Obama Visits Brother in China

President Barack Obama's first trip to China had a family connection, as the president took time from his diplomatic duties to visit with his half-brother, author Mark Ndesandjo.

Ndesandjo, who teaches piano and runs a business in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, told the Associated Press that he bought tickets to Beijing months ago in the hopes of meeting with his older half-brother during his mission to China. And though the meeting lasted just five minutes, Ndesandjo clearly was not disappointed with the results.

"He just gave me a big hug," Ndesandjo said. "And it was so intense. I'm still over the moon on it. I am over the moon. And my wife...I think she is still recovering.

"All I can say is, we talked about family, and it was very powerful because when he came in through that door, and I saw him and I hugged him, and he hugged me and hugged my wife, it was like we were continuing a conversation that had started many years ago," Ndesandjo said.

The two last met in January, when Ndesandjo attended the President's inauguration in Washington, D.C., as a family guest.

Earlier in the month, Ndesandjo released a new semi-autobiographical novel "Nairobi to Shenzhen," in which the author reveals that the father he shares with President Obama, Kenyan college instructor Barack Obama Sr., was physically abusive to both himself and his mother.

Ndesandjo, who was born in America and raised in Kenya, said he made the disclosure to raise awareness of the issue of abuse in families.

President Obama said after the book launch that he didn't know his half-brother very well, but that he did not feel Ndesandjo was betraying private family details in his book.

In his first book, "Dreams of My Father," President Obama said his father was an alcoholic and did not treat members of his family well.

Father of Michael Jackson's First Accuser Commits Suicide

According to reports, the father of Michael Jackson's most famous molestation accuser has committed suicide. Evan Chandler, the father of Jordan Chandler, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his luxury apartment in New Jersey on November 5th.

Evan Chandler, the father of Michael Jackson's alleged molestation victim Jordan Chandler, spent his last days in isolation - depressed and estranged from his loved ones - before fatally shooting himself in the head, family members said Tuesday.

New details about the sad personal life of Chandler, a 65-year-old Beverly Hills dentist-turned-recluse, have surfaced, including that the once-handsome man had drastically changed his looks with plastic surgery to avoid backlash over the molestation incident from the late King of Pop's fans. Source: Dad Of Jackson Molestation "Victim" Died A Lonely Man; Underwent Plastic Surgery To Hide Identity, RadarOnline

Evan Chandler was completely estranged from his son at the time of his death. Jordan Chandler had even taken out a restraining order against his father.

The elder Chandler had been estranged from his son, Jordan, for the last three years, following an incident in which the son received a restraining order against him following an alleged attack with a barbell.

"Over the years, [Evan] began to develop tremendous mood swings. He was always depressed," a family member told the NY Post. "He stopped coming to family events, because he was afraid of being recognized, like anyone in the family would care. That eventually turned into permanent estrangement from his family." Source: Dad Of Jackson Molestation "Victim" Died A Lonely Man; Underwent Plastic Surgery To Hide Identity, RadarOnline

Because Evan Chandler left no note, the reason for his suicide will be buried with him, and although Chandler is reported to have been suffering from an unspecified "serious illness," I am sure many Michael Jackson fans will speculate that Chandler died from a guilty conscience about lying about his son Jordan's molestation, and accepting a large cash settlement instead of taking the case to trial.

Man Sets Wife on Fire After Argument

Howard Stewart, 50, argued with his wife this past Sunday, and at some point during the night decided that he wanted to have the last word. Stewart's 12-year-old stepdaughter had allegedly accused him of inappropriate fondling, and this enraged the girl's mother, Christina Lee, 35. Later that night, the New Haven, Conn., resident doused his sleeping wife and stepdaughter with a flammable liquid.

The young girl, who was awakened by the smell of fluid all over her body, tried to escape as Stewart struck matches and threw them at her. Stewart grabbed, then pulled the youth back in to her room to douse her again with more fluid. He abruptly left the room and the quick-thinking youth ran to get her 3-month-old sister, who was asleep in her crib, then immediately fled the apartment.

Lee was set on fire and sustained burns on more than 40 percent of her body. Although the woman was severely injured and in excruciating pain, she was still able to get to a neighbor's apartment to scream for help. When police arrived, Lee told them that Stewart had burned her.

Police discovered Stewart walking on a nearby street with several match sticks in his pocket. Stewart was arrested and will face assault, arson and criminal mischief charges. His bond is set at $1 million.

Black Activists Blast Breast Cancer Guidelines

By: Jackie Jones, BlackAmericaWeb.com


The American Cancer Society has reported that racial and ethnic minorities still tend to receive lower-quality health care than whites even when insurance status, income, age and severity of conditions are comparable and are still more likely to be diagnosed with cancer at a later stage when treatment is less successful.

A study from the Boston School of Medicine found black women were three times more likely to develop triple negative cancer, a particularly virulent strain of breast cancer that is resistant to traditional treatment, regardless of the age or size of the woman.

Over the past year, BlackAmericaWeb.com and "The Tom Joyner Morning Show" have been actively involved in the effort to enroll more black women in the Sister Study, the only long-term study in the United States and Puerto Rico of women ages 35 to 74 who've never had breast cancer but whose sisters have had the disease.
Researchers believe the Sister Study will better determine why women get breast cancer, especially reasons that concern environment and genes.

Last December, black congressional leaders met in the U.S. Virgin Islands for the second annual National Conference on Health Disparities, sponsored by The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation to address a range of critical health care issues that impact African-Americans. That included evidence that the length of time between an abnormal screening mammogram and the follow-up diagnostic test to determine whether a woman has breast cancer is more than twice as long in Asian-American, black, and Hispanic women as in white women.

The Full Story

Fox Stations Renew 'Wendy Williams' Through 2012

Debmar-Mercury said its syndicated talk show "The Wendy Williams Show" has been renewed on the Fox Television Stations through the 2011-12 season.

The renewal includes Fox owned-and-operated stations in the top markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and Dallas.

The announcement was made by Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein, co-presidents of Debmar-Mercury, and Frank Cicha, senior VP of programming at the Fox Television Stations.



“Her substantial growth in the key ratings demos, which stations care about the most, has quickly put her program within striking distance of many of today’s most established and successful talk shows,” Marcus said.

Cicha said, “We anticipate even further growth as the show continues to emerge as a key building block, and Wendy as a key personality, of our daytime landscape.”


"Wendy Williams" launched nationally on the Fox-owned stations and other major groups in July after a successful six-week, four-market preview on Fox stations the previous summer.

From its first eight weeks on the air (July 13-Aug. 31) to its second eight weeksr (Sept. 7-Oct. 26), "Wendy Williams" has grown 23% in households in the national syndication barter rankings and posted major double-digit gains in all key demos: 43% among women 18-34, 38% with women 18-49 and 37% in women 25-54.

The show is sold on a cash-plus-barter basis, with 10 minutes of local and four minutes national advertising time available.

Mo. teen to be tried as adult in death of girl, 9

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Missouri judge has ordered a 15-year-old girl to stand trial as an adult for the slaying of a 9-year-old neighbor, whose disappearance last month touched off a two-day search.

Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem ruled Wednesday that the slaying of Elizabeth Olton was vicious and the state had no adequate facilities or services to treat the teenage suspect if she were to remain in the juvenile court system.

The teen was immediately arrested on an adult charge of first-degree murder.

Authorities have not publicly identified the suspect, and her juvenile defense attorney identified her in court Wednesday only as Alyssa.

Authorities have said the suspect knew Elizabeth and was from the same area west of Jefferson City.

Just How Sorry is Goldman Sachs?

Posted by Larry Doyle


It is not everyday that the head of a major Wall Street bank issues an unsolicited and unspecified apology. In fact, in my 23 years on Wall Street I do not ever recall a Wall Street CEO issuing an apology in the manner that Lloyd Blankfein did today. What did Blankfein say? From a Bloomberg report, Goldman, Buffett Establish $500 Million Small-Business Program:

Blankfein, speaking at a conference today sponsored by Directorship magazine, apologized for Goldman Sachs’s role in some of the activities that led to the financial crisis, without providing specifics.

“We participated in things that were clearly wrong and we have reason to regret and we apologize for them,” Blankfein said at the New York event. The magazine named him its CEO of the year.

Wait a second. Blankfein admits that Goldman participated in activities that led to the crisis? Get Lloyd back in here and ask him for specifics.
“Things that were clearly wrong?” Like what? Lloyd, you are not getting off this easily, and neither should your firm get off so easily. You ran the show during this period. Does the buck stop at your desk?

Answer the questions: What activities? How were they wrong? Why are you regretful? How much did you make from these wrong activities?

The fact that you have the chutzpah to think you can issue a blanket, unspecified apology in an attempt to curry favor with the American public is the height of hubris and rings very shallow. I would go so far as to say your apology is mere words and talk. Talk is cheap.

Lloyd, rectify Goldman’s activities. Qualify and quantify these activities. Make restitution. Just how sorry are you? Let’s open this up to Sense on Cents readers and ask them what activities they might think your company engaged in which you now admit were wrong.

Readers, please share your opinions. What do you think Blankfein was referring to when he stated that Goldman “participated in things that were clearly wrong”? I’ll get the ball rolling with a few possibilities:

1. Manipulated the equity markets via computer programs connected with high frequency trading.

2. Ran over Tim Geithner in the settlement of open positions with AIG.

3. Facilitated insider trading on behalf of hedge funds.

4. Intentionally misled lesser prioritized clients via trading huddles.

5. Abused privileged information provided by former Goldman execs now in government positions.

6. All of the above.

7. Other . . . please share your opinions.

Let’s send Lloyd a message that unspecified apologies are mere pandering. Without further substantiating his statement, he has only dug a deeper hole for the firm most vilified on Wall Street.

Coed Dorms Increase Risky Behavior? Maybe.

A new survey of 510 students at five geographically-diverse campuses reported in The Journal of American College Health says coed dorms dramatically increase the likelihood of collegiate binge-drinking and sex. As reported in USA Today, pupils in coed housing are 2 1/2 times as likely to binge-drink weekly, and nearly a third more likely to admit having at least one sexual partner in the last year.


As I read the story, I mumbled the statistician's mantra, "but correlation does not imply causation." Certainly those less inclined toward partying would choose the single-sex living situation, right? Apparently not; the study authors, Brian Willoughby, and his former professor Jason Carroll, both currently at Brigham Young University, say their findings "really caught us off-guard." Plus, they say their "analysis controlled for potential selection effects," and that the colleges, not the students, made the housing assignments.

Maybe the result is an artifact. After all, of the 510 students surveyed, only 68 lived in single-sex dorms. But that's still enough for a potent statistical analysis.

Willoughby and Carroll's earlier work found that more than 90% of college housing is coed; their new study assumed that single-sex housing is the booby prize offered only after all the coed slots are filled.

Apparently, there's no getting around the fact that coed college living is deleterious. Weekly alcohol binging (reported by 42% of coed dorm residents versus 18% of single-sex dorm residents) was most startling, but they found co-ed housing also correlated significantly with admissions of multiple sexual partners and use of porn. Even after controlling for the effects of age, gender, religiosity, personality and relationship status, "there was still something unique about living in a coed dorm that was associated with risk-taking," said study author Willoughby.

Then again...I have a daughter who lived in a single-sex dorm, and a second daughter who lives in a sorority. My sorority girl's house has rules about men's presence; definitely a chaste environment. But you can't say that her type of single-sex environment deters or decreases drinking. That daughter's currently writing a sociology paper on the phenomenon called "Thirsty Thursdays."

Still, I believe that many--probably most--women thrive in environments without the complications that sexual electricity can bring. A government study of women-only colleges describes how such environments foster leadership and allow women to achieve in traditionally male-dominated subject areas more easily.

But the bottom-line truth is that women have a civilizing effect on men. George Gilder said it years ago in his insightful Men and Marriage: The most disturbed and destructive segment of the population is single men. When they each commit to a woman and gain the responsibility of family, they move from selfish, sexual carpe-diem behemoths to dutiful, long-term-focused adults. It makes sense that colleges would want women and men in the same dorms--usually on separate floors--to civilize the men there.

I'd postulate that if Willoughby and Carroll had looked at the differences in drinking, sexual promiscuity and porn use by gender, they'd find some not-so-surprising differences. One comment on a report of the present study said colleges installed co-ed dorms to minimize damage to their facilities. That makes sense. Just as guys together can create Animal House, guys tempered by women probably won't.

I don't think it's necessarily a good thing for women to have to share the same floor with men. Proximity breeds familiarity, goes the maxim. And it often takes more strength of character to hold to one's principles than to succumb to the lowest common denominator. I mourn the loss of so many women's colleges, and wish that more than just 13% of college dorms were single-sex, to allow more freedom of choice. But on the other hand, I don't know that this study is worthy of panic. Much more troublesome is the nonchalance with which collegians accept alcohol use and abuse, whether in co-ed dorms in the taverns of University Avenues across the land.

Kiffin Lied Twice About Vols’ Clean Arrest Record

WBIR-TV in Knoxville reports today that “freshman safety Nyshier Oliver was arrested on November 7 and charged with shoplifting at a department store in West Town Mall.



The police report says Oliver was spotted putting a brown shirt worth approximately $110 in a Dillard’s bag. He was arrested around 1:45 that Saturday. That was just over five hours before the Vols were to play Memphis in the homecoming game at Neyland Stadium. Oliver will have an arraignment in the matter on November 23rd.

November 7? But didn’t Lane Kiffin trumpet the Vols’ clean arrest record after that date? Here’s Kiffin on Nov. 12, five days after Oliver was arrested and the day before the arrest of Nu’Keese Richardson, Mike Edwards and Janzen Jackson on robbery charges:

“We’ve had zero arrests in now 11 months here.”

But Kiffin didn’t stop there. He lied again.
He made the same statement again a day later, in response to the arrest of Richardson, Edwards and Jackson. From the NEW YORK TIMES:

The first-year coach Lane Kiffin made no comment on the arrests, but he noted that “we made it 11 months and 11 days” without any incidents. Kiffin’s predecessor, Phillip Fulmer, was often criticized for being too lax with discipline.

ESPN.com’s Chris Low reports today on the Oliver arrest:

Oliver’s punishment was handled internally, but he was taken off the dress roster for that game and banned from team activities, according to Tennessee athletic department spokesperson Tiffany Carpenter.

So Kiffin knew about the arrest, and he blatantly lied to the media twice about the Vols’ clean arrest record. Brutal.

Police Raid NY Newspapers in Union Mob Probe

The offices of several New York newspapers were raided yesterday by police officers armed with search warrants, as part of a developing investigation into corruption and mob influence of a powerful labor union. The offices of The New York Times, the New York Post, the Daily News and El Diario were searched for documents and files relating to the Newspaper and Mail Deliverers Union, responsible for delivery of newspapers.

District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said, that “The investigation solely concerns business activity and practice and is completely unrelated to the content of any publication.” The 1,600-member union has long been suspected of having mob connections. A similar probe in the 1990s led to criminal indictments filed against then union President Douglas LaChance, with allegations he was associated with the Luchese crime family. LaChance was later acquitted.

Morgenthau also raided the offices of a labor union, but would not disclose the identity of the union.

The Policeman Is Not Your Friend, 10-year-old Girl Edition

Police Officer Uses Taser On 10-Year-Old Girl
OZARK, Ark. -- Ozark police said they were called to a home where a mother asked for help with her unruly child, but the 10-year-old's father said he's outraged at the force police used against his daughter.

"I would like to say Ozark police Tased this little girl right here. Ten years old and [they] shot electricity through her body, and I want to know how the heck in God's green earth can they get away with this," said the girl's father, Anthony Medlock.

Medlock said his daughter was at her mother's house when Ozark police Officer Dustin Bradshaw shocked her in the back with a Taser and arrested her.

"If you can't pick the kid up and take her to your car, handcuff her, then I don't think you need to be an officer," Medlock said.

Medlock said his daughter does show signs of having emotional issues, but she "doesn't deserve to be treated like a dog. She's not a tiger."

According to a police report, the officer was called to the home by the mother and witnessed the child kicking and screaming.

The officer's statement said the girl's mother, Kelly Hamlert, told him to use a Taser on her if he needed to.

The officer did shock the girl after he said she kicked him in the groin.

"He had no other choice. He had to get the child under control," said Ozark police Chief Jim Noggle.

Noggle said the officer shocked the girl for about a second.

Ozark police said it is their policy to use a Taser on someone who is a threat to others, no matter their age.

Noggle said simply restraining the child could be harmful.

"Well, if he tried to restrain her, he might hurt her by restraining her. If you grab somebody, you can slip an arm out of joint. They can slip from you and fall on the ground," Noggle said.
"I don't know what kind of policy it is. I don't think it's right," Medlock said.

U.S. Citizenship For Illegal Immigrants By Early 2010

In a few months President Obama will push legislation to legalize the nation’s 12 million illegal immigrants, according to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who assures her boss’s jam-packed agenda won’t delay his campaign promise to the influential La Raza movement.

By early next year the country’s immigration system will be overhauled, guarantees Napolitano, who is the president’s point person on the matter. The former Arizona governor dispelled suggestions that the administration is too busy with health care, Middle Eastern wars and other pressing issues to postpone enacting immigration legislation.

Addressing a liberal policy group in Washington D.C., Napolitano said that legalizing illegal immigrants will enhance national security and protect American workers from unfair competition created by lower-paid, easily exploited illegal immigrants. “Let me emphasize this: we will never have fully effective law enforcement or national security as long as so many millions remain in the shadows,” Napolitano affirmed.

Under the plan Congress will provide temporary worker programs and a path to citizenship for an estimated 12 million people currently living in the U.S. illegally. In return, the illegal aliens must take a number of steps such as pay back taxes and fines, learn English and pass criminal background checks.

Unlike the legislation that Congress nixed in 2007, Napolitano says this one will pass because Obama has achieved border security and enforcement against employers hiring illegal immigrants. This may sound like a joke, but the Homeland Security chief is dead serious. “I know a major shift when I see one and what I have seen makes reform far more attainable this time around,” proclaimed a confident Napolitano.

Leaked tidbits of the highly touted overhaul bill reveal that the measure is guaranteed to be “compassionate,” according to the lawmaker (Illinois Democrat Luis Gutierrez) drafting the House version. Besides the citizenship path for millions of undocumented immigrants, it includes strict rules for humane treatment of illegal aliens in U.S. prisons and a plan to adjust (increase) foreign visa quotas for American employers.

Under the plan illegal immigrants will also get coveted discounted tuition at public colleges and universities nationwide and families will be allowed to remain together in the U.S. even when several members are in the country illegally. This opportunity to come out of the shadows will present the only practical and humane solution to the nation’s illegal immigration crisis, according to the legislators putting the final touches on the bill.

Attorney General Defends Decision To Try 9/11 Case In NYC

Attorney General Eric Holder is defending his decision to try the self-professed September 11th mastermind in New York City.

Holder is testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee today, where lawmakers are likely to spar over his decision to send Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others to New York for a federal trial.

In his opening statement, Holder urges people not to be afraid of the prospects of having the trial in New York, because he says he has confidence the world will see Mohammed for the, “coward he is.”

Critics argue the trial will give Mohammed a stage to speak hateful words about democracy. Holder says concerns are misplaced, because judges can control unruly defendants.

(Source: NY1)

Sen. Byrd Sets Record for Longest-Serving Lawmaker

Senator Robert Byrd, just two days shy of his 92nd birthday, has reached a significant milestone in his long distinguished Congressional career, that’s unlikely to be surpassed. As of Wednesday, the Democratic lawmaker from West Virginia, becomes the longest-serving member of Congress in history, serving 20,774th days in Congress.
The Senator, known for his eloquent speeches, broke the standing record set by Carl T. Hayden, a Democrat from Arizona who served a total of 20,773 days in the U.S. House and Senate. Sen. Byrd’s record is a testament to his longevity in politics. He first served six years in the House and then nearly 51 years in the Senate, where he still serves.

Byrd cast more than 18,000 votes while in the Senate, attained the largest number of leadership positions and has never lost an election. That’s quite an accomplishment, that may not be repeated soon, in the divisive and partisan politics of the 21st century.

Byrd’s early years as a lawmaker were marked by racism. He belonged to the Ku Klux Klan in the 1940s and voted against Lyndon Johnson’s historic Civil Rights Act. Byrd later called his Klu Klux Klan membership “the most egregious mistake I’ve ever made.” In his later years, Byrd became a vocal critic of the Bush administration.

His Congressional service spanning over half a century, was characterized by his devotion to his Appalachian constituents of West Virginia, which he notes in his statement released on his website:

“Although we are marking a longevity milestone, it has been the quality and dedication of service that has guided me over the years. I have strived to provide the people of West Virginia the best representation possible each of the 20,774 days which I have served in the Congress of the United States,” said Byrd in his statement.

He thanked his constituents for their support and for “putting their trust and faith in me.”

Byrd regretted his wife Emma could not be with him to celebrate his record-breaking longevity in Congress. Byrd’s wife died in 2006.

Jennifer Hudson boards Winnie Mandela biopic

The current vogue for South African-focused cinema continues apace. With Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman applying A-list Hollywood polish to the figure of former president Nelson Mandela, Jennifer Hudson is now set to do the same for his ex-wife.

Rumors about this have been circling for some time, but yesterday Variety confirmed that Hudson has signed on for “Winnie,” a full-scale biopic of the controversial politician, most notorious for her alleged (ahem) involvement in the murder of a 14 year-old activist in 1989.

South African director Darrell James Roodt (an Oscar nominee for 2004’s “Yesterday”) is at the helm. He also co-wrote the screenplay, based on Anne Marie du Preez Bezdrob’s 2003 biography “Winnie Mandela: A Life.” (Emma Gilbey’s superb “The Lady” would be a better starting point, in my opinion.)

I’ve always said that Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s life would make for a more interesting film than that of her far more noble ex-husband, but the filmmakers have to be prepared to dig into the darker depths of her story. The Variety piece claims they “will tell the whole story, good and bad.” However, the presence of Roodt, whose 1990s filmizations of “Cry, the Beloved Country” and “Sarafina!” slipped into sentimentality, gives me pause.

It is, however, quite a coup for Hudson, who has struggled somewhat to find a suitable role to build on her Oscar-winning debut in “Dreamgirls.” We’ve yet to see whether she has the range and technique for such a vast dramatic role, though she’s certainly an apt physical match for the young Winnie.

So the 28 year-old singer-turned-thesp has a lot to prove here: if she pulls it off, it’s difficult to imagine she won’t be in the Oscar conversation once more. Hudson says:

I was compelled and moved when I read the script … Winnie Mandela is a complex and extraordinary woman and I’m honored to be the actress asked to portray her. This is a powerful part of history that should be told.
Interestingly, this news comes as British TV biopic “Mrs. Mandela,” starring British actress Sophie Okonedo in the lead, is shortly due to screen. It’ll be interesting to see which actress masters the character more authentically.

Hundreds line up in Mich. for chance to meet Palin

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Hundreds of Sarah Palin fans lined up Wednesday at a Michigan book store to get the chance to meet the former Alaska governor as she kicked off a national tour for her book "Going Rogue."

Some supporters camped out overnight to be among the first to get wristbands from the Barnes and Noble bookstore at Woodland Mall in Grand Rapids. Those with the orange bands will get the opportunity to have the former 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate sign their copies of the book at the three-hour signing event Wednesday evening.

The memoir was released Tuesday but has topped best-seller lists for weeks.

"Everyone here has been excited and patient," Barnes and Noble spokeswoman Maddie Hjulstrom said of the waiting crowd.

Calvin College students Megan Patzky, of Racine, Wis., and Sarah Cranmer, of Chicago, were among those waiting overnight to get wrist bands. The two 20-year-olds skipped their Wednesday classes at the private college located less than a mile from the book store .

Patzky bought a copy last night for her father, a Palin supporter, and plans to give it to him as a Christmas present.

After standing in the cold all night, the pair was happy to get into the Woodland Mall around 6:15 a.m.

"We were hoping that someone would start selling coffee, but nobody did," Patzky joked.

Todd Shaffer, of East Lansing, said some of those in line were Palin supporters and other were there to get books signed to give as gifts.

A Transportation Security Administration worker at Lansing's Capital Region International Airport, the 38-year-old arrived early Wednesday at the bookstore and described himself as a conservative Republican who voted for Palin and presidential candidate John McCain last year.

Shaffer said he would vote for Palin if she ran for president in 2012.

"As a woman in politics, she's a pioneer in the Republican Party and she's opened a lot of doors up for a lot of women to think about politics" as a career, he said. "I thought she added a lot to the ticket."