Caroline Wilson's Diary

The Final Chapter of the Redemption of Sadie Burrell

Okay, I lied, but I didn't mean to.  This is the last chapter that I'll post from my novel. 

It's still draft, copyrighted, yadah, yadah, yadah.

Note, I've moved it forward.  We're now in the 1960s.  Sadie is older, and has two daughters:  Leona and Janey.

This is about 10 Chapters before the end of the novel:

           “Honey, why don’t we invite our new neighbors over for dinner to see what they’re like?”  Sadie said to Lester while dressing the table for dinner.

            He snapped his newspaper into place, and said nothing. 

“Honey, are you listening to me?”

            Lester turned to the Sports Section.  Never looking up, he replied, “Yeah, sure.”

            She walked out of the house, carrying a chocolate cake that she had Leona make the day before.  The door to the home was slightly ajar, so she peeked in.  “Hello, is anyone home?”

A woman’s head darted out of one of the scattered boxes littering the floor.  She looked to be about thirty-six.  Her frumpy, flowered dress, nude-colored hosieries and thick shoes made her look like a church-mother.

“Hi, I’m Sadie Burrell Turner, your neighbor.  I wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood.  My husband Lester thought I should come by and ask if you needed anything.”

The woman smiled, gratefulness shone on her face.  “Why thank you.  I’m Willa Mae Simpson, and my husband is Reverend Thomas Simpson.”  Her eyes scanned Sadie from head to toe, she smoothed her house dress.

“Well it’s nice to meet you,” Sadie murmured as she dodged unpacked boxes and unhung pictures.  “Looks like you have your hands full.  Can I help you with anything?”

Willa Mae cleared a space on an old sofa.  “No, but please sit down.  I could use the company.”

Sadie flashed her a disappointed glance.  “I’m so sorry, but my husband and I have an appointment this evening.  I just came by to bring you this cake that I baked.  If you and your family aren’t busy tomorrow night, my husband and I would love for you to have dinner with us.  Moving can take up so much of your time and…”

Willa Mae’s eyes beamed.  “Yes, we’d love to.  Thank you for the invitation.”

XXXX

            The next morning Sadie rushed to get the girls out of the house.  Retha would be there by 9:00am and the caterer by 5:00pm.  She wanted to make a good impression on the new neighbors and show the church-mother, Willa Mae, how important she and Lester were in the community and how they entertained.

            Leona walked into the kitchen.  Sadie tried to ignore the annoyance on her face.

            “Mother, why do we need Ms. Retha today and why are you having the food catered?  They’re just the neighbors, it’s not like you’re entertaining President Eisenhower.”  

            Sadie glared at her.  “When you become as important in the community like your father and I, you will always want to make a good impression.  Besides, if you saw the woman you would want me to show her how a wife is supposed to look,” she giggled.

            Leona rolled her eyes.  “Mother, may I be excused from dinner tonight.  I need to study.”

Sadie stopped working and placed her hands on her hips.  “No you may not!  You will eat dinner with the family, like we do every night.” 

Leona flashed her a surprise look.   “When was the last time do we ate dinner together, mother?  You’re always gone.”

“I’ve about had enough of you.  What’s gotten into you lately?  Ever since your father and I have taken up the cause of fighting for equal rights for our people, you act like you resent us.  When you were a little girl, I couldn’t take you to the White House for the Easter Egg roll because we,” she said, pointing at her skin, “were not allowed.  So I had to settle for taking you to the zoo.”

“Mother, when did you ever care about anyone, but yourself?”  Leona shouted.   

Sadie’s palm slammed against her face.  “You are the most ungrateful child that I have ever seen in my life.  Everything we do is for you and Janey and this is what we get in return.  Go to school.”  She turned away from the hatred beaming in her daughter’s eyes.

She’d done the best she could for herself and daughters, worked hard to ensure they’d have a better life than hers.  She’d done more for them than her own parents.

Leona was just an ungrateful child, but once she faced the real world, a world that hated her because of her skin-color, she’d be thankful for the life she’d been given.

The Redemption of Sadie Burrell

Okay. I'm writing again. I told my editor that the novel will be ready for her by October 30. I'm going to make that deadline so help me GOD! Here's another excerpt. It's copyrighted and still a draft. Where in 1953 now.  Tell me what you think:

            She dressed in a sphegetti strapped, midnight-blue Chanel that Lester had purchased for her on one of his trips to New York.  The dress fit her perfectly, stopping just below the knees, accentuating her curves. 

            Sadie strolled into the Howard Theater, and this time she was one the attractions.  Cameras flashed as she waltzed across the foyer.  Like Lynnette Mason years before her she had a small fan club of women who greeted her with fondness. 

Vivian Williams and Mae Frances Seymour stood together and beckoned her to join them.  Mae Frances was this year’s President of the Greater Washington Urban League for Women.  She was also a friend of Mary McLeod Bethune, an advisor to the President of the United States, a woman Sadie was dying to meet.  Although rumors floated about the failing health of Ms. Bethune, her name was still prominent in the black community.  Sadie imagined herself rising to the same position; invited to President Eisenhower’s cabinet meetings where she’d inform them of the perils of people.

             “Oh Sadie you look like a million bucks in that dress.” Mae Frances gushed.

            Vivian gave her a knowing glance, “Dear, where’s your husband?” 

            Sadie smiled, and said, “He’s with our daughter.  She has a project for school and it was one of those things that daddy has to help with.  You know how little girls are.”

            She knew Vivian had seen through her lie.  Lester had no intention of attending the dinner with her.

            Mae Frances placed a hand on her chest and breathed, “How sweet.”                       

Sadie stopped cold when she saw Carol and Dave chatting with another couple. 

            “Well Sadie, don’t you look lovely.  I hope you’re not here to cause trouble tonight.”  The twinkle in her eyes and smug look on her face was a sure sign that she expected trouble.

            “Marie, it’s very good to see you,” Sadie offered.

             “I wish I could say the same.  So what appalling behavior do you have up your sleeve tonight?”

            “Marie, I resent you making that remark.  Things have changed.  Lester and I are getting married and…”

            “Humph.  The only reason you wanted Lester was so that he could help you steal Flora’s fortune.”  Marie walked closer, and adjusted the strap of Sadie’s gown. To those who passed by, it looked as if Marie was helping an old friend with her wardrobe.  “You’re a no good slut and all your evil deeds are going to catch up with you one day.”

            Marie looked past her; Sadie’s eyes followed her gaze.  Nathan, was walking toward Carol and Dave.  “Oh, there’s my husband.  Toodles.”

She waved, and cast a triumphant look at Sadie. 

            Sadie felt lonely.  Standing a few feet away were the the people who’d once treated her like family. She missed them, especially Carol.  She willed her emotions to remain in check.

            “Ms. Burrell.” A heavy-set man said as he reached for her hand.  She politely smiled. “I’m Congressman Jude Wayman from the great State of Maryland,” he voice boomed.  Sadie wondered if he were really a member of Congress.  His tuxedo fit too snuggly and what hair left on his balding, white scalp made him look hideous.  The scent of cologne and alcohol coming from his skin overwhelmed her.   “I wanted to come over and personally thank you for the donations you’ve given to the Democrats.  I saw your name on the guest list and I would love for you to join me and my wife at our table tonight.”

            Sadie was speechless.  From the corner of her eye, she could see the Cookmans glaring at her, snickering.  She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of knowing they had gotten to her so she walked past them smiling and pretending to enjoy Congressman Wayman’s bid for one of Maryland’s Congressional seats.

            Mrs. Wayman’s reception of her was cool at best.  “Nice to meet you,” she offered after giving both Sadie and her husband a disapproving glance. 

            She engaged the boring couple in meaningless conversation until her stomach churned.  She excused herself and headed off to the bathroom for another heaving session.  The attendant handed her wet towels for her face.

            “Miss, can I call someone for you?” the attendant asked.

            “No.  It’s just the flu.  I’ll be fine in a minute.”

            Reaching in her uniform, the attendant pulled out a couple of peppermints.  “Here suck on these.  Sure did help me when I was pregnant.”

            Embarrassed, Sadie offered her thanks, walked to the mirror, and started reapplying her makeup.  The door swung open and in waltzed Lynnette Mason. “Could you leave us alone for a moment, please?” she said to the attendant.   

“I’m glad you’re hear.”  Lynnette stood next her and removed a compact from her purse.

            Sadie frowned. “Excuse me?” 

            Lynnette dabbed powder on her tanned skin and said, “The invitation for tonight’s fundraiser came from me.”

             “Thank you.  I’m a big fan of the candidate and…” 

Lynette slammed her compact on the counter top. 

“Look, you’re either plain stupid or just the black whore that I suspected you to be.  Or maybe you’re both.  I know all about you and Talbot and that little bastard of yours.”

            Taken aback, she thought of a response as hurtful as the one Lynnette had just issued. “Now wait a minute…”

            Lynnette pointed a perfectly manicured finger in her face.  “No, you wait a minute! I invited you here tonight so that you can see what promise Talbot has to the community and to the Nation.  And since we’re alone, I believe that I need to issue you a warning:  keep that little pickaninny away from my husband.  Do you hear me?  Every time you show up in public with her, I start hearing rumors about his nigger daughter.   This is something that may reach the ears of my own son one day and I will not have my family shamed.  My husband is on his way to very high places and I will have neither his name nor mine tied to some scandal because of some five minute session you provided him.”

            Sadie’s face grew hot; rage sped through her.  She balled her fist and jammed it into Lynnette’s lips.  The woman doubled over, and stared at her in shock.  Sadie grabbed her by the hair.

  “Sadie!  No!” Carol’s grabbed her by the waist, pulling her away from Lynnette.  Carol stood between them and ushered Sadie out.

            Tears spilled from her eyes.  “She called my baby a bastard.  Called her a nigger and a pickaninny.”  When she saw the concerned look on Carol’s face, she squared her shoulders.  “Well, I showed her.”  

            Carol’s gaze grew cold, her stance rigid.  “I’m sorry that she attacked Leona.”  She walked away.   

            A crowd gathered when Lynnette stumbled from the bathroom screaming at the attendant for not properly cleaning the water off the floor.  “I’ve slipped on the spill around the sink and hit my face.  I should sue you people,” she hissed.

 The subject of her abuse looked confused.  Lynnette asked one of her admirers to summon her husband.

Fact Checking The Candidates

Okay, I know I'm supposed to be writing author stuff, but I can't focus on my writing because the most exciting point in my life is happening now.  Believe it or not, I'm really interested in this year's Presidential Candidates.  Why?  Because, it's historical for blacks and women.  And, the economy sucks right now.

So, I've been checking the facts from FactCheck.org.

Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama met for their final debate Oct. 15. The face-to-face was held at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., and was moderated by CBS News' Bob Schieffer.

ACORN and Vote Fraud

McCain made some dire claims about a liberal group he said was out to steal the election:

McCain: We need to know the full extent of Sen. Obama's relationship with ACORN, who is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy.

It's true that the voter registration wing of the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now has run into trouble in several states. ACORN employees have been investigated and in some cases indicted for voter registration fraud. Most recently, more than 2,000 registrations in Lake County, Ind., have turned out to be falsified.

But does this constitute "destroying the fabric of democracy"? More like destroying the fabric of work ethic. There's been no evidence that the ACORN employees who submitted fraudulent forms have been paving the way for illegal voting. Rather, they're trying to get paid for doing no work.

Dan Satterberg, the Republican prosecuting attorney in King County, Wash., where in 2007 the largest ACORN case to date was prosecuted, said:

Satterberg: [A] joint federal and state investigation has determined that this
scheme was not intended to permit illegal voting.

Instead, the defendants cheated their employer. ... It was hardly a sophisticated plan: The defendants simply realized that making up names was easier than actually canvassing the streets looking for unregistered voters. ...

[It] appears that the employees of ACORN were not performing the work that they were being paid for, and to some extent, ACORN is a victim of employee theft.

The $8-an-hour employees were charged with providing false information on a voter registration, and in one case with making a false statement to a public official. ACORN was fined for showing insufficient oversight, but it was not charged with masterminding any kind of fraud.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, Obama wasn't entirely forthcoming about his relationship with ACORN:

Obama: The only involvement I've had with ACORN is, I represented them alongside the U.S. Justice Department in making Illinois implement a motor voter law that helped people get registered at DMVs.

He did, but that wasn't his only involvement. He also worked closely with ACORN's Chicago office when he ran a Project Vote registration drive after law school, and Obama did some leadership training for Chicago ACORN. The Woods Fund, where Obama served as a board member, gave grants to ACORN's Chicago branch; both organizations are concerned with disadvantaged populations in that city. And during the primaries of this election, Obama's campaign paid upwards of $800,000 to the ACORN-affiliated Campaign Services Inc. for get-out-the-vote efforts (not voter registration). Those services were initially misrepresented on the campaign's Federal Election Commission reports, an error that some find suspicious and others say is par for the course. ACORN's Chicago office and CSI have not been under investigation.

Ohio plumber Joe Wurzelbacher got a lot of airtime.

McCain first mentioned Joe by saying:

McCain: Joe wants to buy the business that he has been in for all of these years, worked 10, 12 hours a day. And he wanted to buy the business but he looked at your tax plan and he saw that he was going to pay much higher taxes.

Joe’s newfound fame stems from an impromptu encounter Oct. 12, during which Wurzelbacher questioned Obama’s tax plans. Joe has since become a conservative folk hero after telling both Fox News and the conservative Web site Family Security Matters that he thought Obama’s plans sounded “socialist.”

At their encounter, Wurzelbacher told Obama that “I’m getting ready to buy a company that makes 250 to 280 thousand dollars a year,” before asking whether or not Obama would raise his taxes.

If the company is actually that profitable, and depending on how the business is organized legally, Obama’s plan would indeed raise his federal income taxes, and Obama conceded as much during the exchange. As we’ve written before, small businesses commonly are organized in such a way that their owners file business taxes as individuals. So if Joe’s plumbing business earns more than $200,000 per year (or $250,000 if Joe is married and files tax returns jointly) then his taxes would indeed be higher under Obama's plan than under McCain's.

It’s worth noting that while Wurzelbacher told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto that he lives “in a simple, middle class home” and portrayed himself as an ordinary working guy, Wurzelbacher’s $250,000 to $280,000 is a bit higher than "ordinary." In 2007, the last year for which the Census Bureau has figures, the median income for a family in Toledo, Ohio, was $43,553.

Update, Oct. 16: ABC News reported that Wurzelbacher may actually qualify for a tax cut under Obama's plan, and not a tax increase. ABC reported on its Web site the morning after the debate that one of its reporters, Chris Bury, had spoken to Wurzelbacher and that he "acknowledged that he wants to purchase the plumbing business for $250-280,000, not that he would net that much in profits." ABC news quoted him as saying he would make much less than $250,000. If that's correct, then Wurzelbacher based his complaint on a misunderstanding of how Obama's tax plan would affect him. Earlier, Wurzelbacher appeared live on ABC's Good Morning America program and repeated his complaints about higher taxes, but anchor Diane Sawyer did not ask him about his expected profits or question whether his taxes really would go up. We await further clarification.

But Joe the Plumber wasn’t through yet. He made an encore appearance when McCain recycled a bogus claim that Obama would "fine" small business owners who fail to provide health care coverage for their workers:

McCain: Now, my old buddy, Joe, Joe the plumber, is out there. Now, Joe, Sen. Obama's plan, if you're a small business and . . .  you've got employees, and you've got kids, if you don't get – adopt the health care plan that Sen. Obama mandates, he's going to fine you . . . I don't think that Joe right now wants to pay a fine when he is seeing such difficult times in America's economy.

McCain raised a similar charge at the last debate. It's still false. Obama’s plan, which is posted on his Web site, specifically says, “Small businesses will be exempt from this requirement.”

Obama hasn't defined exactly what he means by "small" but he seems to think Joe would qualify; he repeatedly referred to Joe’s “small business” during their exchange.

Obama's health plan does mandate that children have health coverage. If Joe doesn't provide insurance for his kids, he would face some unspecified penalty.

Health Care Hype

Obama and McCain traded boasts and accusations on each other’s health care plan. They ran afoul of the facts a few times.

Obama: And we estimate we can cut the average family's premium by about $2,500 per year.

The Obama camp does estimate that. But experts we talked to found that optimistic figure hard to believe.

Then, McCain said:

McCain: Sen. Obama wants to set up health care bureaucracies, take over the health care of America through — as he said, his object is a single payer system. If you like that, you'll love Canada and England.

Obama’s plan is not a single-payer system, which would be one in which everyone has health care provided and paid for by the government. Under Obama’s health care plan, Americans can keep the insurance they have, choose from federally-approved private plans or buy into a new public plan similar to the health care federal employees and members of Congress have.

McCain was referring to comments Obama made at a town hall meeting in Albuquerque in August. But Obama did not say that "his object is a single payer system." He said it would "probably" be his first choice "if" he were starting with a clean slate, which he isn't. He said his object is to "build up the system we got."  According to the Wall Street Journal, Obama said:

Obama (as quoted by the Wall Street Journal, Aug. 19): If I were designing a system from scratch, I would probably go ahead with a single-payer system. ... [M]y attitude is let’s build up the system we got, let’s make it more efficient, we may be over time — as we make the system more efficient and everybody’s covered — decide that there are other ways for us to provide care more effectively.

Back in 2003, Obama was much more explicit. At an AFL-CIO forum, he said he was “a proponent of a single-payer health care program,” adding, “that’s what I’d like to see. And as all of you know, we may not get there immediately.”

That was five years ago, however, and recently, Obama has said he’d favor single-payer only if “starting from scratch.” He told The New Yorker in May 2007: “If you're starting from scratch, then a single-payer system ... would probably make sense. But we've got all these legacy systems in place, and managing the transition ... would be difficult to pull off. So we may need a system that's not so disruptive.”

Obama exaggerated a weakness in McCain's health care plan:

Obama: Now, under Sen. McCain's plan there is a strong risk that people would lose their employer-based health care.

Experts see a risk that some would lose their employer-based care, but Obama’s reference to "people" makes it sound as though nearly everyone would. Two independent studies both found that McCain’s plan would lead to a net decline in the number of people with health care through their jobs. (They said Obama’s would result in a net increase.) Both reports show, however, that there’s not a “strong risk” for all, or even a majority, of workers to lose their health care.
 
Currently, 159 million Americans have health care through their jobs, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. A study by the Lewin Group shows a net decline in the number with job-provided benefits of 9.4 million people in 2010 for McCain's plan. The Tax Policy Center projected that the net decrease would be 7.7 million in 2010 and 20.3 million people by 2018.

McCain and Obama both said much more that may have confused viewers. For a spin-free look at both of the candidates’ health care plans, see our recent article on this issue.

100% Negative?

Obama falsely claimed all of McCain's ads had been "negative."

Obama: And 100 percent, John, of your ads – 100 percent of them have been negative.

McCain: It's not true.

Obama: It absolutely is true.

It was almost true, for one recent week. Obama was referring to a report by the Wisconsin Advertising Project at the University of Wisconsin that concluded that “nearly 100 percent of the McCain campaign’s advertisements were negative” during the week of Sept. 28 through Oct. 4. During the same week, 34 percent of the Obama campaign’s ads were negative. The Obama campaign was found to have outspent the McCain campaign in nearly all of the competitive states, in some cases by a margin of more than 3-to-1.

McCain’s ads, however, have not been deemed 100 percent negative in other weeks. In fact, in the week after the Republican National Convention, 77 percent of Obama’s ads were negative, according to the advertising project, while 56 percent of McCain’s were negative.

Wrong on Exports to Colombia

McCain was way off when he said that Colombia is "our largest agricultural importer of our products." According to the Department of Agriculture, that distinction belongs to Canada, which imported about $13.2 billion worth of agricultural products from the U.S. in 2007. Colombia is an important trading partner, but it was 12th on the list, at slightly more than $1.1 billion.

Update, Oct. 16: Our story originally said that Colombia imported just over $1.4 million worth of agricultural products from the U.S. in 2007, and put the figure for Canada at $1.9 billion. Those figures are wrong, and we have corrected the section above. It's still the case, however, that Canada is the largest importer of U.S. agricultural exports.

Obama No Maverick

Obama exaggerated his willingness to defy his own party. When McCain asked for an example, Obama offered this:

Obama: First of all, in terms of standing up to the leaders of my party, the first major bill that I voted on in the Senate was in support of tort reform, which wasn't very popular with trial lawyers, a major constituency in the Democratic Party.

That 2005 bill was S.5, which dealt with class-action lawsuits. Obama was one of 18 Democrats voting for it, while 26 opposed. It's a stretch for Obama to claim that he bolted his party when nearly 41 percent of Democrats voted in favor of the bill.

And as we pointed out before, Obama has a pretty consistent record of voting in stride with his party. According to Congressional Quarterly, in Obama's three years in the Senate, he has voted with his party almost 97 percent of the time.

Budget Ballyhoo

Both candidates got ahead of themselves when it came to balancing the budget and eliminating the deficit. Obama said every one of his spending increases was paid for.

Obama: Now, what I've done throughout this campaign is to propose a net spending cut. ... Every dollar that I've proposed, I've proposed an additional cut so that it matches.

McCain said he could balance the budget within one term.

Schieffer: Do either of you think you can balance the budget in four years? You have said previously you thought you could, Sen. McCain.
McCain: Sure I do. And let me tell you...
Schieffer: You can still do that?
McCain: Yes.

These are pie-in-the-sky predictions. We've looked at McCain's balanced-budget promise before – it's out of reach unless he cuts spending to an unrealistic degree. The Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center estimates that by 2013, at the end of his first term, McCain's tax plan would have him facing a $662 billion deficit. That could come to more than half of that year's discretionary spending, which the Office of Management and Budget projects to be $1.1 trillion. And we've previously disputed Obama's claim that "every dime" of his proposed spending is covered. The Tax Policy Center estimated that Obama’s plan – and McCain's, too –  "would substantially increase the national debt over the next ten years" unless the candidates come up with "substantial cuts in government spending" that they haven't yet specified. More recently, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget also estimated that in 2013, Obama’s major budget proposals – including spending cuts – would increase the deficit for that year by $281 billion.

The $42,000, Again.

McCain was on the wrong side of this exchange:

McCain: Sen. Obama talks about voting for budgets. He voted twice for a budget resolution that increases the taxes on individuals making $42,000 a year. . . .

Obama: [T]he notion that I voted for a tax increase for people making $42,000 a year has been disputed by everybody who has looked at this claim.

McCain was wrong to say Obama's March 2008 vote for a budget resolution "increases" anything. Budget resolutions set targets for taxes and spending; actually raising or lowering them requires separate legislation.

The $42,000 figure also would only apply to single taxpayers, not to couples or families. As we’ve reported, a single taxpayer making more than $41,500 would have seen a tax increase, but a couple filing jointly would have seen no increase unless they made at least $83,000, and for a couple with two children the cut-off would have been $90,000. Regardless, the increase that Obama once supported as part of a Democratic budget bill is not part of his own current tax plan. And Obama was right when he said "even FOX News disputes" McCain's $42,000 claim. Chris Wallace of Fox News agreed that it was misleading.

Wrong Justice

McCain said that Obama voted against the confirmations of Supreme Court Justices Stephen Breyer and John Roberts:

McCain: Senator Obama voted against Justice Breyer and Justice Roberts on the grounds that they didn't meet his ideological standards.

McCain probably meant to say that Obama voted against the confirmations of Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, the most recent additions to the court. Obama did vote against the confirmation of Roberts, but he wasn’t in the Senate when Breyer was nominated to join the Court. Breyer was nominated to the Supreme Court by former President Bill Clinton and confirmed by the Senate in 1994. Obama didn’t become a senator until January 2005.

Charter School Slip-Up

Obama overstated his work on charter schools in Illinois:

Obama: Charter schools, I doubled the number of charter schools in Illinois despite some reservations from teachers unions.

Actually, the bill Obama cosponsored doubled the number of charter schools in Chicago, not in the entire state of Illinois. (And an extra slap on the wrist to Obama for using the personal pronoun in saying that "I doubled the number of charter schools" – as we've pointed out before, it takes a lot more than one politician to get a bill passed.)

Tried But Untrue

And we noted that both candidates continued to recycle bunk that we've heard before:

• McCain said once again, "We have to stop sending $700 billion a year to countries that don't like us very much." As we've noted several times in the past, $700 billion would have been the cost of all annual U.S. oil imports when the price was $140 per barrel. But it's down to about half that now.

• Obama said oil companies have "68 million acres that they currently have leased that they're not drilling." We've previously criticized him for similar statements, and it's still not true. As we've pointed out, there is exploratory drilling being done on much of these lands, which are not yet producing oil. In 2007 there were more than 15,000 holes that were being proposed, started or finished that do not count as "productive" holes.
  
  
• Listing some of his running mate's achievements, McCain credited Gov. Sarah Palin with “a $40 billion pipeline of natural gas that's going to relieve the energy needs" of the lower 48 states. We'll just note, again, that the pipeline is still in pre-development and is actually projected to cost $26.5 billion.

Reference: 

FactCheck.org, "FactChecking Debate No. 3." FactCheck.org 17Oct2008 18 Oct 2008 <http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/factchecking_debate_no_3.html>.

Chris Rock on Why We Should Vote

You should get out and vote so that you can have the right to complain; If you didn’t vote, you can’t say nothin’!"  Chris Rock, Comedian

The Redemption of Sadie Burrell -- Chapter 3

I'm like the girl who cried wolf.  I keep saying that my novel is nearly complete and it really is.  My editor is getting married and she said she'll give me more time to work on it.  So I'm going to give you Chapter 3.  I'm thinking that it's dragging.

What do you think?

Again -- this is set in 1930s.  Remember the last chapter was Sadie having a fight with her grandmother, Lu Dell.  It's copyrighted!

Tears trickled down her face as she stared at the sources of her rage.  The overgrown field, and the fickled blue sky that harped between decisions on whether or not to yield enough rain or sun to provide for her family’s livelihood.  Her education.   

“Hey Sadie!  I heard you’d be coming back.” 

She turned and looked in the face of Buster Luke Frasier, her old primary school friend. The mischevious grin that he had often used to challenge her as a child still played around his lips. 

            “Buster Luke Frasier.  It’s so good to see you,” she sniffled, and then greeted him with a hearty embrace. 

             Concern danced in his eyes.  “What’s got you fretting?” he asked.

            “Nothing worth talking about.  Come on and let’s catch up.” 

            They strolled down the dirt road, passing the the neighbors who had come out to catch the evening breeze. 

            “Hey Sadie!  Good to have you back.”  Joelene Perkins sat on her porch with a pail between her legs, her arms rested on her swollen belly as she shelled butter beans. 

Sadie tried hard to not let her surprise show.  Joelene had been a classmate of hers and Buster Luke’s.  But to look at her now, she looked older than her eighteen years.  Creases pinched the corners of her eyes.  Her face was as puffed as her belly.  Her hair hung in twists under a dirty scarf.

 “Thanks Joelene.  Be by to visit when I get a chance,” she lied.  

“Hey Buster Luke,” Joelene added with a nod.
            “Evening to you, Joelene,” he said, sincerely.

“What happened to her?”  Sadie asked as they continued walking.

Buster Luke glanced at her and then stuffed his hands in his pockets.  “She’s on baby number four now.  Been married since we left for college.  So she was about fifteen.  Heck, you’re eighteen now, nearly an old maid,” he chuckled.

“I’ll have you know Mr. Frasier that I’m not an old maid.  I’m a woman with different goals than the likes of Joelene Perkins,” Sadie hissed. 

Buster Luke laughed.  “Sounding more like Mrs. Freeman.”

“Feels like what she used to say to us is so far away.” She stopped, and faced him.  “I’m angry Buster Luke.  Angrier than a rattlesnake that’s been stepped on.”   

He placed his hands on her shoulder.  “Sadie, I heard things are kind of rough for your family right now.  But it’s rough on everybody.  Don’t think I don’t know how you feel.  Several times, I didn’t think I’d be going back to Morehouse, but I scraped and worked whatever job I could find.”

“You mean the fields.”

“Yeah.  The fields.  Cleaning toilets.  Houseboy.  Whatever I could find.”

“Well that’s not for me.  My papa had money until he went into business with Solomon Rogers.”

 “Sadie, you best be careful bringing up the dead,” he warned.  “Mr. Rogers did what a man is supposed to do -- like Mrs. Freeman use to tell us-- the man tried, but he was led astray.”

             “I’m sorry.  I know.  I’ll figure something out.  So how long are you going to be home?”

            “Just a couple more weeks.  Came home to check on my folks.”

            They walked nearly a half mile around the u-circled lane.  Crickets and frogs began croaking and chirping their evening songs.  

            The Rogers’ home came into view.

    “I reckon, Ida Mae and Roy Burrell are courting pretty hard,” Buster Luke said,

pointing in the direction of the Rogers’ shack. 

She watched as Ida Mae leaned against the tattered wooden fence while Roy Burrell gazed at her. 

            “She finally got him, huh?” Sadie asked.

            “I heard they’ve been at it a while now.  Word around town is that she’s pregnant.”

            She stared at them wondering how Ida Mae would ever enjoy life married to a dirt farmer. 

Ida Mae turned and waved at her.  “Sadie!”

She struggled to relax the muscles in her face from the scowl she felt wrinkling it.  She glanced at Buster Luke and then at the pole thin woman running toward her. 

“Sadie, it wasn’t her fault,” Buster Luke whispered.

Ida Mae rushed to her with open arms.  She mustered enough control to return the hug.

“When’d you get back?  I saw your papa and he said you’d be home soon.  Come here, I want you to meet my beau.  You already know him.”  Ida Mae dragged her by the hand.  “Roy Burrell.”

 “Ida Mae, you forgot that I already know him,” Sadie protested. 

            Ida Mae ignored her.  “Roy, you remember Sadie, right?  We were in the sixth

grade together.” 

“Sure do remember you.  Was the smartest girl in class.  Good to see you again,” he said, jumping off the fence.  “Buster Luke.  Good to see you too.”

        “Roy,” Sadie greeted indifferently.

Giddy and gigglish, Ida Mae asked, “So are you two sportin’ now?”

Buster Luke glanced nervously at Sadie. 

        “Ida Mae, ain’t none of our business?  Buster Luke c’mon let’s let these gals catch

up a piece.  I want to show you the truck I bought.”Roy said.

Sadie flashed Buster Luke a pleading glance.  She didn’t want to be alone with Ida Mae, not just yet. 

“Sadie, I sure is glad you home.  I missed you so much.  I stop writin’ you since you stop responding to my letters,” she said.

“College is a busy place.  Didn’t have time for writing.” 

Ida Mae tore off through the field, childishly skipping like they had done in the sixth-grade. 

            “House wit’ runnin’ water, and toilet,” she yelled.

Sadie wasn’t interested in their old childhood games. 

“C’mon Sadie.  Like we used to do,” Ida Mae begged.

 “Big city and fancy parties,” Sadie blurted, half-heartedly. 

“Husband that loves me.”

Her mind raced searching for the perfect response.  She couldn’t be bested by her friend.  “A rich husband and maids,” Sadie countered. 

Ida Mae stopped her silly skipping.  Her dark brown eyes shifted under thin lashes.  Sadie waited.  She’d thrown the ball, now it was Ida Mae’s turn to bat. 

Nothing.

Good.  Sadie raised her left eyebrow, swept her hand through the blowing strands of her thick, wavy hair, and folded her arms across her chest, something she’d done to signal anyone who’d challenge her to do better.  “Since you can’t do better than that, you’ll have to come work for me and my husband.  You’ll be my maid.”    

Ida Mae panted, “Oh, Sadie.  Just like we used to do.  I missed you so much.  Can I tell you a secret?”  She threaded her arm through Sadie’s.  “I’m in love and I’m going to have a baby.  We’re gonna get married and I want you to be my maid-of-honor.”

Sadie chuckled and then broke into full laughter. 

Hurt showed in Ida Mae’s eyes.  “What’s so funny, Sadie?”

        “Roy Burrell?  C’mon Ida Mae.  We always said we’d do better.  Remember

you just said it ‘house with running water’. Roy can’t provide that for you.”

Ida Mae’s laughter rang in with hers.  “Sadie you didn’t hear the news did you?”

Curiosity quelled her laughter.  “What news?”

“Roy and his family done inherit the land they live on.  Seems that

Roy’s papa did some work for some rich white man.  When the man took sick, Mr.

Burrell got him to the hospital in time.  Said the man never forget it and – how do

you college folk say it – bequeath Roy and his brothers nearly sixteen acres. 

Roy done build a fine looking house.”

“What?  No…no one told me,” her voice rang with more surprise than she wanted.

“Yep.  They been croppin’ since last year and things been goin’ good for ‘im.”

Sadie glanced in the direction of Roy and Buster Luke.  The two were laughing like old friends, like they had much in common.

“Sadie, I really love ‘im.  Always did.  I know you used to call me a fool, but I told you that I was goin’ to marry him one day.   Didn’t I?”  Ida Mae said, proudly.

Who’d have thought that Roy Burrell, the dirt farmer, would have been able to make a successful living on his own? 

    “What you gals cacklin’ ‘bout?” Roy asked, as he strolled toward them.

Sadie noticed the smile on his lips.  How it contrasted his harsh square jawline. 

“Honey, I was just tellin’ Sadie ‘bout our good news,” Ida Mae cooed. 

Sadie waited for a response -- at least a hint of joy or pride on Roy’s face -- but

instead, the lines above his brows furrowed.  He almost looked confused.  He

lowered his eyes, avoiding Ida Mae’s expecting glance. 

“Well, Sadie and I were just out for a walk and we best be getting back before the sun sets.  It sure was good to see you two again,” Buster Luke chimed, replacing the awkward silence.

Still happy, Ida Mae said, “Sadie, I’ll come by tomorrow.”