by John McCormick
MINNEAPOLIS – In Minnesota, there are few political names as sacred as Paul Wellstone, the U.S. senator who died with his wife, daughter and five others in a plane crash in the state's northern woods in October 2002.
As he came here to campaign this afternoon in advance of the Minnesota caucuses on Tuesday, Sen. Barack Obama invoked the name of the unapologetic liberal whose ideology made him a target for Republicans.
"Some of you know that when I first got to the United States Senate, I opened up the door of the desk where I was assigned," he said. "And it has the names of some of the greater senators who have served. They carved their names, in their own hand, into the desk drawer. One of those names was somebody who shared with me this belief that change doesn't happen from the top down. A guy named Paul Wellstone. A guy who helped to build a movement here in Minnesota because he believed in you the way I believe in you. And this is part of that movement for change."
David Axelrod, the campaign's top strategist, said Obama met Wellstone and had spoken with him in Chicago.
During a rally at the Target Center in Minneapolis, the home of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Obama also did some bragging about his recent fundraising, which included $32 million in January alone.
"When we started this campaign, nobody gave us much of a chance," he said. "They said, well, you know, he'll never be able to raise the money. They didn't realize there is this thing called the Internet. And we have built a grassroots fundraising network that people have never seen before. We got 170,000 new donors just [in January]…We have a different model. We've got precinct captains, we've got folks who are energized and invigorated. And we have built the best political organization in this campaign, in this country."
There were a few hundred empty seats in an arena that seats 18,467, but there were perhaps an addition 1,000 people standing on the floor around a temporary stage where Obama spoke.
The Illinois Democrat also did a riff on the campaign so far and sought to remind voters that their involvement is needed.
"After Iowa, I think there were a lot of people who were just giddy…We had won a great victory, and all these nice write-ups. You know, I was on the cover of Newsweek – pretty picture – and everybody was just excited. And then we lost in New Hampshire, and suddenly people were like, oh, I guess this isn't as easy as we thought. See, people thought that you just win one election and suddenly, the status quo gives in and, you know, elect Barack, and, you know, immediately we'll have racial reconciliation and poverty will be over and, you know, nobody will argue any more, and your teenage children will listen to you. And so, it was useful for us to recognize that this isn't easy."
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Comments
It was a fantastic rally and speech. Audience brought to their feet repeatedly. Watch live rally from St. Louis on CSPAN tonight 10:00 PM ET or see video later on campaign network.
Posted by: laurie | February 2, 2008 7:59 PM
And I bet Paul Wellstone didn't have "spiritual advisors" who hated Jews. I wouldn't trust Obama in a million years and he has no right to bring up the name of a great man like Wellstone!
Posted by: Eric | February 2, 2008 8:35 PM
It was a spectacular rally. I've followed Obama's campaign from the very beginning, and this was one of his greatest speeches.
He was compassionate, strong, genuine and funny. As a Minnesotan, I felt proud of my state and of Wellstone, and I felt honored to have Senator Obama in our city.
Posted by: Lizzie Stelten | February 2, 2008 9:16 PM
To Eric,
Who are these 'spiritual advisors' who hated Jews?
I am sure if Senator Obama had such people around him, all of us would have heard about it.
Purify your soul from hatred Eric.
We will not enter heaven with hearts filled with corruption and hatred.
Posted by: Mujahid Abdullah | February 2, 2008 9:26 PM
What a diverse crowd Senator Obama brought out today! Minnesotans are fired up for change. Now, our priority is getting everyone we know out for Obama on Feb 5th. YES WE CAN!
And to Eric above here is a website where you can check some of your "facts": www.factcheck.barackobama.com.
Posted by: Leah | February 2, 2008 9:44 PM
I've never been to such an inspiring and uplifting political event. Being too young to caucus during Senator Wellstone's tenure, I am glad to have the chance to support a candidate who has the credibility and credentials to honor our nation's legendary heroes.
Posted by: Alison C. | February 2, 2008 9:58 PM
I find it fascinating to watch Obama continually evoke figures from the past to lend himself a history and credibilty he doesn't have on his own. MLK, JFK, now Wellstone. He's a virtual chameleon with colloqial speech as well evan hispanic on occasion. He's everbody as long as it gets a vote.
Posted by: judy swanson | February 2, 2008 11:29 PM
I can't wait to see the speech he gave tonight online. In the meantime, check out this video that was made from clips of his victory speeches. It's amazing! http://www.dipdive.com/
Posted by: Hopes Mom | February 2, 2008 11:51 PM
I was there and it was amazing. Barack Obama is a committed man to the American people. He is a candidate that represents the possibility of the badly needed change that we need.
I am offended by the "spiritual advisor" comment above. Please provide documentation. I googled that before writing this response.
Fortunately, smear tactic's are not working.
It's Obama Time!
Posted by: LiLBiTiNc | February 3, 2008 12:38 AM
Name dropping Wellstone doesn't change the fact that Obama sneered at Wellstone's legacy only a couple of years ago.
He is always mentioning MLK too. He had nothing to do with either man, and he doesn't remotely think like Wellstone. According to David Sirota, Obama had "contempt" for Wellstone.
Here's a quote:
"Obama’s deference to these boundaries was hammered home to me when our discussion touched on the late Senator Paul Wellstone. Obama said the progressive champion was “magnificent.” He also gently but dismissively labeled Wellstone as merely a “gadfly,” in a tone laced with contempt for the senator who, for instance, almost single-handedly prevented passage of the bankruptcy bill for years over the objections of both parties. This clarified Obama’s support for the Hamilton Project, an organization formed by Citigroup chair Robert Rubin and other Wall Street Democrats to fight back against growing populist outrage within the party. And I understood why Beltway publications and think tanks have heaped praise on Obama and want him to run for President. . . . . "
After that comment, I wonder how dare Obama mention Wellstone in my state.
Here is the whole story:
http://davidsirota.com/index.php/mr-obama-goes-to-washington/
Posted by: Shelly THomas | February 3, 2008 1:09 AM
Conservatives Will Stop Obama.
We’re Obama supporters, too! But we are sure they’ll find some way to stop him as Barack is against the war, a war the conservatives insist will go on. The way they stop him may be very very nasty. Read the details of what we think might happen on our website, down towards the last few paragraphs. If somebody can get our analysis to him, his strategists may be able to find a way around the conservatives’ death wish for him.
Good luck to us all,
Dr. and Mrs. Peter V. Calabria
www.matrix-evolutions.com
Posted by: Ruth Calabria | February 3, 2008 1:35 AM
judy swanson, Obama is very much like Dr. King, since he's spent 20 years in a black Christian church, and spent years organizing in the one of the roughest, poorest parts of the US. He gives speeches as beautifully as Dr. King, with righteous content like Dr. King.
He's very much like JFK - John's brother, daughter and Bobby's widow say so, as does Ted Sorenson, who used to write John's amazing speeches.
Obama doesn't give speeches in hispanic - there's no such language. He has a very nice Spanish accent and he says a few phrases. He also knows some Swahili.
And he is like Wellstone in that he stood against the Iraq War when Bush was Mr. Popularity and only 22 sitting Senators read the intelligence reports and voted against it. Obama was taking a risk, not pandering. Don't deny it judy, appreciate it. You don't get leaders like that every day.
Posted by: Hopes Mom Aunt Daughter Granddaughter | February 3, 2008 3:58 AM
Kudos to Obama! He is honest, genuine, trustworthy,logical, rational, calm cool and collected! WE need stability for America. Obama is the one to do this. He is for ALL people. He is for America! YES WE CAN! Obama'08
Posted by: Claire | February 3, 2008 7:21 AM
Obama's church honored Farrakan and makes anti-isreal statements, and that is a fact.
Obama's support from Exelon and Rezko as well as his removing Alice Palmer and other rivals from the ballots is also fact.
His supporters are not well read and cannot see through Obama's lies.
Try reading the many New York Times or the Chicago Sun Times reports on his lack of credibility and his history of filthy political pandering.
The Republicans will maul him. Vote Hillary, she's been vetted.
Posted by: karen | February 3, 2008 10:11 AM
Kudos to Obama! He is honest, genuine, trustworthy... He is for America! YES WE CAN! Obama'08
Posted by: Claire | February 3, 2008 7:21 AM
As an Illinois State Senator Barack Obama helped fixer, influence peddler and campaign contributer Tony Rezko get gov't funding to build/rehab low income housing that was so shoddy that the residents had to huddle around cooking stoves to keep from freezing.
While Rezko's company was claiming that it had no money to fix the heating, it was contributing money to Obama's campaign.
Anybody want to talk about "hope" and A "new approach to politics"?
Then a full year after Rezko was under investigation for bribery (so BO can't plead ignorance) Obama goes to Rezko for a very sweet real estate deal.
Anybody want to talk about "judgement"?
Posted by: MJ | February 3, 2008 10:26 AM
"According to David Sirota, Obama had "contempt" for Wellstone.
Here's a quote:"
A quote from Sirota. The only word 'quoted' from Obama is "gadfly". No clue on context or anything else said around it. I only know Obama was "dismissive" because someone told me he was with absolutely no supporting evidence.
Posted by: Jeff V. | February 3, 2008 10:50 AM
obama and any other presidential candidate could never compare to wellstone. we all know that, but lets not forget if ellstone was here tht he'd want a democrat to win the election, whether it be obama or clinton, lets remember paul and sheila wellstone and vote for the democratic party.
Posted by: mark | February 10, 2008 11:48 AM
It amazes me how many people are supporting this man. I would do my research, check out videos on YouTube (pictures worth a thousand words) and consider what you are voting for.
Posted by: Lilly Anne | February 19, 2008 2:01 AM