Governor Sarah Palin, the Republican Vice-Presidential nominee, attacked Senator Barack Obama on Saturday, claiming that he is pals with William Ayers, a 1960's anti-government radical. This is absolutely disgusting. But, it brings up a good question: Who is the real threat to America? If a Presidential nominee or Vice-Presidential nominee is going around, spewing this kind of nonsense, who is to say they are not going to say that either you or I are radicals, because we believe in gay rights or are pro-choice?
This isn't a question about Obama's integrity or judgement. This is a question of the McCain campaigns integrity and judgement. When a person is backed into a corner, it is natural that he or she is going to want to fight. It is just human nature. Hell, it is animal instinct. But, there is a big difference between a fair fight and a dirty fight. If there is an animal injured or dying in the forest, it isn't the lion that attacks, it is the hyena or other scavengers that attack. John McCain is now a scavenger. He has reduced this election; which is probably the single most important election in a generation, to a hunt. A win at all costs hunt.
Obama is leading in the polls. For whatever the reason, many Americans view Barack Obama and Joe Biden as more capable of handling the nation and its problems than John McCain and Sarah Palin. In the past two weeks, the citizens of this country have seen exactly how McCain would handle a crisis and how Obama would and have deemed Obama the more competent person. So, because of mistakes, that are of McCain's own making, he now sees fit to make sure that any association that Obama has made in his life is put under a microscope. Not only that, but his campaign now says that Obama has broken campaign fundraising laws and is demanding a full audit of the Obama campaign.
What I find funny is that McCain has broken campaign financing laws as well and has been ordered to repay contributors $1.5 Million. McCain was also involved in the Savings and Loan scandals that racked the country back in the late 1980's. It is also known that Sarah Palin has had ties to the Alaska Independence Party, an ultra-right wing group committed to the Independence of Alaska from The United States of America. For those who are not aware, that is an act of treason against The United States of America.
If the McCain campaign wants to go down this road, it is going to be a very bumpy ride for everyone. Though i am not an expert, I believe that there will be some very big losers. The first looser is going to be the American People. We deserve better than what McCain is offering. We deserve candidates who will talk about the issues facing this country. We deserve candidates who will have an honest discourse about the future of our country instead of the trivial tit-for-tat on who hung out with whom and when.
We all have skeletons in our closet. It is the nature of the beast. Bill Clinton had affairs with other women. George Bush did drugs and was arrested for DWI (to name a few). John McCain divorced his first wife after a debilitating accident. It isn't that these things are negative or positive to a person. They are things and choices we have made in our lives that may have been wrong. But should these things be held against us? If McCain truly wants to go down this road, then he is asking for his entire life to be opened up like a book as well. Personally, I would prefer that the candidates talk about the economy and healthcare and how we are going to leave Iraq.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Health Care Crisis
This is an exerpt from Barack Obama's speech today. It is one of the most powerful examples of how our healthcare system is broken.
In the end, none of this will be easy. We’re up against a powerful, entrenched status quo in Washington that will say anything and do anything and fight with everything they’ve got to keep things the way they are.
But I know that if we come together, and work together, we can do this. So many people are counting on us.
A woman named Robyn who I met in Florida, is one of those people. Back in May, her 16 year old son Devon came to one of our events, and I got to meet him at the airport in Fort Lauderdale. Later that day, Devon became seriously ill. His heart started racing, and his lips turned white. He was rushed to the hospital and almost went into cardiac arrest. He was later diagnosed with a heart condition and told he needed a procedure that would cost tens of thousands of dollars. Robyn’s insurance company refused to pay -- they said it was a pre-existing condition – and Robyn’s family doesn’t have that kind of money.
But until Devon has that procedure, he has to take medication and stop all physical activity. No more gym classes. No more football at school. No more basketball at the park with his friends.
After we met, Robyn sent me an email in which she wrote, “My son deserves all that life has to offer. Money should NEVER determine the quality of a child’s life. I can’t help but feel as if somehow we failed Devon. Why couldn’t we be the rich family that has the great insurance or could whip out 50 grand like it is nothing?”
She ended her email with these words, “I ask only this of you – on the days where you feel so tired you can’t think of uttering another word to the people, think of us. On the days when you are playing basketball, think of Devon, who can’t. When those who oppose you have you down, reach deep and fight back harder.”
Today, I want to say to Robyn and Devon and everyone like them across America, you have my word that I will never back down, I will never give up, I will never stop fighting until we have fixed our health care system and no family ever has to go through what you’re going through, and my mother went through, and so many people go through every day in this country. That is my promise to you.
And if all of you here today will stand with me in this work – if you’ll talk to your friends and neighbors, get people to the polls, and give me your vote, then together, we won’t just win this election, we will transform this nation. Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless America.
In the end, none of this will be easy. We’re up against a powerful, entrenched status quo in Washington that will say anything and do anything and fight with everything they’ve got to keep things the way they are.
But I know that if we come together, and work together, we can do this. So many people are counting on us.
A woman named Robyn who I met in Florida, is one of those people. Back in May, her 16 year old son Devon came to one of our events, and I got to meet him at the airport in Fort Lauderdale. Later that day, Devon became seriously ill. His heart started racing, and his lips turned white. He was rushed to the hospital and almost went into cardiac arrest. He was later diagnosed with a heart condition and told he needed a procedure that would cost tens of thousands of dollars. Robyn’s insurance company refused to pay -- they said it was a pre-existing condition – and Robyn’s family doesn’t have that kind of money.
But until Devon has that procedure, he has to take medication and stop all physical activity. No more gym classes. No more football at school. No more basketball at the park with his friends.
After we met, Robyn sent me an email in which she wrote, “My son deserves all that life has to offer. Money should NEVER determine the quality of a child’s life. I can’t help but feel as if somehow we failed Devon. Why couldn’t we be the rich family that has the great insurance or could whip out 50 grand like it is nothing?”
She ended her email with these words, “I ask only this of you – on the days where you feel so tired you can’t think of uttering another word to the people, think of us. On the days when you are playing basketball, think of Devon, who can’t. When those who oppose you have you down, reach deep and fight back harder.”
Today, I want to say to Robyn and Devon and everyone like them across America, you have my word that I will never back down, I will never give up, I will never stop fighting until we have fixed our health care system and no family ever has to go through what you’re going through, and my mother went through, and so many people go through every day in this country. That is my promise to you.
And if all of you here today will stand with me in this work – if you’ll talk to your friends and neighbors, get people to the polls, and give me your vote, then together, we won’t just win this election, we will transform this nation. Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless America.
Friday, October 3, 2008
She Didn't Entirely Suck!
It is now almost 24 hours out from the much hyped and anticipated Vice Presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin. My first instinct was to write my thoughts immediately following the debate. Then, I decided to wait it out and think carefully about what I wanted to say, instead of just giving you some verbal diarrhea about how Sarah Palin sucked and how Joe Biden was amazing. But, I wanted to get all of my thoughts together and sound reasonably intelligent (unlike Ms. Palin).
Last nights one and only debate, feature Delaware Senator Joe Biden and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was by far, the most anticipated debate in my lifetime. To be honest, I was a little disappointed. Deep down inside I want Governor Palin to fall flat on her face and I wanted Senator Biden to wipe the stage with her smirk. But that didn't happen. What did happen was a 90 minute question and answer session, not unlike one of those pesky interviews Palin despises so much. There was almost no direct contact between the two candidates and because of that, I do not believe the audience became as engaged as they were with the first Presidential debate.
It is worth noting that this format did lend itself to Governor Palin. She wasn't challenged on any of her statements and therefore was able to pull off the impossible; looking intelligent. Senator Biden, whom many believed would put his foot in his mouth, did a wonderful job. He obviously knows what he is talking about. He command of the facts is very important and it is worth noting that experience and command of the facts makes him ready, on day one, to step into the Office of the Presidency should something happen to Barack Obama. For me, the most important part of the debate the most riveting moment was when Senator Biden was speaking about his first wife and the tragic car accident that took her life and the life of his infant daughter.
The reason this worked so well is that Governor Palin was trying to paint Biden as someone who is out of touch with "typical" America. Apparently, Palin did not do her homework, as she clearly did not know anything about this tragedy and how Senator Biden would commute back and forth everyday from his Delaware home. Her response to this was to state that she and John McCain were mavericks. It was one of the most disturbing moments of the debate. Obviously, she is not campaigning as a "compassionate conservative."
As I said earlier, Palin did not crash and burn. However, she showed no mastery over the issues. She showed that she could regergitate facts and figures like a robot and that she could down home and folksy. Well folks, I don't know about you, but I don't want folksy. I don't want down home talking. I want a President and Vice President who have a handle on the issues. I want the best of the best and Governor Palin is not the best of the best. She is of mediocre (at best) intellect. We have had eight years of mediocre intelect and look where it has gotten us.
Joe Biden and Barack Obama have the best educations in this country. John McCain graduated at the bottom of his class at the Naval Academy and Sarah Palin went to six colleges in five years. We need the best. If the American people can get past Palin's folksy double-talk, then on Nov. 4th we will be electing Barack Obama as President of the United States.
Last nights one and only debate, feature Delaware Senator Joe Biden and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was by far, the most anticipated debate in my lifetime. To be honest, I was a little disappointed. Deep down inside I want Governor Palin to fall flat on her face and I wanted Senator Biden to wipe the stage with her smirk. But that didn't happen. What did happen was a 90 minute question and answer session, not unlike one of those pesky interviews Palin despises so much. There was almost no direct contact between the two candidates and because of that, I do not believe the audience became as engaged as they were with the first Presidential debate.
It is worth noting that this format did lend itself to Governor Palin. She wasn't challenged on any of her statements and therefore was able to pull off the impossible; looking intelligent. Senator Biden, whom many believed would put his foot in his mouth, did a wonderful job. He obviously knows what he is talking about. He command of the facts is very important and it is worth noting that experience and command of the facts makes him ready, on day one, to step into the Office of the Presidency should something happen to Barack Obama. For me, the most important part of the debate the most riveting moment was when Senator Biden was speaking about his first wife and the tragic car accident that took her life and the life of his infant daughter.
The reason this worked so well is that Governor Palin was trying to paint Biden as someone who is out of touch with "typical" America. Apparently, Palin did not do her homework, as she clearly did not know anything about this tragedy and how Senator Biden would commute back and forth everyday from his Delaware home. Her response to this was to state that she and John McCain were mavericks. It was one of the most disturbing moments of the debate. Obviously, she is not campaigning as a "compassionate conservative."
As I said earlier, Palin did not crash and burn. However, she showed no mastery over the issues. She showed that she could regergitate facts and figures like a robot and that she could down home and folksy. Well folks, I don't know about you, but I don't want folksy. I don't want down home talking. I want a President and Vice President who have a handle on the issues. I want the best of the best and Governor Palin is not the best of the best. She is of mediocre (at best) intellect. We have had eight years of mediocre intelect and look where it has gotten us.
Joe Biden and Barack Obama have the best educations in this country. John McCain graduated at the bottom of his class at the Naval Academy and Sarah Palin went to six colleges in five years. We need the best. If the American people can get past Palin's folksy double-talk, then on Nov. 4th we will be electing Barack Obama as President of the United States.
Pundit Round-Up From Americablog
Here is a complete rundown of the pundits from last nites VP Debate. I will have a post-mortem later on today.
The reviews are in. Biden won.
John Aravosis (DC) · 10/02/2008 11:42:00 PM ET · Link
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Huffington Post Ex-Bush Officials: Biden Won The Debate: Said Torie Clarke, who worked with McCain back in Arizona and with the Bush Administration's Department of Defense, had the following remarks on ABC: " I think Joe Biden had his best night tonight. He came with one mission, and that was to go after John McCain, and he did it, backed up by facts. I think he did a better job tonight of tying McCain to the Bush administration than Obama did last week. Matthew Dowd, who worked for George Bush's communications team while in the White House, followed Clarke and he too agreed that the Delaware Democrat took the evening.
ABC Dowd 10:52 PM: “I think fundamentally the American public came away with this tonight, just like they came away with the debate last night, saying, you know, I'm leaning in Obama and Biden's corner, and this didn't change my mind.”
Gibson: I'm amazed that we have agreement from all three of you.
CNN David Gergen 10:05 PM: People underestimating how good Biden was, Biden “was really good”
CNN Alex Castellanos 10:38 PM : "The second part of the debate, you know Republicans aren't going to win debates on Iraq, I don't care who you put on that stage tonight, we're not going to win debates on Iraq and we didn't tonight. But overall, we've had a rough week as Republicans. You know, this has not been our best week."
CBS Bob Schieffer 10:35 PM: “I must say, I thought Senator Biden had a very good night. He seemed comfortable with the facts, it was clear he has dealt with these issues over the years, I thought he put his experience on display in a very good way.”
MSNBC Chris Matthews 10:35 PM: "Not only did she say I'm not going to do any more interviews, it seemed, but she was saying, I'm not going to listen to uh Gwen Ifill tonight. She said I'm not going to uh give the answers the moderator wants to ask for. What an extraordinary statement. I'm not going to play by the rules and when I get elected I want more power in the office than it's had before. Hmm.. Not too much humility here."
CBS Bob Schieffer 10:35 PM: “I must say, I found it a little disconcerting, time and again, Governor Palin would just choose not to answer the question and launch into some dissertation, sometimes talking points, and not really address what Gwen Ifill had asked her.”
PBS David Brooks 10:39 PM: "When he talked about his family and the death of his wife, that is a moment people remember, what they remember about the debates is the moment when you think you see the person and that was a moment where I thought you saw Joe Biden."
MSNBC Andrea Mitchell 10:38 PM: "She didn't answer the questions. And, in fact, she would say, I want to talk about taxes, which hadn't even come up."
FOX News Frank Luntz 10:44 PM: With the Luntz Polling Group was in the Anheuser-Busch Headquarters, When Asked Independent Voters Their Reactions One Voter Said, “she had a presentation about her, but that also annoyed me, too. She catered to kind of an adorability and lacked substance.”
Washington Post (Eugene Robinson): Exactly an hour into the debate, Joe Biden began an answer by saying, "Facts matter, Gwen." To him, maybe. To Sarah Palin, maybe not. The pattern, so far, has been one of Biden presenting facts and Palin countering with… saying stuff. Sometimes she throws in a fact, but mostly she seems to be offering a string of approximate policy positions, encomiums to the American spirit, disputed interpretations of Barack Obama's record and anecdotes from Alaska.
Washington Post (Chris Cillizza): Go Biden Go! Again, very good moment for Biden. The more he talks "Bush=McCain" the better.
Philadelphia Daily News (Will Bunch): Biden points out that Ahmadinjad isn't the surpreme ruler of Iran -- how come people don't bring that up. Hammering McCain on the Spain issue -- the McCain camp really screwed up on the way it handled that one.
Salon (Joan Walsh) How Sarah Palin blew it: Joe Biden and Sarah Palin were talking to two different Americas Thursday night. Actually, that's unfair to Joe Biden; he was trying to talk to everyone. I can say for certain, though, that Sarah Palin was talking to – and winking at – her own private Idaho, and for long stretches of the debate, it was an unnerving experience.
Washington Post: (E.J. Dionne Jr.) McCain's Dicey Gamble: Gambling with his presidential candidacy is McCain's right. Gambling with the country McCain says he puts first is another thing entirely. And last night's vice presidential debate took place at precisely the moment when a majority of American voters decided that having Palin in line for the presidency is more than a little bit scary.
CNN (Bob Schneider): Palin’s answers do not lack confidence, they lack coherence.
Washington Post (Chris Cillizza): She pivots to executive appearance but her answer on the role of the vice presidency was REALLY bad.
TIME: Palin didn’t make any big mistakes, but she also didn’t reassure that she could handle the presidency.
Washington Post (Chris Cillizza): Palin: Worst spot in the debate. Looking down at her notes a lot. Really struggling.
TIME: This closing statement sounds like she's giving a speech to the College Republicans. It's really amateur hour.
Politico (Ben Smith): As this debate has gone on, Palin's gotten more abstract, Biden more concrete.
ABC News (Rick Klein): Palin: "So Joe, there you go again." Anyone else over that line? Couldn't it have been retired with Reagan? Shout-out to third graders at her brother's elementary school? What world were we just in there for a few minutes?
CNN (Bob Schneider): Palin needs to define the terms she uses. Reform, corruption, maverick…these are words that Palin often uses, but she needs to define them.
FOX News (Aaron Bruns): Palin calls the supreme NATO commander in Afghanistan, Gen David McKiernan, “McClellan.” Does it twice.
Politico (Jonathan Martin): Biden explains how McCain is not a maverick On voting for Bush's budgets, health care and education. No dispute from Palin.
TNR: Palin's final quote was from Ronald Reagan, warning that without vigilance, "you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children, and our children's children, what it once was like in America when men were free." In fact, Reagan was not warning about a general lack of vigilance about freedom, he was warning what would happen if Medicare was enacted.
The reviews are in. Biden won.
John Aravosis (DC) · 10/02/2008 11:42:00 PM ET · Link
Make a comment · reddit · FARK · Digg It! · Stumble It!
Huffington Post Ex-Bush Officials: Biden Won The Debate: Said Torie Clarke, who worked with McCain back in Arizona and with the Bush Administration's Department of Defense, had the following remarks on ABC: " I think Joe Biden had his best night tonight. He came with one mission, and that was to go after John McCain, and he did it, backed up by facts. I think he did a better job tonight of tying McCain to the Bush administration than Obama did last week. Matthew Dowd, who worked for George Bush's communications team while in the White House, followed Clarke and he too agreed that the Delaware Democrat took the evening.
ABC Dowd 10:52 PM: “I think fundamentally the American public came away with this tonight, just like they came away with the debate last night, saying, you know, I'm leaning in Obama and Biden's corner, and this didn't change my mind.”
Gibson: I'm amazed that we have agreement from all three of you.
CNN David Gergen 10:05 PM: People underestimating how good Biden was, Biden “was really good”
CNN Alex Castellanos 10:38 PM : "The second part of the debate, you know Republicans aren't going to win debates on Iraq, I don't care who you put on that stage tonight, we're not going to win debates on Iraq and we didn't tonight. But overall, we've had a rough week as Republicans. You know, this has not been our best week."
CBS Bob Schieffer 10:35 PM: “I must say, I thought Senator Biden had a very good night. He seemed comfortable with the facts, it was clear he has dealt with these issues over the years, I thought he put his experience on display in a very good way.”
MSNBC Chris Matthews 10:35 PM: "Not only did she say I'm not going to do any more interviews, it seemed, but she was saying, I'm not going to listen to uh Gwen Ifill tonight. She said I'm not going to uh give the answers the moderator wants to ask for. What an extraordinary statement. I'm not going to play by the rules and when I get elected I want more power in the office than it's had before. Hmm.. Not too much humility here."
CBS Bob Schieffer 10:35 PM: “I must say, I found it a little disconcerting, time and again, Governor Palin would just choose not to answer the question and launch into some dissertation, sometimes talking points, and not really address what Gwen Ifill had asked her.”
PBS David Brooks 10:39 PM: "When he talked about his family and the death of his wife, that is a moment people remember, what they remember about the debates is the moment when you think you see the person and that was a moment where I thought you saw Joe Biden."
MSNBC Andrea Mitchell 10:38 PM: "She didn't answer the questions. And, in fact, she would say, I want to talk about taxes, which hadn't even come up."
FOX News Frank Luntz 10:44 PM: With the Luntz Polling Group was in the Anheuser-Busch Headquarters, When Asked Independent Voters Their Reactions One Voter Said, “she had a presentation about her, but that also annoyed me, too. She catered to kind of an adorability and lacked substance.”
Washington Post (Eugene Robinson): Exactly an hour into the debate, Joe Biden began an answer by saying, "Facts matter, Gwen." To him, maybe. To Sarah Palin, maybe not. The pattern, so far, has been one of Biden presenting facts and Palin countering with… saying stuff. Sometimes she throws in a fact, but mostly she seems to be offering a string of approximate policy positions, encomiums to the American spirit, disputed interpretations of Barack Obama's record and anecdotes from Alaska.
Washington Post (Chris Cillizza): Go Biden Go! Again, very good moment for Biden. The more he talks "Bush=McCain" the better.
Philadelphia Daily News (Will Bunch): Biden points out that Ahmadinjad isn't the surpreme ruler of Iran -- how come people don't bring that up. Hammering McCain on the Spain issue -- the McCain camp really screwed up on the way it handled that one.
Salon (Joan Walsh) How Sarah Palin blew it: Joe Biden and Sarah Palin were talking to two different Americas Thursday night. Actually, that's unfair to Joe Biden; he was trying to talk to everyone. I can say for certain, though, that Sarah Palin was talking to – and winking at – her own private Idaho, and for long stretches of the debate, it was an unnerving experience.
Washington Post: (E.J. Dionne Jr.) McCain's Dicey Gamble: Gambling with his presidential candidacy is McCain's right. Gambling with the country McCain says he puts first is another thing entirely. And last night's vice presidential debate took place at precisely the moment when a majority of American voters decided that having Palin in line for the presidency is more than a little bit scary.
CNN (Bob Schneider): Palin’s answers do not lack confidence, they lack coherence.
Washington Post (Chris Cillizza): She pivots to executive appearance but her answer on the role of the vice presidency was REALLY bad.
TIME: Palin didn’t make any big mistakes, but she also didn’t reassure that she could handle the presidency.
Washington Post (Chris Cillizza): Palin: Worst spot in the debate. Looking down at her notes a lot. Really struggling.
TIME: This closing statement sounds like she's giving a speech to the College Republicans. It's really amateur hour.
Politico (Ben Smith): As this debate has gone on, Palin's gotten more abstract, Biden more concrete.
ABC News (Rick Klein): Palin: "So Joe, there you go again." Anyone else over that line? Couldn't it have been retired with Reagan? Shout-out to third graders at her brother's elementary school? What world were we just in there for a few minutes?
CNN (Bob Schneider): Palin needs to define the terms she uses. Reform, corruption, maverick…these are words that Palin often uses, but she needs to define them.
FOX News (Aaron Bruns): Palin calls the supreme NATO commander in Afghanistan, Gen David McKiernan, “McClellan.” Does it twice.
Politico (Jonathan Martin): Biden explains how McCain is not a maverick On voting for Bush's budgets, health care and education. No dispute from Palin.
TNR: Palin's final quote was from Ronald Reagan, warning that without vigilance, "you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children, and our children's children, what it once was like in America when men were free." In fact, Reagan was not warning about a general lack of vigilance about freedom, he was warning what would happen if Medicare was enacted.
Because Bush/McCain/Palin Care So Much!
This makes me sick:
Woman, 90, shoots self inside foreclosed home
Story Highlights
Deputies, neighbor hear gunshots after attempt to serve notice
Congressman mentions incident during House debate on bailout
Kucinich: "This bill does nothing for the Addie Polks of the world"
(CNN) -- A 90-year-old Akron, Ohio, woman who shot herself as sheriff's deputies tried to evict her from her foreclosed home became a symbol of the nation's home mortgage crisis Friday.
Addie Polk is being treated at Akron General Medical Center after shooting herself at least twice in the upper body Wednesday afternoon, her city councilman said.
U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, mentioned Polk on the House floor Friday during debate over the latest economic rescue proposal.
"This bill does nothing for the Addie Polks of the world," Kucinich said after telling her story. "This bill fails to address the fact that millions of homeowners are facing foreclosure, are facing the loss of their home. This bill will take care of Wall Street, and the market may go up for a few days, but democracy is going downhill."
Neighbor Robert Dillon used a ladder to enter a second-story window of Polk's home after he and the deputies heard bangs inside, Dillon told CNN affiliate WEWS-TV in Cleveland, Ohio.
"I just thought she may have fell or couldn't get up or something," he told WEWS. "I didn't know [she had shot herself] until I got in there. And even when I got there, she was breathing, but she wasn't saying anything to me. I knew she needed help then."
Dillon said he saw blood when he put his hand on Polk's shoulder.
"There's a lot of people like Miss Polk right now. That's the sad thing about it," said Akron City Council President Marco Sommerville, who had met Polk before and rushed to the scene when contacted by police. "They might not be as old as her, some could be as old as her. This is just a major problem."
In 2004, Polk took out a 30-year, 6.375 percent mortgage for $45,620 with a Countrywide Home Loan office in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The same day, she also took out an $11,380 line of credit.
Over the next couple of years Polk missed payments on the 101-year-old home and in 2007 Fannie Mae assumed the mortgage and later filed for foreclosure.
Deputies had tried to serve Polk's eviction notice more than 30 times before Wednesday's incident, Sommerville said. She never came to the door, but the notes the deputies left would always disappear, so they knew she was inside and ambulatory, he said.
The city is creating programs to help people keep their homes, Sommerville said.
"But what do you do when there's just so many people out there and the economy is in the shape that it's in?"
Many businesses and individuals have called since Wednesday offering to help Polk, Sommerville said.
"We're going to do an evaluation to see what's best for her," he said. "If she's strong enough and can go home, I think we should work with her to where she goes back home. If not, we need to find another place for her to live where she won't have to worry about this ever again."
He said that by the time people call for help with an impending foreclosure, it's usually too late.
"I'm glad it's not too late for Miss Polk, because she could have taken her life," Sommerville said. "Miss Polk will probably end up on her feet. But I'm not sure if anybody else will."
CNN's Jim Kavanagh, Brad Lendon and Mallory Simon contributed to this report.
All AboutHome Financing • Ohio • Countrywide Financial Corporation
Woman, 90, shoots self inside foreclosed home
Story Highlights
Deputies, neighbor hear gunshots after attempt to serve notice
Congressman mentions incident during House debate on bailout
Kucinich: "This bill does nothing for the Addie Polks of the world"
(CNN) -- A 90-year-old Akron, Ohio, woman who shot herself as sheriff's deputies tried to evict her from her foreclosed home became a symbol of the nation's home mortgage crisis Friday.
Addie Polk is being treated at Akron General Medical Center after shooting herself at least twice in the upper body Wednesday afternoon, her city councilman said.
U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, mentioned Polk on the House floor Friday during debate over the latest economic rescue proposal.
"This bill does nothing for the Addie Polks of the world," Kucinich said after telling her story. "This bill fails to address the fact that millions of homeowners are facing foreclosure, are facing the loss of their home. This bill will take care of Wall Street, and the market may go up for a few days, but democracy is going downhill."
Neighbor Robert Dillon used a ladder to enter a second-story window of Polk's home after he and the deputies heard bangs inside, Dillon told CNN affiliate WEWS-TV in Cleveland, Ohio.
"I just thought she may have fell or couldn't get up or something," he told WEWS. "I didn't know [she had shot herself] until I got in there. And even when I got there, she was breathing, but she wasn't saying anything to me. I knew she needed help then."
Dillon said he saw blood when he put his hand on Polk's shoulder.
"There's a lot of people like Miss Polk right now. That's the sad thing about it," said Akron City Council President Marco Sommerville, who had met Polk before and rushed to the scene when contacted by police. "They might not be as old as her, some could be as old as her. This is just a major problem."
In 2004, Polk took out a 30-year, 6.375 percent mortgage for $45,620 with a Countrywide Home Loan office in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The same day, she also took out an $11,380 line of credit.
Over the next couple of years Polk missed payments on the 101-year-old home and in 2007 Fannie Mae assumed the mortgage and later filed for foreclosure.
Deputies had tried to serve Polk's eviction notice more than 30 times before Wednesday's incident, Sommerville said. She never came to the door, but the notes the deputies left would always disappear, so they knew she was inside and ambulatory, he said.
The city is creating programs to help people keep their homes, Sommerville said.
"But what do you do when there's just so many people out there and the economy is in the shape that it's in?"
Many businesses and individuals have called since Wednesday offering to help Polk, Sommerville said.
"We're going to do an evaluation to see what's best for her," he said. "If she's strong enough and can go home, I think we should work with her to where she goes back home. If not, we need to find another place for her to live where she won't have to worry about this ever again."
He said that by the time people call for help with an impending foreclosure, it's usually too late.
"I'm glad it's not too late for Miss Polk, because she could have taken her life," Sommerville said. "Miss Polk will probably end up on her feet. But I'm not sure if anybody else will."
CNN's Jim Kavanagh, Brad Lendon and Mallory Simon contributed to this report.
All AboutHome Financing • Ohio • Countrywide Financial Corporation
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Supreme Decisions
Senator Biden and Governor Palin on the Supreme Court. Joe Biden offers thoughtful and insightful answers to the questions. Yes, he can be a bit verbose, but I would take a chatty-cathy over a dumb hillbilly any day.
Here is the video clip:
Katie Couric: Why do you think Roe v. Wade was a good decision?
Joe Biden: Because it's as close to a consensus that can exist in a society as heterogeneous as ours. What does it say? It says in the first three months that decision should be left to the woman. And the second three months, where Roe v. Wade says, well then the state, the government has a role, along with the women's health, they have a right to have some impact on that. And the third three months they say the weight of the government's input is on the fetus being carried.
And so that's sort of reflected as close anybody is ever going to get in this heterogeneous, this multicultural society of religious people as to some sort of, not consensus, but as close it gets.
I think the liberty clause of the 14th Amendment … offers a right to privacy. Now that's one of the big debates that I have with my conservative scholar friend, that they say, you know, unless a right is enumerated - unless it's actually, unless uses the word "privacy" in the Constitution - then no such "constitutional right" exists. Well, I think people have an inherent right.
Couric: Are there Supreme Court decisions you disagree with?
Biden: You know, I'm the guy who wrote the Violence Against Women Act. And I said that every woman in America, if they are beaten and abused by a man, should be able to take that person to court - meaning you should be able to go to federal court and sue in federal court the man who abused you if you can prove that abuse. But they said, "no, that a woman, there's no federal jurisdiction." And I held, they acknowledged, I held about 1,000 hours of hearings proving that there's an effect in interstate commerce.
Women who are abused and beaten and beaten are women who are not able to be in the work force. And the Supreme Court said, "well, there is an impact on commerce, but this is federalizing a private crime and we're not going to allow it." I think the Supreme Court was wrong about that decision.
Couric Why, in your view, is Roe v. Wade a bad decision?
Sarah Palin: I think it should be a states issue not a federal government-mandated, mandating yes or no on such an important issue. I'm, in that sense, a federalist, where I believe that states should have more say in the laws of their lands and individual areas. Now, foundationally, also, though, it's no secret that I'm pro-life that I believe in a culture of life is very important for this country. Personally that's what I would like to see, um, further embraced by America.
Couric: Do you think there's an inherent right to privacy in the Constitution?
Palin: I do. Yeah, I do.
Couric: The cornerstone of Roe v. Wade.
Palin: I do. And I believe that individual states can best handle what the people within the different constituencies in the 50 states would like to see their will ushered in an issue like that.
Couric: What other Supreme Court decisions do you disagree with?
Palin: Well, let's see. There's, of course in the great history of America there have been rulings, that's never going to be absolute consensus by every American. And there are those issues, again, like Roe v. Wade, where I believe are best held on a state level and addressed there. So you know, going through the history of America, there would be others but …
Couric: Can you think of any?
Palin: Well, I could think of … any again, that could be best dealt with on a more local level. Maybe I would take issue with. But, you know, as mayor, and then as governor and even as a vice president, if I'm so privileged to serve, wouldn't be in a position of changing those things but in supporting the law of the land as it reads today.
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Here is the video clip:
Katie Couric: Why do you think Roe v. Wade was a good decision?
Joe Biden: Because it's as close to a consensus that can exist in a society as heterogeneous as ours. What does it say? It says in the first three months that decision should be left to the woman. And the second three months, where Roe v. Wade says, well then the state, the government has a role, along with the women's health, they have a right to have some impact on that. And the third three months they say the weight of the government's input is on the fetus being carried.
And so that's sort of reflected as close anybody is ever going to get in this heterogeneous, this multicultural society of religious people as to some sort of, not consensus, but as close it gets.
I think the liberty clause of the 14th Amendment … offers a right to privacy. Now that's one of the big debates that I have with my conservative scholar friend, that they say, you know, unless a right is enumerated - unless it's actually, unless uses the word "privacy" in the Constitution - then no such "constitutional right" exists. Well, I think people have an inherent right.
Couric: Are there Supreme Court decisions you disagree with?
Biden: You know, I'm the guy who wrote the Violence Against Women Act. And I said that every woman in America, if they are beaten and abused by a man, should be able to take that person to court - meaning you should be able to go to federal court and sue in federal court the man who abused you if you can prove that abuse. But they said, "no, that a woman, there's no federal jurisdiction." And I held, they acknowledged, I held about 1,000 hours of hearings proving that there's an effect in interstate commerce.
Women who are abused and beaten and beaten are women who are not able to be in the work force. And the Supreme Court said, "well, there is an impact on commerce, but this is federalizing a private crime and we're not going to allow it." I think the Supreme Court was wrong about that decision.
Couric Why, in your view, is Roe v. Wade a bad decision?
Sarah Palin: I think it should be a states issue not a federal government-mandated, mandating yes or no on such an important issue. I'm, in that sense, a federalist, where I believe that states should have more say in the laws of their lands and individual areas. Now, foundationally, also, though, it's no secret that I'm pro-life that I believe in a culture of life is very important for this country. Personally that's what I would like to see, um, further embraced by America.
Couric: Do you think there's an inherent right to privacy in the Constitution?
Palin: I do. Yeah, I do.
Couric: The cornerstone of Roe v. Wade.
Palin: I do. And I believe that individual states can best handle what the people within the different constituencies in the 50 states would like to see their will ushered in an issue like that.
Couric: What other Supreme Court decisions do you disagree with?
Palin: Well, let's see. There's, of course in the great history of America there have been rulings, that's never going to be absolute consensus by every American. And there are those issues, again, like Roe v. Wade, where I believe are best held on a state level and addressed there. So you know, going through the history of America, there would be others but …
Couric: Can you think of any?
Palin: Well, I could think of … any again, that could be best dealt with on a more local level. Maybe I would take issue with. But, you know, as mayor, and then as governor and even as a vice president, if I'm so privileged to serve, wouldn't be in a position of changing those things but in supporting the law of the land as it reads today.
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Echo Chamber
Someone really needs to get McCain out of the echo chamber. He is really starting to look out of touch.
McCain on Palin: "I haven't heard anyone" asking her to resign
On CNN Espagnol, McCain made the following comments on recent criticism of Palin:
"I haven't heard anyone asking her to resign."
"The enthusiasm is incredible."
"If some people have been attacking her fine, but it's not working with the American people. She's more popular than ever."
McCain on Palin: "I haven't heard anyone" asking her to resign
On CNN Espagnol, McCain made the following comments on recent criticism of Palin:
"I haven't heard anyone asking her to resign."
"The enthusiasm is incredible."
"If some people have been attacking her fine, but it's not working with the American people. She's more popular than ever."
Something fun
| You are a Social Liberal (65% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (13% permissive) You are best described as a:
Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also : The OkCupid Dating Persona Test |
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