REPUBLICAN ENEMY NUMBER ONE

          As far as special moments off the floor, I think of the award from the Vietnam Vets of America. Last year they chose me as Legislator of the Year. I think that was the most--I've never been more moved by an award. Since then, just in the past year--last week it was the Disabled American Veterans, and the Paralyzed Veterans of America. The Military Order of the Purple Heart. The atomic veterans. The work with the veterans community has been very important and very moving to me. But that award from the Vietnam Vets... I just wept.

          A lot of it is just personal. Just people you meet. On the veterans part, Tim Gilmore was dying of cancer from exposure to Agent Orange. And it was just awful, because the one thing he was so focused on at the end was that if he didn't get any compensation before he passed away, his family wouldn't get anything. And we were able to get that for him. Lisa, his wife, has become very close with Sheila and me. She's at every single gathering we do. Tim has passed away. But being able to help him and his family.

          There was a Vietnam vet I met the other day who drove 70 miles to a gathering. I won't use his name because I don't know if he wants me to. But he told me we had helped him get some compensation for treatment of his service-connected illness, and he said it was the first time since Vietnam that he felt like he was home. You don't forget something like that.

          CP: Can you give me a quick overview of your agenda for a second term?

          WELLSTONE: Well, you know--education and children is my passion. A lot of continuing work about how to reduce violence in communities. Domestic violence with Sheila, a lot of work with law enforcement about community-policing programs. Health care, which covers any number of different things--including the veterans; that's the biggest issue with veterans' groups. And reform. Geez, if there was a way we could change this horrible system for financing campaigns. Then maybe I'd add one other thing. I'd like to continue with the deficit reduction and push it hard. I just think there's a lot of other areas that don't get touched. Especially with a lot of the loopholes and deductions and the environmentally wasteful subsidies. I'd like to do a lot more in that area. But with a standard of fairness.