Al Franken has some huge shoes to fill.
Not only does the resolution of Minnesota's longest election give Democrats the coveted filibuster-resistant 60th vote in the U.S. Senate, but more important, Franken will assume the seat formerly held by the revered Sen. Paul Wellstone, who died in office almost seven years ago. Political history buffs and everyday Minnesotans alike are aware that, similar to political icons Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale, Wellstone embodied a rich tradition and mystique with respect to embracing progressive public policy and social agenda.
As Franken and his newly minted senior staff members begin to shape policies, they should never lose sight of the significance of Wellstone's tenure, nor of the will of the residents of Minnesota. The Franken staff should remain mindful that as much as the 2008 election was a judgment on the failed Bush administration policies of the previous eight years, it was also a mandate on behalf of Minnesotans who believed the Senate seat belonged in hands more empathetic than Sen. Norm Coleman's.
Many Wellstone loyalists worked tirelessly this past electoral cycle under the assumption that electing a progressive, Democratic senator would return a prominent Minnesotan "voice for the voiceless" to Congress. Despite what many critics deemed as a lackluster campaign operation during the DFL primary campaign and portions of the general-election season, Franken successfully crossed the finish line largely due to the grass-roots efforts of his state's progressive community.
I often reflect on one frigid Sunday morning in fall 2002 when I briefed Sen. Wellstone before an appearance at Pilgrim Baptist Church in St. Paul. I had provided him with rather extensive talking points and wanted to be certain that he stayed on message. Once he entered the pulpit, in vintage form, Wellstone disregarded the presentation I had prepared and spoke passionately to the congregation about the issues that had an impact on their everyday lives. In retrospect, I have grown to believe that he had truly internalized how the highly contested issues and social injustices of today inevitably affect the lives of tomorrow. Through this realization, Wellstone effortlessly warded off engulfment by the bureaucracy of Washington.
Because of his unwillingness to succumb to the ills that plague life within the Beltway, Wellstone cultivated a loyal following that ultimately ushered in the new Franken era. Undoubtedly, Sen.-elect Franken will offer his own distinct brand of public service as he adjusts to his new role, and rightfully so. But as he begins to develop his own voice on the Senate floor, perhaps he should use the Wellstone template as a gateway to fast-tracked relevance and influence within Congress.
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We can surmise from Wellstone's statements and legislative voting record how he would approach many of the issues that face us today — and how he would engage the Obama administration. Because of Wellstone's long fight to pass his mental-health parity bill, which eliminated inequity between those afflicted by mental-health disorders and their insurance providers, certainly he would have been a vocal supporter of the health care reform initiative by Sen. Ted Kennedy, a close friend.
