Mountains of Ice

As a friend pointed out, it was sad to watch Norm Coleman humiliated yesterday and realize we lost Paul Wellstone only to get such a fool.

I wish Wellstone were on the floor right now debating the nuclear option and the filibuster. Here's an excerpt of a speech he gave in 1998 at a union hall for your inspiration.

I finish by posing a question for you – this is the fire that’s burning inside of me. I do not understand how it can be that in the United States of America, which is a country I fiercely love. Boy, when you are the son of an immigrant it is true (as some of you may know): it makes you so patriotic. I love this country. I give no ground on that. But how can it be that in the United States of America today – the richest country in the world, at the peak of our economic performance – we’re still being told that we can’t provide a good education for every child? How can it be that we’re still being told we can’t provide good health care for every citizen? That we’re still being told that we can’t at least realize the goal that every kid comes to kindergarten ready to learn – that she knows the alphabet, he knows how to spell his name, she knows colors and shapes and sizes, they’ve been read to widely and they are ready to learn! We’re still being told that people can’t expect to find a job at a decent wage. It is unacceptable.

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Wendell Philips was an abolitionist – he was speaking in the 1840’s, gave a speech abolishing slavery. Wendell wouldn’t equivocate, gave a fiery speech, and said that slavery was unconscionable, it was an outrage and it should be abolished. He finished speaking and a friend came up to him and said “Wendell, why are you so on fire?” He turned to his friend and said “Brother May, I’m on fire because I have mountains of ice before me to melt.” We have mountains of ice before us to melt. Thank you.