country. May the good Lord bless those who grieve.”
–U.S. President George W. Bush
“He was a profoundly decent man, a man of principle, a man of conscience.”
–U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan
“He was one of the most noble and courageous men I have ever known.”
–Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle
“For the people of Minnesota, this is too heartbreaking for words. For the entire United States Senate, this is a death in our family.”
–Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott
“Paul Wellstone will long be remembered as the great man he was. I will forever be indebted to him for his service and his ultimate sacrifice to this great democracy.”
–Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura “Everybody liked him, he was extremely honest, he did what he would say he would do … He was there to help people that didn’t have a voice, that didn’t have any power.”
–Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont “Throughout his life, Paul was a fighter for the good cause. His passion for justice was only matched by his charm, wit and kindness to his political friends and foes alike … He was always willing to stand up for the little guy even if it meant taking on the political goliaths.”
–Sen. John McCain of Arizona “Wellstone stood up for the little guy. He was tireless and unapologetic for championing the rights of working men and women even when he stood alone, and he often did.”
–AFL-CIO president John Sweeney “It is difficult to think of Paul Wellstone in past-tense terms … We are all at a loss.”
–Former presidential candidate Jesse Jackson “I’m stunned … He had a depth of passion for human rights, he was willing to work across the aisle.”
–Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas
“It’s a great loss, not just for Minnesota, but for the country. He was a person of courage, he was really gutsy.”
–Former senator Paul Simon of Illinois
“Senator Wellstone was a good friend of the Muslim community. His outspoken support for principles of justice and equality will be sorely missed.”
–Ibrahim Hooper, communications director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
“There was a source of pride here to have a Jewish senator in a state without a large Jewish population … In many ways he was the realization of hopes and dreams, not just Jewish immigrants but of immigrants.”
–Stephen Silberfarb, executive member of Minnesota’s Jewish Community Relations Council “Our prayers are with the Wellstone family. That’s all I’m going to say.”
–Ben Whitney, a spokesman for Norm Coleman, Wellstone’s Republican Senate opponent
“As a working man, we lost a hero, we lost a great leader and I can’t put into words how much he meant to me personally and to my family.”
–Minneapolis bricklayer and Wellstone campaign worker David Olson
