Indiana governor collapses in Chicago

Associated Press ^ | 09-08-03

[California74]

I am praying for him and his family as well, regardless of his politics. It's not a matter of being "generous" in offering the prayers and concern.
I'd offer the same prayers and concern if it were Gray Davis or (Gasp!) even Bill or Hillary Clinton suffering from a grave illness.
One ought to be able to separate politics and humanity in crisis like this.

[wordsofearnest]

Uncalled for.

[John W]

They run as a ticket here.

[GrandMoM]

....so OK, sometimes I forget I am in a public forum!

[conservativeammom]

Govenor O'Bannon has been taken into surgery, it is expected that the surgery will last for several hours.

[michigander]

O'Bannon Undergoing Surgery

Governor Listed In Critical Condition, Officials Say

CHICAGO -- Doctors have been performing surgery on Indiana Gov. Frank O'Bannon since 11 a.m. after he was found unconscious in a Chicago Hotel room Monday.

Doctors said O'Bannon suffered a cerebral hemorrhage.

O'Bannon, 73, was listed in critical condition at Northwestern Memorial Hospital after being admitted around 9:30 a.m., according to a fire department spokesman.

According to Chicago's ABC affiliate, O'Bannon's staff members became worried after they weren't able to reach him by phone in his room at the Palmer House Hilton in downtown Chicago. He was reportedly found unconscious inside the room after the door was knocked down.

O'Bannon (pictured, right) was attending the U.S. Midwest Japanese Conference in the Empire Room at the hotel and was scheduled to speak Monday.

O'Bannon's wife, Judy O'Bannon, has arrived at the hospital, a Chicago television station reported.

Lt. Gov. Joe Kernan was also at the conference but aides said he was headed back to Indianapolis. State officials were researching transfer of power procedures in case it was needed, RTV6's Norman Cox reported.

The Indiana Constitution allows for a transfer of power from the governor to lieutenant governor if the governor is incapacitated.

However, that requires a petition to be filed by the president pro tem of the Senate and the speaker of the House and a ruling by the Indiana Supreme Court.

The counsel to Chief Justice Randall Shepard, David Remondini, said two of the five justices are in the Statehouse and the others are being contacted.

The Democratic governor is in the third year of his second four-year term. By law, he cannot seek re-election.

O'Bannon suffers from familial tremors, a neurologic disorder that involves involuntary shaking, RTV6 reported. The condition typically gets worse when the affected person tries to move or become more active. The condition is not considered life-threatening.

"As far as we know, he has had excellent health. He has had annual physicals ... for a man of his age, he has been reported to be in excellent health each time he's had a physical," Indiana Governor's Office spokesman Andrew Stoner said.

O'Bannon was only scheduled to be in Chicago for a couple of days, Cox reported. He had been on vacation in Corydon, Ind., before going to the conference.

[firewalk]

prayers

[Diddle E. Squat]

Viagra jokes on a thread about a man who is on the verge of death after a cerebral hemmorhage. I guess such is proof that there are plenty of losers and lowlifes even among conservatives.

And anyone about to respond with that defensive tripe about how humor is how we deal with grief, spare us the baloney. I detect no grief or empathy from the jokers here, just shallowness and lack of self-control.

[Rebelbase]

"MSNBC is confirming that it's a cerebral hemmorhage"

That's what got my best friend a couple of years ago. If its your turn to go, that way is a fast exit.

[AnAmericanMother]

I've had friends die from this too.

The fact that he collapsed at some unknown time and was found in his hotel room by security does not bode well. Every minute is precious in dealing with a stroke, and too much time may have been lost.

Prayers for the surgeons and for peace for his family.

[Corporate Law]

Indiana Democrats seem to be more conservative than their national party (probably even more conservative than the Republican leadership here in Ohio). O'Bannon has appeared from afar (well, one state next door) to be a decent person and prayers should be with him, his family and Indiana.

[Theodore R.]

Governors and lt. governors also run as a ticket in FL, MD, NY, IL, MA. How about OH, PA, and MI too???

All the southern states except FL have separate balloting for governor and lt. governor.

[fieldmarshaldj]

"How about OH, PA, and MI too???"

Those 3 run as a ticket also.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Prayers to the Governor and his family.

[sausageseller]

He had been on vacation in Corydon, Ind., before going to the conference.

SS. He is from Corydon and still has a home there. I guess they think going home for the weekend is a vacation?

For ALL: I take great pleasure in calling myself a "Hoosier". All though I am not from the great state of Indian,as a transplant I have come to love it! As you can see from the many hoosiers that have posted "we" have a great compassion for our fellow man. And truly care about others.

I don't agree with all the politics of Gov. O'Bannon but he is a husband, father, and grand father and it would be wrong to wish and pray for anything but good to come to him and his family! And I ask you to do the same.

[Lady Heron]

It is true it is not correct behavior, but I was just thinking how different Republicans act when they hear of critical or death situations of their rivals compaired to what would be being said at DU if it had been a Republican in this situation. On the whole look at how many prayer request and best wishes there have been in all of the threads on this subject. To me it is amazing how few jokes and nasty comments have come from the Dem rivals.

[Dog Gone]

He was reportedly found unconscious inside the room after the door was knocked down.

Any reason why they couldn't go get a master key, or is this the way the housecleaners enter the rooms?

[SaveTheChief]

Left to him by who? Goldsmith was never governor of Indiana. He was mayor of Indianapolis before sherriff Bart. The man you are thinking of is now senator, Democrat Evan Bayh.

[MeekOneGOP]

Indiana governor found unconscious in hotel

01:39 PM CDT on Monday, September 8, 2003

Associated Press

CHICAGO - Indiana Gov. Frank O'Bannon was found unconscious in his hotel room Monday and doctors believe he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Doctors were evaluating whether to perform surgery, Northwestern Memorial Hospital spokeswoman Kelly Sullivan said.

She said the governor, 73, was found stricken in his hotel room in the Palmer House Hilton. He was in Chicago to attend a conference of the Midwest U.S.-Japan Association.

AP

Gov. Frank O'Bannon

A cerebral hemorrhage, or bleeding in the brain, is often a type of stroke caused by a ruptured or leaking blood vessel. The outcome depends on how much bleeding occurs, how much of the brain is affected, and how long the patient goes without treatment.

In Indianapolis, O'Bannon spokeswoman Mary Dieter said earlier that he gets a yearly physical, and was deemed to be "as healthy as he could be."

O'Bannon's wife, Judy, was en route to Chicago.

O'Bannon, elected to his second four-year term in 2000, is barred by term limits from running again next year.

Lt. Gov. Joe Kernan also was in Chicago for the conference, but he headed back to Indianapolis.

The Indiana Constitution allows for a transfer of power to the lieutenant governor if the governor is incapacitated. However, that requires a petition filed by the president pro tem of the state Senate and the speaker of the House and a ruling by the Indiana Supreme Court.

O'Bannon was elected to his father's seat in the Indiana Senate in 1970 and served 18 years. He first ran for governor in 1987, but when Evan Bayh got into the race, O'Bannon dropped his bid and became Bayh's running mate.

After serving eight years as lieutenant governor, O'Bannon was unopposed when he sought the Democratic nomination for governor in 1996. He entered that race as an underdog to Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith and campaigned largely on his down-home charm and Evan Bayh's record. Bayh, meanwhile, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998.

O'Bannon is also chairman of the board of O'Bannon Publishing Co., which publishes weekly newspapers in Harrison and Crawford counties.

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Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dallas/newthishour/stories/090803dnnatindiana.892af.html