| COINCIDENCES >>> |
| His Name was Wellstone
by William Rivers Pitt |
| Five years ago, Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN) died when his plane went down in Minnesota.
Wellstone's first months in office were defined by his opposition to George H. W. Bush's 1991 "Gulf War" against Iraq, and some twelve years later, his last weeks in office were defined by his vote against another Bush administration, and against another push for war in Iraq. On October 11, 2002, Wellstone was one of only twenty-three senators to cast a vote against the fateful Iraq War Resolution. The week before, on October 3, Wellstone addressed the proposed attack and occupation of Iraq. "The United States could send tens of thousands of US troops to fight in Iraq," he said, "and in so doing, we could risk countless lives of US soldiers and innocent Iraqis." "The United States could face soaring oil prices," he said, "and could spend billions, both on a war and on a years-long effort to stabilize Iraq after an invasion." "Authorizing the pre-emptive, go-it-alone use of force now," he said, "right in the midst of continuing efforts to enlist the world community to back a tough new disarmament resolution on Iraq, could be a costly mistake for our country." A week and a day later, the IWR passed in the Senate. Five days after that vote, it was signed into law. Nine days after that signature, five years ago, Paul Wellstone was gone. |