Iowa woman says, “They’ve got to do something. It’s Armageddon if they don’t.”

Add comment September 25th, 2008

At 6:15 p.m. in the Amtrak Sleeping Car Passenger lounge, the talking heads on CNN and Fox are reporting that President Bush and congressional leaders ended their summit meeting on the bailout bill in a huff.

The Amtrak announcer, who five minutes earlier had ordered Cardinal passengers to line up at the boarding gate, now says, “All passengers for the Cardinal may be seated. The train is in the station, we’re tying on an engine and will leave shortly.”

Scott Morgan, our photographer, has now joined me, and we approach Chris Juskewycz of Fairfield, Iowa, who’s waiting to board an eastbound train; she’ll get off in Erie, Pa., to see her 91-year-old mother. Chris and her husband own a sports memorabilia store in Fairfield. Business is down, she says.

“I’m very concerned about the economy, although I am not very knowledgeable about it.”

Does she favor a bailout?

“They definitely have to do something. It’s Armageddon if they don’t. To think there’s a Republican in office when this happens. They were always talking about the virtues of deregulation. Bush has very little credibility. People don’t trust him.”

She says a bailout will only work if independent people not connected with the failed banks are put in charge of managing it.”

“Congress has to hold firm. Dont’ give in on everything. Don’t give Wall Street a blank check.”

Although she liked Joe Biden in the Iowa caucuses, “I think Obama is the best hope we have of being bipartisan in office.”

I wondered, did Juskewycz think John McCain did the right thing in suspending his campaign and asking for Friday’s debate with Obama to be delayed?

“The debate should take place. I read somewhere that the McCain people were canceling this debate in hopes of rescheduling it in place of the vice presidential debate,” to keep Sarah Palin out of the line of fire.

She usually flies to see her mom but took the train because it’s difficult to make air connections in Fairfield and Erie. “I came to Chicago on the California Zypher, and now I’m waiting for the Lake Shore Limited. It’s been a great ride. I plug in my iPod, read a book and relax.”

SCOTT MORGAN | RRSTAR.COM
Chris Juskewycz of Fairfield, Iowa, waits for her train Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008, at Union Station in Chicago.