I never met the man, but I didn't need to. He is what politics should be today, he is what the Democratic Party should be today, and he is what America should be today. Instead of running away from his convictions for political gain, he stuck by them. He supported welfare in his campaign commercials. When was the last time you saw that? Despite being told it would cost him the election, he voted the way his convictions and heart told him to on the 2002 Iraq War authorization. If only more of our senators had done just that.

America is so great because literally anyone can run for office, even the office of the president if they wish. That's all nice and great, but it takes a lot more than that to actually win an election. Virtually all successful candidates plays politics, raise millions of dollars, and listen to their advisers' every word. Not Paul Wellstone. Called "embarassingly liberal" by his 1990 opponent, he didn't care; in fact, he was proud to be a liberal. It's hard to find Democratic politicians nowadays who can say that.

The political deck was stacked against him to say the least. He didn't come from a well-known political family nor was he a wealthy lawyer or consultant. Instead, he was the son of Jewish immigrants and was a community organizer and college professor. He was outspent 7-1. But all that didn't matter. Why? Because he was a regular guy; he wore jeans and work shirts; he never talked down to people. He didn't ride around in a jet or a limo - he campaigned in a rickety green school bus.

Americans like regular people and that's why Americans today hate politics.

Democrats, especially those running for President today, ought to take a lesson from Paul. Be passionate. Stick to your convictions. Speak your mind. Do what's right for regular folk. Minnesotans probably disagreed with Paul on a lot of issues, but they respected him, and for that, they voted for him. If he were alive today, he'd be the first one to tell Democratic candidates and officials to stop mincing words and tell it like it is.

There's a wonderful article in today's Politico about Wellstone's legacy. Says Senator Klobuchar:

"It’s not just Ted Kennedy telling stories about him," Klobuchar said. "You’ve got police officers, secretaries, anybody. ... They all want to talk about Paul and how he always treated people with such respect and dignity."

Tom Harkin, a close friend of Paul's echoes that sentiment:

"Paul’s memory keeps coming back to us ... as a reminder to always think about what the end result of what we are doing up here is," said Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who delivered the eulogy at Wellstone’s memorial service. "Paul had a great line about the future belonging to those with passion," Harkin said. "And no one had more passion for justice and fairness and economic opportunity for those on the bottom."

Rep. Keith Ellison also remembers him fondly:

"He played a pivotal role in my political [career]," said Ellison, who keeps a framed photo of Wellstone in his office. "Paul taught me that if you have a vision for an inclusive society, for peace and for environmental sustainability, you don’t just run to make a point, you run to win elections," Ellison said.

Here's a sampling of the former senator's campaign commercials. Notice how well he's able to connect to regular people like you and me:

Here's a wonderful tribute I found in one of last year's memorial diaries. It really does bring tears to your eyes. There's so much else that can be said of this great man - I'm sure many people will remember him fondly in the comments section. It's truly hard to imagine how much better a place this country and world would be if he were still alive today.

You are dearly missed Senator Wellstone.