101-year-old man to contest US Congressional polls

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Press Trust of India Houston
Last Updated : Feb 19 2014 | 3:56 PM IST
Better late than never! A 101-year-old man in the US has launched a bid to enter the House of Representatives and contest the Congressional polls.
Joe Newman from Sarasota, Florida, will compete for Florida's 16th Congressional District.
After living for 101-years, Newman has seen what this country is capable of and he believes Congress can do much better, the WFLA-TV reported.
He will be running as a write-in candidate for a Congressional seat that covers Sarasota and Manatee Counties during the election later this year.
It can be said that experience is the greatest teacher and Newman has plenty he wants to share.
"You learn through life you have certain responsibilities. And if you don't fulfil them, how can you look in the mirror?" Newman was quoted as saying.
He has seen this country go through some challenges, such as the Great Depression when he was 16-years old.
"If people are saying, who is this fool at 101 and running? Call me a fool. I'm sorry, but I've got to get out and convince John and convince Jim, hey think! What is the best thing our society can do and what is the responsibility of our society?" he said.
"My hope is that we get a chance to speak out and make people reflect on what you want from your society," he added.
Newman's mother ran a grocery store in their Indiana home and she used food to help pay off the mortgage.
Later, after graduating from the University of Notre Dame, Newman got a job spreading awareness about a new federal program called Social Security.
"That was our job, to sell them why a program like Social Security is essential to the economy and to society," Newman said.
Now Newman has a new message to share; he feels the government should be focused on improving society and not catering to special interests. So he is running for Congress.
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First Published: Feb 19 2014 | 3:56 PM IST

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