Obama vs the Schoolteacher

A Texas schoolteacher, Thomas J. Ritter, wrote a letter highly critical of President Obama's health care initiative, the Affordable Health Care Act aka Obamacare.  The fifth grade teacher in Texas told President Obama, "This bill has caused such a divisive, dirisive [sic], and toxic environment … The reality is that any citizen that disagrees with your ­administration is targeted and ridiculed. I hesitated to write for fear of some kind of retribution. I watched you make fun of tea baggers and your press secretary make fun of Ms. Palin which was especially beneath the dignity of the White House.”  Amazingly, President Obama not only responded, he replied in his own handwriting to Mr. Ritter.

In his reply, the President stated the following, “I believe that health care reform will be the right thing for the country . . . It certainly wasn’t the smart ‘political’ thing! And I hope that in the months to come, you will keep an open mind and evaluate it based not on the political attacks but on what it does or doesn’t do to improve people’s lives. Sincerely, Barack Obama.”  The president went on to state he understood the "toxic political environment."  But, he then made the vulgar and mocking term "tea baggers" in reference to supporters of the Tea Party which has caused consternation by both Democrats and Republicans.   Mr. Ritter has stated he will put the personal letter from the President up for auction at the starting bid of $24,000.

As anyone who has read this blog for any length of time will attest, I am not Barrack Obama fan.  Never have been, never will be.  So, when credit is due, I will give him credit.  I applaud the president for responding to a severe critic of his health care plan.  He didn't have to do that.  But, he took time from his schedule to respond to Mr. Ritter.  Whether it was a publicity stunt by the Obama Administration or not, it was a very nice thing for the president to do.  Having said all this, I think it was reprehensible of the president to refer to Tea Party supporters by the derisive and vulgar term, "tea baggers."  President Obama seems to do all he can to lower the dignity of the Office of the President each passing day.  The president says this about Tea Party supporters and then refers to the toxic political environment.  He seems oblivious to the fact he added to that toxic environment himself, not just with his references in the letter to Mr. Ritter.  President Obama's hardline partisanship exacerbates this "toxic political environment."  As I said, I applaud the president for reaching out to one of his many critics.  But, the president doesn't really seem to care what the other side has to say.  He never has.  He goes headlong into issues without getting opinions from people who disagree with him.  The president is surrounded by "yes men."  For that reason alone, President Obama is out of touch with the majority of the American people.  The majority don't want Obamacare.  Five million people are heading into 2014 without their insurance plans that were canceled due to Obamacare.  The "If you like your health insurance, you can keep it" is going to come back to haunt the president and his lackeys in the Democratic Party.  Administration officials are hiding the truth from him with how much America hates the signature policy issue of his tenure, Obamacare.

As for the schoolteacher, Mr. Thomas Ritter, he is not moved by President Obama's response.  “I am selling the letter because I am just so disappointed, and this ObamaCare bill is wrong. The president told me what he thought I wanted to hear. The letter is just words on a paper. It doesn’t mean anything to me because Obama doesn’t mean any of it.”  I have to agree with Mr. Ritter.  He just told the president something he didn't want to see or hear; the true feelings of how the American people feel about Obamacare.  They hate it.  The Democrats and this insulated president will pay the price about a year from now.