Twenty-four years ago we lost my friends Paul and Sheila, their daughter Marcia, and three dedicated members of his staff: Mary, Tom, and Will. Everyone who was in our state at the time remembers where they were when they learned of the horrific news of the plane crash. But we also remember the green bus, the indefatigable Paul running back and forth in parades, and the joy and the hope the Wellstones brought to our politics. For me as a newbie in government back then Paul was a constant whirling dervish of a lesson in how to stay true to your North Star. One time he asked me how a certain campaign was going and I said “the numbers look really good.” His response? “Really, I mean how does it feel out there? What are people actually talking about? What do they need?” He was right. In his last few years Paul had been diagnosed with M.S. and he couldn’t run back and forth in those parades any more. Instead he and Sheila would just stand on the back of that green bus and wave. But what I most remember was this: they had inspired so many people to run with them over the years that there were hundreds of people — young and old — in their green Wellstone shirts running around that bus, creating so much energy for good that you didn’t even notice that Paul wasn’t running himself. That’s politics at its best. Bringing people with you. Not shutting them out. Doing your work with joy and believing that our democracy — with all its imperfections — is something to cherish and hold up. Paul believed that politics was all about, in his words, improving people’s lives. Let’s remember that now and after the election. And when you vote this week (and you must) remember the good and why you’re doing it. 💚