Wellstone: The Conscience of the Senate

Before his untimely death, Senator Paul Wellstone was the Conscience of the Senate. As an unabashed advocate for liberal causes, Senator Wellstone often found himself as the lone voice for people marginalized or forgotten. He challenged assumptions and stereotypes, and he was not afraid to denounce legislation that was the outgrowth of private relationships or polls rather than reasoned public policy. This book is not a compilation of every floor speech by Senator Wellstone, which would be far too long and unmanageable. It is, instead, a collection of floor speeches given by Senator Wellstone from 1991 to 2002. This collection provides, through his own words, an overarching portrait of Senator Wellstone s principles and philosophy on a wide array of topics. No political campaign speeches are included in this collection. That was a deliberate decision. By focusing upon Senator Wellstone s day-to-day work in the United States Senate, these speeches offer an unfiltered glimpse of how Senator Wellstone balanced being an effective advocate and maintaining his outsider credentials.