It’s hard to believe , but tomorrow will be the sixth anniversary of the death of Paul Wellstone, his beloved wife Sheila and daughter Marcia, as well as three exceptional and devoted staff members who were with the Wellstones on that fateful day. I was working for Paul as his chief counsel on the Senate Labor Subcommittee at the time and will be forever grateful that I had the chance to touch the soul of this exceptional man.  As Tom Daschle said so eloquently in a tribute to Paul on that awful day, "he was a gallant and passionate fighter, especially for the less fortunate."

Paul would love this election cycle – he would love the opportunity progressives have to make this a better country for all. And he would particularly love the energy and the passion of all of the young people who have become so engaged in this wonderful enterprise we call democracy.  Paul’s formula for success was to combine grassroots organizing, with sound policy , with electoral politics — and that’s what we’re seeing today.

This morning I needed to hear Paul’s voice and found this great video from Wellstone Action. 

For the past six years I’ve carried around with me a button with one of Paul’s favorite adages:  "The future will belong to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." 

Dream on – the future is now!