From WHDH-TV, Boston, News 7 at 5.
Thunderous applause at the White House.
President Bush is back at work and moving full speed ahead.
Good evening.
Topping News 7 this Monday evening, the President says he's feeling fine and ready to go to
work after his release from the Bethesda Naval Hospital.
Doctors gave the OK to return to the Oval Office, saying medicine will be enough to
cure the President's irregular heartbeat.
Linda Tyra joins us from Washington, where White House officials say everything now returning
to normal.
Good evening, Linda.
Good evening.
President Bush has resumed his normal routine, putting in another long day of briefings and
meetings.
The President, who admitted he couldn't wait to get out of the hospital, was described
by one of his doctors as being in the top one-tenth of one percent of his patients.
He said that the President's recovery was accelerated by his excellent physical shape
and by his positive mental attitude.
His eagerness to be back at work at the White House.
His staff broke into applause as he returned after two days and two nights in the hospital.
The President said he'll be back at full speed shortly, including exercising and jogging.
Yeah, we can start again.
He said today if I wanted, but I'm not sure I feel up to it yet.
What do you think about the omni-thoracic and the confidence that Vice President Quayle
is going to provide?
Hey, he has my full support, always has, and he's doing a first-class job.
Hey, listen, it's great to be back.
In the Oval Office, the President met with his top advisors, including Vice President
Quayle, who was standing by to take over in case the President had to undergo electric
shock treatment and be put under general anesthesia.
Doctors decided it was unnecessary after the President's heart responded overnight to medication
and released him in the belief his heart rate can be stabilized.
There's nothing more gratifying than to work day and night on an arrhythmia and suddenly
have it go well for you.
He can be expected to live the same life he was living last week.
Next week, I would assume.
In fact, the President didn't miss a beat, plunging into a full schedule, including a
meeting with the former Soviet Foreign Minister.
As for Vice President Quayle, questions are again being raised about his ability to take
over for George Bush, and the Dan Quayle jokes are starting again, too.
But it is no laughing matter for the White House, which insists that George Bush will
keep Dan Quayle on the ticket in 1992.
Edie?
Linda, do you get the sense that there's any fear that the Democrats may use this as ammunition
in 92, that the President may not be as healthy as he appeared, and the possibility of Dan
Quayle having to step in?
Absolutely, they used it back in 1988 to say that the man who steps in the President's
shoes should be qualified from the moment he does so.
They can be expected to do the same again, especially given this episode, this scare
with the President's health.
Edie?
And is there any speculation on the long-term medication the President might have to take?
Well, his doctors are saying they are going to have to adjust his medication to the point
that they feel that he can resume vigorous exercise, including jogging several times a week.
They don't know how long, whether it will be months or weeks, or maybe even years, that
he'll have to remain on the two drugs he's currently taking.
Already, however, he is taking one aspirin a day.
That's on the recommendation of his doctors, and he's been doing that for some time.
Edie?
All right, thank you.
Linda Tyra reporting live from Washington.
More on this story.
Joining us from the newsroom is Dr. Adolf Hutter.
He's President-elect of the American College of Cardiology and a doctor at Mass General.
We heard Linda Tyra a moment ago talk about medications.
Is there any chance that this arrhythmia will recur, and does that then raise additional
concerns about the President's health?
No, there is a chance that it may recur, but I want to stress this is a very benign rhythm
in the first place.
If I could use the model here, I'll just point out to the audience that this is the atrium,
the upper chamber of the heart, and this is the ventricle that beats the blood into the
rest of the body.
This is atrial fibrillation.
It's very benign.
A lot of people have it chronically all the time and lead perfectly normal life.
The dangerous rhythm is down in the ventricle here.
So he doesn't have that.
And I should also stress that there's nothing to do as far as having a heart attack.
So even if it came back and forth a little bit, it's totally benign, should be no problem,
easily managed with medicines, and indeed, as you heard earlier, should be able to jog,
work full time, and lead a perfectly normal life.
I wouldn't consider this a significant insult on his health.
Is there a point at which his doctors might take another look at whether they need to
do this cardioversion, this mild electrical shock?
Well, it's possible in the future, but he's already cardioverted himself a couple of times.
He's gone back into normal rhythm, and that's basically all you do with the cardioversion.
It's a very simple device, but I don't think it'll be needed.
Is there a danger of stroke with this particular arrhythmia?
That's a good question.
In some people, there is a danger that a little blood clot can form in the atrium and break
off, but those are people who have structural abnormalities of the heart, and he doesn't
have that.
They did an echocardiogram Saturday night right away, and had a structurally normal
heart.
So the chances of that happening in him are very, very remote.
So Aspern, which he's on, can protect against that.
All right.
Thank you very much, Dr. Adolf Hutter, president-elect of the American College of Cardiology.
You're very welcome.
Coming up at 5 30 on News 7, health reporter Lester Strong will take a look at exactly
what atrial fibrillation is and what it means to the one and a half million people who have
it.
Plus, the president's condition renews debate on the quail factor.
Is the vice president up to the top job?
Political editor Joe Day will have reaction from the Democratic Leadership Convention
in Cleveland.
Edie?
The New Yorkshire courtroom erupted with emotion today when Pamela Smart was sentenced to more
prison time on top of the life sentence she's already serving.
News 7 North Bureau reporter Jerry D'Amico is in Exeter where this story continues.
Jerry, good evening.
Good evening to you, Edie, and good evening, everyone.
The sensational trial that made headlines around the world ended six weeks ago, and
when it did, we told you that the Pamela Smart story was not over, and indeed it is not.
As she returned to court today, we realized that this is really the story of two families
brought together by a marriage, torn apart by a murder.
Pamela Smart was brought from the New Hampshire women's prison this morning where she's serving
life without parole, convicted of being an accomplice in the murder of her husband Greg,
of plotting with her teenage lover William Flynn, the admitted trigger man, Patrick Randall,
and Vance Latamy.
She came for sentencing on conspiracy and witness tampering charges the judge first
heard from Greg Smart's father.
Several thoughts of suicide.
Yes, I'm saying suicide.
I have ran through my brain different methods of how to do it.
These soft thoughts were based on being with my son Greg for the rest of whatever is out
there after death.
Pamela Smart wept as he spoke, but suddenly there was an outburst from her and her mother.
You're a cold-blooded murderer, a noncaring, known loving...
Listen, listen.
Yes, I mean, come on.
Well, I'm very sorry for you, my dear, Ann Borgess.
Where is your vengeance, Ann?
My vengeance?
Where is your vengeance, Ann?
Please?
Please, please.
Please.
Linda Wojcicki then left the courtroom and waited outside, but returned to take the stand.
The vengeance doesn't end, and we are sorry that that is the way it is, but Pam maintains
her innocence because she is innocent.
In the end, Judge Gray sentenced Smart to an additional seven and a half to 15 years
for conspiracy, three and a half to seven years for witness tampering.
In some respects, being sentenced on these charges is redundant.
But that's not to say she shouldn't be sentenced on it.
More proof that the Pamela Smart story is not over.
Defense lawyers are already appealing and preparing an appeal, in fact, of her conviction.
They have already filed a motion asking that the verdict be set aside, claiming again that
at least one juror, perhaps more, improperly discuss the case outside of the courtroom.
A hearing on that motion is scheduled for later this month.
We'll be following it for now.
Jerry D'Amico, News 7 Live in the North Bureau, Exeter, New Hampshire, Edie.
Jerry, one other update.
What about the three teenagers who testified against Pam Smart?
Indeed, another of the many aspects of this very complicated, very diverse case, Edie.
Those three remain in jail.
You remember that they had a plea bargain with the state for reduced charges and reduced
sentences in exchange for their testimony against Pamela Smart.
The finalization, however, of that plea bargain will not take place until after a fourth teenager
charged in this case goes on trial at the end of this year.
All right, thank you.
Jerry D'Amico, Reporting live from Exeter.
Now, the state has decided not to pursue charges filed in January against Pam Smart.
Those charges alleged Pam plotted from prison to have a key witness murdered.
Swift and vehement reaction tonight to a story the News 7 investigators first told you about
last night.
A seven-month investigation reveals what some call legal discrimination.
Hank Philippi Ryan joins us now with details.
Hank?
Artie, we've all heard the expression, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
What our investigation proves is how that happens right here in Boston as unscrupulous
business people target minority communities and prey on the homeowners who live there.
As we reported, it all starts when salesmen pushing home improvements go door to door
convincing homeowners to buy their porches or siding or roofing and then telling them
they can arrange loans to help them pay for the work.
The work turns out to be high priced and the loans turn out to be mortgages, putting the
customers' homes on the line.
As for the money, it goes to the contractor, not the consumer.
Our investigation found hundreds of residents in Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan are taking
out such mortgages for home improvements.