The green bus still rolls and it is a magic bus.

Sen. Paul Wellstone showed off some of his political magic Friday afternoon at a campaign kickoff rally in the Austin Municipal Building.

Robert Riege, Austin High School teacher and president of the Austin Education Association, introduced Wellstone, who was accompanied by his wife, Sheila, on the visit to Austin.

The room full of DFLers gave the senator a standing ovation and interrupted his speech several times with applause.

With Riege and other teachers present, plus the large contingent of AHS Advanced Placement students observing, the senator began by saying "how disconcerting it is" to learn how "public schools teachers' work is being "devalued."

Then, he borrowed from a famous short speech by Sir Winston Churchill, who promised the British during World War II he would never give up.

Wellstone made that promise to educators and students, the elderly, environmentalists, Minnesotans taking prescription drugs and farmers.

Wellstone's "never give up" speech was not as short as Churchill's, but the British prime minister didn't have a new Farm Bill that, supporters say, understands the needs of family farmers and rural communities to boast about.

Before he finished, Wellstone had credited Mower County DFLers with launching his successful 1990 bid for the U.S. Senate, praised DFL stalwarts like Leighton, Piper and Leo Reding for being an inspiration to the candidate and

generally shooing the fervor for which he is famous.

Even Austin Mayor Bonnie Rietz, who welcomed the senator to Austin, was awed.

Speaking of the city's successful attempt to obtain federal monies for flood control, Rietz said, "It would not have been

worked without Senator Wellstone."

Wellstone wasn't the only DFLer to visit Austin Friday afternoon.

DFL-endorsed candidate for the 1st Congressional District, Steve Andreasen, Rochester, said the party has an opportunity it cannot ignore.

"Everyone in this room understands the opportunity we have in Minnesota this year," Andreasen said. The congressional candidate said the party has the energy and "We are on the right side of the issues."

State Senator Roger Moe, the DFL-endorsed candidate for Minnesota governor would have nothing of Governor Ventura's words of gloom and doom about education.

"I think Minnesota's best days are ahead," Moe said. "I think it is time to stop bad-mouthing public schools education."