RUSH: The Wellstone Memorial was in 2002. This was after Senator Paul Wellstone was killed in a plane crash. This is the memorial where Republican senators Trent Lott and a couple others were booed out of the place. They had to leave. And I didn’t think last night they’d do it. I thought, ‘After the Wellstone Memorial, they’re not gonna get anywhere near what the Wellstone Memorial was,’ but by gosh they started that way. It was… Here. I’ll tell you what let’s do. Let’s see. Hang on. Mister Broadcast Engineer, I’m looking here. (muttering)
Well, we have four of these I’m trying to figure out which one I want to use. (muttering) Grab number 35. This is Wellstone student and treasurer of his campaign Rick Kahn at the Wellstone Memorial. This is a Wellstone staffer imploring the crowd to organize to elect Fritz Mondull to Wellstone’s seat. Everybody was expecting a memorial to Paul Wellstone. Everybody who knew him liked him. He had this airplane accident, crashed, and he died. And they turned this into a rally. This is one of the reasons they lost the midterms, ’cause this took place October 29th. You know, just a week before the elections.
KAHN: He needs you now. I am begging you, please.
MOURNERS: (cheering)
KAHN: Get the people of this state to hear your voice on his behalf to keep his legacy alive and help us win this election for Paul Wellstone!
MOURNERS: (cheering)
KAHN: I can still hear that strong clear voice calling to me that is now our time to stand up for the people he fought for, that we need to stand up for our children. We must stand up for our seniors!
MOURNERS: (louder cheering)
KAHN: We have to stand up. We are going to stand up together, and we’re going to organize! (screaming) We’re going to organize!
MOURNERS: (cheers drowning out Kahn)
KAHN: We’re going to organize! We’re going to organize! We’re going to organize! We’re going to organize!
RUSH: This is a memorial for Paul Wellstone: ‘We’re going to organize! We’re going to organize! We’re going to organize! We’re going to organize!’ And then Tom Harkin. By the way, this was at Williams Arena at the University of Minnesota.
HARKIN: (screaming crowd) For Paul Wellstone, will you stand up and keep fighting for social and economic justice? Say YES!
MOURNERS: YEEEEES!
HARKIN: For Paul! For Paul, will you stand up and keep fighting for better wages, for those who (voice warbling) mop our floors and clean our bathrooms, for those who take care of our elderly, take care of our sick, teach our kids, and help our homeless? Say YES!
MOURNERS: YEEEEES!
HARKIN: For Paul will you stand up and keep fighting for cleaner air and cleaner water, for a cleaner environment for our children and our future! Say YES!
MOURNERS: (cheering wildly)
HARKIN: For Paul…
MOURNERS: (fall silent)
HARKIN: For Paul will you stand up and keep fighting, for peace and understanding and to stop the exploitation of women and children around the world? Say YES!
MOURNERS: YEEEEES!
HARKIN: For Paul! For Paul, will you stand up, and keep fighting to end discrimination based on race, gender, religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation? Say YES!
MOURNERS: (screaming and cheering)
HARKIN: For Paul…
MOURNERS: (fall silent)
HARKIN: For Paul, will you stand up and keep fighting for the poor, the homeless, and those left on the roadside of life? Say YES!
MOURNERS: YEEEEEEEEEES!
HARKIN: Now let’s all get on that bus together that, green bus, that bus of hope and let’s keep it moving —
RUSH: They’re on a little yellow bus.
HARKIN: — to a better America!
MOURNERS: (cheers, whoops)
HARKIN: Keep — keep standing up! Keep fighting! Keep saying YES to justice, to hope! For people, for Paul!
MOURNERS: (wild cheering)
HARKIN: (pounding the podium) For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul!
MOURNERS: (wild cheering)
RUSH: The only thing missing was the medicine man. That was the only thing missing.