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DFL’ers,
Yesterday was a terrible day for all of us who knew Paul Wellstone and believed in the vision for which he, Sheila, and the other victims worked so hard. Thousands of us met at the Capitol, his campaign office, and elsewhere to weep, mourn, and strive to understand this horrific loss and find the reason to carry on.
It was said yesterday that Paul Wellstone himself would have no trouble knowing the reason to carry on – Paul always said his campaigns were not about him, but about a larger movement for social justice and the improvement of people lives. Paul would say we have a critically important campaign to win that matters so much for the people of Minnesota, the United States and all over the world. We owe it to Paul to win this election.
We wish we did not have to think about this now. But we must mourn while we work. We must begin by finding a candidate to carry on the campaign, keep this seat from Bush/Coleman, and keep the Senate out of Republican control. Party leaders are meeting now to consider options including those candidates listed in the newspapers this morning. There is a very little time.
For Your Consideration:
Reasons to Draft Justice Page for U.S. Senate
- Alan Page will win. In 1998 he won 72% of the vote: 1.3 million votes, far more then any other statewide candidate.
- Alan Page will help the DFL win. This whole election season the DFL has been relying on Paul Wellstone to motivate our base. This opportunity to elect the first African American Minnesotan to Congress will motivate our base.
- Alan Page is a genuine “Hall of Fame” sports hero. As a Minnesota Viking (and member of the famous “purple people eaters” front four), Page has appeal well beyond our base.
- Alan Page has contributed to a better Minnesota in his private life through an exhausting amount of community involvement; including the Page Education Foundation, the Board of Regents at the University of Minnesota, and the Kodak/Alan Page Challenge, a nationwide essay contest encouraging urban youth to recognize the value of education. He is nationally recognized as an advocate for children and education.
- Alan Page is a Supreme Court Justice whose integrity is unimpeachable. He is the first African American member of a State Supreme Court in the nation.
- Alan Page has a great intellect and a compassionate heart. He will be a strong progressive voice and an outstanding Senator we can be proud of.
- Paul and Sheila would be proud of the DFL and Minnesota for choosing Alan Page.
Background on Alan Page:
-Link to Alan Page’s Supreme Court Bio: http://www.courts.state.mn.us/bios/sc_page.htm
-Another short bio: http://www.kepplerassociates.com/pagea.htm A great quote: Page likes to think of football as a past chapter in his life. "If I could choose a way to be remembered, it wouldn't be my association with football," says Page. Football is the past—a good past, but I'd want to be remembered with children—my children and other children."
-Profiled by the national mentoring partnerships: http://www.mentoring.org/common/real_mentor_stories/celibrity2.adp?Menu=nav_left_become.adp&Preload=become_a_mentor A great quote: "It seems to me that many of the problems we face are people problems, and the solutions will be found in people," said Page
What can you do?
Forward this email to all your DFL friends. -Call Alan Page and urge him to pick up the banner for Democrats in Minnesota and around the country (The only public number we could find is at the Page Education Foundation, leave a message there: 612-332-0406) -Call DFL Party chair: (Mike @ 651-293-1200) -Contact your DFL elected officials: (www.dfl.org) -Contact your DFL representative on the State Central Committee: (If you know who they are, it used to be online and we couldn’t find it)
Thank you,
Joseph Barisonzi Minneapolis, Lyndale, SD60 W10
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