have to wear uniforms, and community service will turn into government. You can sugar coat it any way you want to - it's still FORCED! NOT an option. People do not have a choice. That is what we call a draft.
Complete Discussion Below: marks the location of current message within thread
My "baby" is 37 years old. I was just thinking..........he earned his private pilot's license at age 16. MAYBE something like this is what Obama has in mind??
My kids do community service
They have participated in numerous community service programs and projects, from collecting and packing items for the homeless to refurbishing parks. They ask to participate in them based on the listings in our newspaper. How very sad for your children that you would not allow them to feel invested in their community and would deny them the wonderful feeling that comes from helping others.
my kids are not joining a community service org
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my kids have done community service in the past
They have been in girlscouts for years. I have a big problem with it being mandatory. You people just have no clue. I'm bitter and stupid and selfish I guess for wanting freedom of choice for me and my children.
they had to join a community service organization to graduate?
x
I would favor community service. We are talking about military (sm)
x
Well, in my community......
there are those that are part of the county and city governments that are not necessarily highly educated. Most have some degree but others do not. They have been voted into office by their constituents who feel they best represent them and their issues. They certainly aren't rich. I can guarantee you one thing though, they certainly are glad for the wealthier among us, because they help keep the economy going by running businesses, opening new businesses, creating new job openings, etc. Many of our local community leaders would be considered middle class, but they make up black and white population, so it certainly isn't one-sided. Not for one minute would I want an uneducated unitelligent individual making important decisions for my community.
Would you rather the poor, uneducated, and unintelligent make the important deicisions for your community?
In our community minorities ARE the
You may not like those facts but that is the facts around here. They are the gang related group around our town. They love to hang their tennis shoes on the power lines to show this is their neighborhood to other gangs.
She went into Wassila as mayor with 0 debt and left it with 22m in debt.
As an oil producer, the high price of oil has created a budget surplus in Alaska. Rather than invest this surplus in technology that will make them energy independent and increase efficiency, as Governor she proposed distribution of this surplus to every individual in the state. In this time of record state revenues and budget surpluses, she recommended that the state borrow/bond for road projects, even while she proposed distribution of surplus state revenues: spend today's surplus, borrow for needs.
she can distort the facts and deliver mean-spirited zingers with the best of them. It told us that if Rush Limbaugh or Ann Coulter ever need a stand-in, she'd be a great pick.
she can be condescending and dismissive of the real work Barack Obama did helping real people on the South Side of Chicago. Ishe can uphold the long Republican tradition of lying about Democratic tax cuts—even though Obama's plan would give Americans a bigger break than McCain's.
Palin recently said that the war in Iraq is "God's task." She's even admitted she hasn't thought about the war much—just last year she was quoted saying, "I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq."
Palin has actively sought the support of the fringe Alaska Independence Party. Six months ago, Palin told members of the group—who advocate for a vote on secession from the union—to "keep up the good work" and "wished the party luck on what she called its 'inspiring convention.'"
Palin wants to teach creationism in public schools. She hasn't made clear whether she thinks evolution is a fact.
Palin doesn't believe that humans contribute to global warming. Speaking about climate change, she said, "I'm not one though who would attribute it to being manmade."
Palin has close ties to Big Oil. Her inauguration was even sponsored by BP.
Palin is extremely anti-choice. She doesn't even support abortion in the case of rape or incest.
Palin opposes comprehensive sex-ed in public schools. She's said she will only support abstinence-only approaches.
As mayor, Palin tried to ban books from the library. Palin asked the library how she might go about banning books because some had inappropriate language in them—shocking the librarian, Mary Ellen Baker. According to Time, "news reports from the time show that Palin had threatened to fire Baker for not giving "full support" to the mayor." Baker ended up moving away because Palin made her life so miserable.
She DID support the Bridge to Nowhere (before she opposed it). Palin claimed that she said "thanks, but no thanks" to the infamous Bridge to Nowhere. But in 2006, Palin supported the project repeatedly, saying that Alaska should take advantage of earmarks "while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist."
Educating the GOP: A Photo History of Community Organizers by BonnieSchlitz <http://bonnieschlitz.dailykos.com/> Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:13:06 AM PDT After watching the malicious speeches the other night mocking Senator Obama, and by proxy, cynically attacking all of us who support our local communities, I thought it would be prudent to educate the Republican Party on the historical role of community organizers. For a quick reminder, let's recap Giuliani's snark:He worked as a community organizer. (Laughter) What?...Barack Obama has never led anything, nothing, nada. And Palin's vacuous follow-up:This world of threats and dangers, it's not just a community and it doesn't just need an organizer. (Laughter.) That these bastions of the GOP would denigrate the importance of community organizers on the same night their party nominates its first female vice presidential candidate shows an utter disrespect for the people of this country and a laughable ignorance of the power we wield. This is what community organizers do...They change the world. Block by block, city by city, state by state, nation by nation...So, GOP, meet community organizer Susan B. Anthony. She helped guarantee women's suffrage in the United States by giving public speeches and uniting with fellow advocates of change. <http://s291.photobucket.com/albums/ll300/thelemonkid/cache/?action=view¤t=sbanthony385.jpg>Meet community organizer Martin Luther King Jr. He helped end racial segregation and discrimination by inspiring a nation to come together and realize their dreams. <http://s291.photobucket.com/albums/ll300/thelemonkid/cache/?action=view¤t=kingmarching.jpg> He said, "Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love." <http://s291.photobucket.com/albums/ll300/thelemonkid/cache/?action=view¤t=kingwashington.jpg>Meet community organizer Cesar Chavez. He helped farm workers secure labor rights and fair wages. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy called him "one of the heroic figures of our time." <http://s291.photobucket.com/albums/ll300/thelemonkid/cache/?action=view¤t=cesarchavez1972.jpg>Meet community organizer Dorothy Day. She helped found the Catholic Worker movement to help the poor and homeless, and promote social justice. <http://s291.photobucket.com/albums/ll300/thelemonkid/cache/?action=view¤t=Day.jpg>Meet community organizer Jane Jacobs. She helped rebuild and revitalize city neighborhoods and made people consider the wide-ranging benefits of supporting our urban cultures. <http://s291.photobucket.com/albums/ll300/thelemonkid/cache/?action=view¤t=janejacobs.jpg>Meet community organizer Mohandas Gandhi. He peacefully led the people of India in efforts to acquire labor fairness, women's rights, and ethnic tolerance, and he helped secure the freedom of a nation. <http://s291.photobucket.com/albums/ll300/thelemonkid/cache/?action=view¤t=Gandhi_Saint-James.jpg>Then there's this guy. Meet community organizer Jesus of Nazareth. He advocated for the poor, for the sick, for the socially excluded...and continues to help provide people solace during their "quiet storms." His community helped found the religion known as Christianity. He said "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." <http://s291.photobucket.com/albums/ll300/thelemonkid/cache/?action=view¤t=Bloch-SermonOnTheMount.jpg>When you disparage community organizers, Republicans, you evince a complete ignorance of the fact that organizers do more with their words than just speak them. They remind people of their shared humanity, of their responsibilities, and of their power as a unified force to face injustice, and oppression, and inspire them to be the change they've been waiting for.Meet new community organizer, Senator Hillary Clinton. She cracked a glass ceiling, and inspired 18 million Americans to recognize the worth of their lives. <http://s291.photobucket.com/albums/ll300/thelemonkid/cache/?action=view¤t=lillyledbetter42408.jpg>This is the story of America . Of women and men who defy the odds and never give up. How do we give this country back to them? By following the example of a brave New Yorker, a woman who risked her life to shepherd slaves along the Underground Railroad. And on that path to freedom, Harriet Tubman had one piece of advice. If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If they're shouting after you, keep going. Don't ever stop. Keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going. Even in the darkest of moments, ordinary Americans have found the faith to keep going. I've seen it in you. I've seen it in our teachers and firefighters, nurses and police officers, small business owners and union workers, the men and women of our military -- you always keep going. And meet community organizer Senator Barack Obama. He worked with congregations and registered voters on the South side of Chicago to help them improve their neighborhoods and hold politicians accountable for their actions. Along with Senator Joe Biden, he currently leads the largest movement for change in the history of American politics. <http://s291.photobucket.com/albums/ll300/thelemonkid/cache/?action=view¤t=obamaorganizer.jpg>If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress. So you see, Republicans, it's never really about the organizer, it's about the community...<http://s291.photobucket.com/albums/ll300/thelemonkid/the%20party%20party/?action=view¤t=crowd-20-1.jpg>Remember that on November 4th. Re member the power of the people.
ACORN is a community organization
since its inception. It is the latest weapon the pubs have in their arsenal of smear tactics. They are using this yet to be concluded investigation as a way to imply that Obama is actively trying to throw the election. Voter fraud is something the pubs know a thing or two about. They wrote the book, so at least this most recent tactic is coming from a place of intimate familiarity for them. What is puzzling is just how they can make voter fraud charges stick BEFORE the ballots are cast. By the way, there is a whole lot more to the subject of voter fraud than the ACORN saga. it has to do with te long-needed overhaul of election protocl that pubs have historically bristled at every time it surfaces in political rhetoric, but they do not hesitate to try to use it to try to resurrect an anemic campaign strategy. They are desperately trying to place AL their eggs in this basket to try to overturn O's momentum in the polls and on the electoral map, but time is running out and so far, those Hail Mary's haven't been scoring too many points for the Straight Talk Express.
Perhaps it was the social and community outreach
1. Can-Cer-Vive support to cancer patients and caregivers.
2. Churh school and youth church.
3. Counseling services, both individual and group.
4. Emmaus Road Ministry, which provides companions, prayer partners, helpers and friends for grieving persons, months after the passing of a loved one. Ongoing contact with the family is maintained.
5. Girl Scouts.
6. Teen choir.
7. Computer classes.
8. Assistance to physically, mentally and emotionally handicapped.
9. Marriage enrichment seminars.
10. Workshops on building and maintaining Christian homes.
11. Men's chorus.
12. Men's fellowship.
13. Bible study.
14. Sanctuary choir.
15. Stewardship.
16. Women's chorus.
17. Women's drill team.
18. Yoga.
19. Youth drill team.
20. Active seniors.
21. Adopt-a-Student.
22. Athletes for Christ.
23. Career development.
24. Church in the community.
25. Domestic violence advocacy and support.
26. Drug and alcohol recovery.
27. Food share.
28. Grandparent's ministry.
29. HIV/AIDS support.
30. Housing workshops.
31. Health and wellness.
32. Legal counseling.
33. Math tutors.
34. Prison ministry.
35. Reading tutors.
36. Drama.
37. Fine arts and literary guild.
38. Quilting.
39. Adult dance.
40. Music.
Compare these ministries with Obama's life experiences, political views and current campaign platform. That is explanation enough for me.
thats the nature of a community activist,
to keep things stirred up! No, i don't think he is a terrorist -- but he has way too many radical associations, way too much money, admiration and support from rogue nations (hello, red flags!!!) and this puts motive into question, along with character, along with judgment. Come out of the clouds, get your feet on the ground, he has NO executive experience, no business experience, and not done much more in the senate than vote "present" (just the facts, m'am) -- he doesn't want to vote up or down, and risk alienating anyone, but like a wolf in sheep clothing, tries to appear to be whatever your imagination wants him to be. Really -- look at the one-sided nature of the media "reporting" -- the media is almost magical in shaping public opinion by NOT reporting the facts, not reporting things fairly and completely, but just feeding the public what they want them to believe. What is really UNbecoming, is that news is more like propaganda these days, that we have lost the honesty of good journalism and that too many people don't see beyond what they are spoon-fed and this puts our country at risk -- NOT TO MENTION the moral side of this issue and his views on sex education for kindergarten-aged kids, saying "it's the right thing to do", advocating the teaching of homosexuality as normal, advocating that a woman's rights nullify the right of an innocent baby to have medical care if born alive in a botched abortion -- these are FACTS. Not to mention that he will "stand with the Muslims" if the stuff hits the fan, per his own words. Not to mention that he said -- not what i believe, but what i've SEEN him say -- that this is "no longer a Christian nation, but a nation of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddists". Yes, we are a nation of multi-faiths - BUT we ARE a Christian nation -- whose laws and precepts are FROM the Christian faith. But he would change that my friend. If we vote him into the oval office, there is no telling what path he will lead us down. and he will not keep us safe from our enemies -- even his vice president/Biden "guarantees" that we will face a crisis within 6 months if he is elected... AND that we may not agree with how he handles it....are you really listening?????
1st 2 yrs of a community college is already free
x
Starting at the community level......... sm
is a great thing to do and I am proud of you for the work you do. I have read here before some of the things you are involved in, and you are making a difference in your community. I'll be right here, ready and willing! LOL
HCA, HMA, Community, Tenet, Regency
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ACORN is not a community organizer.... we know
>>
No, he's sending the Muslim community a
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Community organizer = ACORN (nm)
.
ACORN is the "Association of Community Organizations for ...
Reform Now." In 2006 several members were indicted for voter fraud in Missouri. A little explanation: they are used during elections to "get out the vote," in other words, to get people registered to vote. ACORN folks were indicted for turning in false registration applications that people could later use to vote illegally. They registered dead people, people who had moved, people who didn't exist.
This is what is happening this year so far:
More ACORN Vote Fraud Attempts
Posted on September 15, 2008
-By Warner Todd Huston
The union supporting, Democratic Party pushing, extreme leftist Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) has been caught trying to jerry-rig voter applications in Michigan. It is looking like fraud on a massive scale in Detroit as ACORN tries to fill the Democrat voter rolls with fake Democrat voters.
ACORN is being investigated after several Municipal Clerks discovered fraudulent and duplicate voter registration applications.
The majority of the fraudulent and duplicate applications are coming from the liberal ACORN group based in Detroit, Michigan, which now has ACORN investigating the problem once again as well as the Secretary of State’s Office turning over some of those applications to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
And it isn’t just Detroit that has found fraud being perpetrated by ACORN.
In recent years, ACORN’s voter registration programs have come under investigation in Ohio, Colorado, Missouri and Washington, with some employees convicted of voter fraud.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review is also reporting that the Obama campaign has been forced to amend a report to reflect over $800,000 of previously unreported ACORN donations to his campaign.
ACORN is at the heart of one of the most massive voter fraud campaigns in American history.
This is a link that shows a connection between Obama and ACORN:
I invite you not to take the article at face value, but independently confirm using the net that the statements made in it are true.
I hope all this helps.
it's the fault of the community that sits idly by and
((
my take on his service
Having served in the US Army I am very proud of my time served. I love talking about my time in the Army to people who will listen. I was in when the Falklands War happened (we were on standby and were undergoing training 24 hours/7 days to prepare for war - thankfully it did not happen), but it was a very very scary time for all around me. Also I was in during the Cold War and stationed very close to our enemies and that was also very scary, but to have actually gone through a "real" war I couldn't imagine. Especially being captured and tortured. I do know a lot of veterans that were in the wars and they do want to talk about it, but every veteran is different. My opinion is (and yes its only my opinion) that John McCain gave so much to this country. Yes it was a long time ago, but he suffered and that is not something you can easily forget, especially when he lives with it every day.
I'm not saying you, but I know a lot of people (especially a lot of posters here) who are supporting Obama and they get very upset that McCain brings up his service, but mainly because it shows he is a loyal patriot to the country and that is something that voters take very seriously and I believe it scares the Obama supporters.
What he did for his country is one of his proofs that he will stick up for the American people and he will fight for what is right for a better American and I believe that is why he keeps bringing it up. His voting record and time in the senate is his other proof.
Barack keeps changing his mind about everything, and I'm not saying he is not patriotic (nobody knows but he and his family), but when you don't wear a flag pin, or put your hand over your heart during the pledge of allegience and the national anthem, and removes the American Flag from his airplane it is one more reminder to us that Barack is not (I'm trying to find the right words without offending anyone or having it come out wrong). It's not unpatriotic, but its more like he doesn't care. Barack will take care of Barack (as he has been doing while accepting HUGE payouts from the latest FM/FM scandel). John McCain's time in the service is one of the things he is quite proud of and we all should honor and give him credit for his time and suffering he endured, but also let it be a reminder to us that he will not back out and run away when the going gets tough. He will stick it out and fight for us. He has already done so (you can look at his voting record). Unlike Obama who voted "present" I don't know how many times - lost track counting, therefore that leads me to believe he will not stick up for us and when the going gets tough I believe he will go with whoever puts money in his pocket. All you have to do is take a look at FM/FM and what he did.
So, I do know some Vietnam vets, and some World War II vets, and my dad was in the service during the Korean War, and they all want to talk about their service and what happened to them and what they went through. It was a very emotional time and they have every right to be proud of what they have done. His being a POW will have a lot of effect on people and I am one of them.
Thank you for your service. sm
I would vote for McCain if only out of support for our military men and women. Their votes should be counted first, yet only 30% of them will be counted at all (below poster should be feeling quite smug).
My son wants to join the Marines, and there are still people calling the Iraq war POINTLESS.
Looks like that white flag of surrender will be waving soon.
Obama's Plan to Rejoin the World Community...
http://townhall.com/Columnists/PhyllisSchlafly/2008/12/23/obamas_plan_to_rejoin_the_world_community
This is for a serious discussion... Do you think Obama will help the black community to "change&#
I am watching a story on Nightly News maybe that's what this is... It is about what he will do for the "black community" I guess they call it. They then pointed out the murder rate between in that community, that African-Americans make up 13% of the population but 40% of the incarcerated, etc. etc.
Fact: Obama wouldn't pass a background check for either of these organizations based on his associations alone (Wright, Ayers, Dohrn, etc.), yet somehow it's different to be President?
Don't waste your time arguing the point. Look it up for yourselves and start paying attention to plain facts.
As a side item, none of us would qualify based on associations like these.
Personally I think it could have been some Obama supporters there doing it just to start things. It may have not been endorsed by the Obama campaign but it could happen. In the same sense, she could have not heard it being up on stage if her supporters were saying it. I was talking to my husband about this (he's been in a couple of bands) and you know how sometime the band members will talk with the audience? Well they have done that before and he said he could never figure out what the crowd was yelling back when they all got going and after awhile you just tune it out. Could have been the same deal. Now if she was up there saying "we need to kill the terrorist" I would have to question her...
The mud is being slung from both sides ya'll, gotta dig deep to find the truth. Stop believing what's on the surface.
According to the Secret Service...
who yelled "kill him" when Barack Obama's name was mentioned during a Sarah Palin rally?
After investigating the claim, the Secret Service concluded that no one actually heard the comment that was widely reported in the media
Who I feel bad for are the ones in the service now
I see so many stories that are just heart aching of the ones that are getting out of the service now. What do they have to come back to? There is nothing for them and it's awful. Our country has been in such disarray for so long, if I was in the service I would probably stay in. When I got out there was a thriving economy, but now??? Just a horrible situation for them.
I loved the service when I was in it (except getting called out of bed at 2 am in the middle of winter to pack up gear, load equipment on the trucks, then get trucked out to the boonies and stand guard for nothing. :-) Or getting called out of bed at 4 am payday fridays' to run 5 miles (I hated running) :-) But my experience overall I'm glad I did it and had the chance to be in the service at the time I was in. Now I think it's just very sad for the soldier's facing getting out of the service.
Thank you for your service!..and Boxer is an
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I am sure the Secret Service all love
piling into that Ford Focus everyday....lol Methinks he probably has a limo or two, just not in his name...
what a nation of wimps we will become under this man. He'll be hiding behind Michelle's skirt.
Both my daughers belong to a service
organization that does things in the community year round. In fact, my oldest daughter got a scholarship at a private college mainly because of her community service. I believe that community service teaches our young people to give something back to the community to help those less fortunate. It is a very good plan in my opinion.
The Secret Service is idiotic? George's questionable military service...
flash back to Bill...who stated he hated the military and was too busy smoking pot (but not inhaling) to involve himself in military service. Puleezzeee. And we all know about Bill's...ahem...stones. Lent themselves to interns, black dresses and cigars (ewwwwww I mean REALLYYYYYY) instead of taking care of the country. Yup, there 's somethin' to be proud of!!! (not)
Secret service has said "yes" they do have these weapons...
I agree, the U.S. should nEVER stick their nose in any country's business as far as I am concerned; however, with Obama, it is no secret he has never stayed silent with the asian countries but has bowed his way through the muslim countries.... O lovers can think what they want but O is Muslim, will always be Muslim, and that's that....don't really care what anyone else thinks...his silence speaks volumes. O says he wants to "reach out" to the muslim world... well folks, this is his chance to just say something. He doesn't have to interfere and shouldn't.
Don't worry about your precious Obama..... he has no power whatsoever. He is nothing more than a little puppet being pulled by very elite people.... how else do you think he was elected? Sure as heck not because he's qualified!!!
Mousavi is like choosing between bad and evil.... either way, those folks are screwed!! BTW, we should NEVER be involved with the UN. We don't need other countries to decide for us what we should and should not do....
And when you're paying through your nose in Obama's taxes for your wonderful government controlled life, see how much you love him then! And, yes, he will screw you over too!
Clinton and C, King's memoral service today....
Four presidents were present at Coretta King's memorial service today. Carter was there and blasted Bush by recalling how the Kings were illegally wiretapped. Bush Sr. was there and actually seemed quite amiable and pleasant. Bush Jr. got up and read his usual canned ghost-written blah blah.
It was almost embarrassing though to see the difference in the way the mourners responded to Bush Jr and to Bill Clinton. The crowd greeted Clinton with resounding cheers and a standing ovation when he came into the church - no such greeting for Bush, only a polite clapping. When Clinton took his turn to speak - the only speaker of the Presidents by the way not to be reading a notepad or turning pages on the podium - he got a another standing ovation for his eulogy, which was delivered off the cuff, from the heart, and just seemed to hit a nerve with the audience like Bush Jr. has never been able to do.
I think it's clear - despite the smear jobs and the hypocritical railroading, the vast majority of America still loves Bill Clinton and in fact I think always has. Sure, he's not perfect and did some questionable things. But, his intelligence, charisma, ability to speak eloquently without teleprompters or earpieces, and just plain good empathy, diplomacy and people-sense, when compared side by side with Bush's obvious discomfort and absorption in his script pages, just really made clear how much we are lacking in the White House today - painfully clear.
I'm surprised Dubya didn't attend this since he recently told Larry King that Lay was such a *good guy.*
Friends remember Lay at memorial service
By KRISTEN HAYS, AP Business WriterWed Jul 12, 7:17 PM ET
Enron Corp. founder Kenneth Lay was a high-powered businessman, philanthropist and family man who didn't succumb to despair despite the scandal that destroyed his company and left him a vilified felon, friends and family members said at a memorial service Wednesday where mourners included former President George Bush.
Lay's 90-minute service drew some of the high-profile guests who were close to him before he was convicted in May of fraud and conspiracy for lying to investors and the public about the energy company's financial health. Enron collapsed in late 2001.
Neither the Bushes nor former Secretary of State James Baker III, Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane Jr. and noted heart surgeon Denton Cooley spoke. The Bushes sat directly behind Lay's wife, Linda.
Instead, Lay's family and friends sought to show a kinder view of him than had been seen publicly since the company's collapse. Some expressed bitterness over their — and Lay's — steadfast belief that he was wrongly convicted in one of the biggest corporate frauds in history.
I am angry because of the way he was treated in the last five years of his life, and I think I'll leave it there, leave it at that, said Lay's stepson, David Herrold, who attended much of the four-month trial.
I am glad he's not in a position anymore to be whipped by his enemy, Herrold said to the hundreds in attendance at Houston's First United Methodist Church, which Lay attended for 12 years.
His mother, Linda Lay, dabbed tears with a handkerchief.
Lay died of heart disease July 5 in Aspen, Colo., where he was vacationing with his wife. About 200 friends and family, including his co-defendant, former Enron chief executive Jeffrey Skilling, attended a small memorial service there on Sunday.
But Skilling decided not to attend Wednesday's service because of heavy media coverage, said his attorney, Daniel Petrocelli. His wife, former Enron corporate secretary Rebecca Carter, attended both services.
As guests entered the sanctuary, they passed a framed photo of a smiling Lay wearing a red Enron T-shirt, blue athletic shorts and gym shoes. Two large bouquets of sunflowers sat on either side of the pulpit, while two burning candles sat on each side of an open Bible in the center.
The Rev. Bill Lawson, prominent pastor of the African-American Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston, said the Lay he knew wasn't the target of late-night TV jokes or a pariah. Lawson called Lay a victim of a lynching and praised mourners for staying friends with him through the scandal.
The folks who don't like him have had their say. I'd like to have mine and I don't care what you think about it, he said, eliciting brief applause. Now his grandchildren won't ask, `Why is Papia in jail?' No more persecution. That is behind him, Lawson said.
Lawson evoked leaders who he said were vilified in life but vindicated by history, including the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Minutes before Wednesday's service began, shrieks pierced the sanctuary as Lay friend and former Houston Mayor Bob Lanier, 81, collapsed in an aisle. Carter and Lawson comforted Lanier's distraught wife, Elyse, before paramedics whisked him to a hospital, where was in stable condition with an irregular heartbeat.
Lay and Skilling were the faces of Enron throughout the company's meteoric rise from a stodgy pipeline company to a powerhouse energy trader.
Their reputations shattered alongside the company as their images switched from business visionaries to perpetrators of fraud that fueled a spectacular crash that evaporated $60 billion in market value and left thousands jobless.
A jury convicted Lay of six counts of fraud and conspiracy and Skilling of 19 of 28 counts of fraud, conspiracy, insider trading and lying to auditors. Lay also was convicted of bank fraud and lying to banks in a separate, non-jury trial related to his personal banking.
Lay died awaiting their Oct. 23 sentencing, and his lawyers are expected to ask a judge to erase his conviction because his death left his case unfinished. Skilling still faces sentencing on that date and could be ordered to serve decades in prison.
Beau Herrold, another Lay stepson who manages the family's finances, read from a letter he had begun writing to U.S. District Judge Sim Lake that he intended to deliver before Lay's sentencing.
In the letter, he described Lay as a devoted husband, father, grandfather and brother who always found a way to make time for family. Lay is survived by his wife, children, two sisters and 12 grandchildren.
___
Associated Press photographers David Phillip and Pat Sullivan, viedographer Rich Matthews and writer Chris Duncan contributed to this report.
Y'know....all these derisive remarks about McCain's service...
and his years in a POW camp...with all due respect, if enduring unspeakable torture for 5 years for refusing to make propaganda tapes for the enemy, turning down a release offered to him because his father was a high ranking military officer because there were men there who had been there longer than he had and suffering even more because he turned it down...the unimaginable suffering, the honor, integrity and love for his country he showed...separated from loved ones, family, friends and country for 5 long years...to be boiled down to a political phrase "lying in a POW camp for 5 years does not make you qualified to run a country." I say it does, in spades. THAT is character. THAT is integrity. THAT is patriotism.
Secret Service to investigate hate speech
Now that campaign is a real class act.
Secret Service Shows Up At Texas Mom's Door...
Quote:
They came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up.
Quote:
Last week, here in America, they came for Jessica Hughes, and I will not be silent. I will not turn away, hoping, in the end, they will not come for me.
Jessica Hughes of Lufkin, Texas, former Marine, mother of three, answered her cell phone in the car, coming home from the emergency room. Her 9-year-old had suffered a mild concussion, but was OK.
The caller was a female Obama volunteer who asked if Jessica would support Obama for president.
Jessica replied, "No, I don't support him. Your guy is a socialist who voted four times in the state Senate to let little babies die in hospital closets; I think you should find something better to do with your time." Then Jessica hung up.
The next day, a man and a woman in suits showed up at the door of her home, identifying themselves as members of the Secret Service.
The Secret Service agents stated that the Obama campaign had complained of a death threat. They had quoted Jessica as saying, "I will never support Obama, and he will wind up dead on a hospital floor."
Jessica's husband had heard Jessica's side of the original phone call and verified the actual quote. To which the female agent replied, "Oh? Well why would she (the Obama volunteer) make that up?"
Jessica replied that the Obama volunteer was probably unhappy about what Jessica had said about her candidate. The female agent then said "That's right, you were rude!"
The male agent then displayed a file with Jessica's full name prominently printed on it and asked her how she felt about Obama. At this point, the former Marine told the agent "in no uncertain terms" (as she later recounted) that this was America and that the last time she checked, she was allowed to think whatever she wanted without being questioned by the Secret Service. And was being "rude" a federal crime now too?
The agents then admitted they had no tape of the conversation, just the quote from the Obama campaign.
Responding to Jessica's questions, the agents would not identify themselves by name, nor reveal the name of the Obama volunteer who had made the complaint. The agents did indicate that Jessica was not in a court of law yet, and that they were trying to not embarrass her "by going to all her family and neighbors."
To these implied threats, Jessica invited the agents to speak to whomever they wanted, and stated she would happily go to court since she had done nothing wrong.
Jessica asked the agents, "Look, someone calls me unsolicited on my cell phone to ask me to support their candidate, and I can't tell them why I don't?"
The Secret Service left Jessica that day, but she could not get the "visit" out of her mind.
The Republican vice presidential candidate attracted criticism for accusing Mr Obama of "palling around with terrorists", citing his association with the sixties radical William Ayers.
The attacks provoked a near lynch mob atmosphere at her rallies, with supporters yelling "terrorist" and "kill him" until the McCain campaign ordered her to tone down the rhetoric.
But it has now emerged that her demagogic tone may have unintentionally encouraged white supremacists to go even further.
WASHINGTON — President George W. Bush's "after-life," as Laura Bush calls the post-presidency, is shaping up to be pretty comfortable, with a Dallas office, staffers, Secret Service protection, a travel budget, medical coverage and a $196,700 annual pension, all at taxpayers' expense.
However, Bush will be the first president not to benefit from one former lifetime benefit: Secret Service protection.
"He'll be the first one to receive it for 10 years," said Malcolm Wiley, Secret Service spokesman. Congress changed the law in the 1990s so that any president elected after Jan. 1, 1997, and his or her spouse will receive the federal protection for only 10 years.
The Bushes will move to their new $2 million, 8,500-square-foot Dallas home — not paid for by taxpayers — on Jan. 20, and there Bush will be close to his future presidential library at Southern Methodist University.
"We're working on a conceptual design for the building," said Mark Langdale, president of the George W. Bush Foundation. The president will help develop the $300 million structure, which will include a library, museum and policy institute.
Fundraising is just beginning, Langdale said. Once the project is finished in 2013, the National Archives and Records Administration will take over the operation of the library and museum, at federal expense. Construction will be paid for with private funds, and Bush is expected to be involved in organizing the fundraising drive.
"He is enthusiastic about spending a lot of his time and effort working on the programs of the institute," Langdale said.
Bush will maintain an office nearby in space acquired by the General Services Administration, which, under the Former Presidents Act, will pay for the office suite and staff to assist him for the rest of his life.
Bush's pension, which is tied to the base pay of the most senior government executives and increases with federal cost-of-living adjustments, will be about half the $400,000 annual presidential salary. He and Vice President Dick Cheney will receive transition expenses as well for seven months — one month before the inauguration and six months afterward — "to facilitate their transition to private life," according to the Congressional Research Service.
The GSA also covers travel expenses for any official activities attended by a former president, as well as two staff members. Former President Bill Clinton was allocated $50,000 for travel in fiscal year 2008 and former President George H.W. Bush, $56,000.
Former presidents and their families are entitled to health care in military hospitals, although they have to pay a reimbursement rate set by the Office of Management and Budget.
Bush will receive a state funeral upon his death, with full military honors for the former commander in chief.
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