Ed McMahon's Subprime Plight Hardly Representative

INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- When Ed McMahon and his wife, Pamela, appeared on the Larry King Live show this past week, he made the case that coming forward with his mortgage foreclosure was his effort to speak on behalf of the millions of Americans suffering from a similar fate.

Libertarians trying to live within their means across the state are not buying the octogenarian's sad story. Instead, his story is meeting with vocal anger at his own mismanagement and expectation that government can help him out of his bind.

"Unfortunately, most of us don't get the opportunity to live in a $4.6 million home in Beverly Hills," claims Jerra Barnes, libertarian activist from LaPorte County. "It's simply not the government's place to bail out such poor decisions -- especially ones as calculating as Mr. McMahon's. He has options. LaPorte, Indiana, is pretty affordable. I'm sure he can leave his house and find something similar to the people he's claiming to represent."

McMahon claims the downturn in fortune came as a result of a string of divorces, poor business decisions and a downturn in the U.S. economy.

"You can blame President Bush and this Democrat-led Congress for quite a few things, but you can't blame them for Mr. McMahon's philandering sense of self-importance," notes Marion County libertarian Tracy Toumi. "He's claiming to pay $50,000 a month to his first wife. He's the ironic epitome of TV's Bloopers."

Barnes made it simple, "Mr. McMahon needs to walk away from his house and learn to live within his means. Government programs aren't the answer. Smart decisions and living in moderation are the keys. If he can learn that, he can claim to speak on behalf of our neighbors and friends."