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Botany

(70,504 posts)
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 04:32 PM Jun 2016

Daily Kos, Amazing: Obama Helped Stranded Stranger 20 Years Ago

It was 1988, and Mary Andersen was at the Miami airport checking in for a long flight to Norway to be with her husband when the airline representative informed her that she wouldn't be able to check her luggage without paying a 100 surcharge:

When it was finally Mary’s turn, she got the message that would crush her bubbling feeling of happiness.
-You’ll have to pay a 103 dollar surcharge if you want to bring both those suitcases to Norway, the man behind the counter said.
Mary had no money. Her new husband had travelled ahead of her to Norway, and she had no one else to call.
-I was completely desperate and tried to think which of my things I could manage without. But I had already made such a careful selection of my most prized possessions, says Mary.

As tears streamed down her face, she heard a "gentle and friendly voice" behind her saying, "That's okay, I'll pay for her."

Mary turned around to see a tall man whom she had never seen before.
-He had a gentle and kind voice that was still firm and decisive. The first thing I thought was, Who is this man?
Although this happened 20 years ago, Mary still remembers the authority that radiated from the man.
-He was nicely dressed, fashionably dressed with brown leather shoes, a cotton shirt open at the throat and khaki pants, says Mary.
She was thrilled to be able to bring both her suitcases to Norway and assured the stranger that he would get his money back. The man wrote his name and address on a piece of paper that he gave to Mary. She thanked him repeatedly. When she finally walked off towards the security checkpoint, he waved goodbye to her.
Who was the man?

Barack Obama.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/05/621029/-Amazing-Obama-Helped-Stranded-Stranger-20-Years-Ago?detail=emailclassic&link_id=6&can_id=9d9ab9550f6f19d630ddc2d594a7bd47&source=email-the-dark-truth-of-john-boehners-resignation&email_referrer=the-dark-truth-of-john-boehners-resignation&email_subject=the-dark-truth-of-john-boehners-resignation

Meanwhile Donald Trump was not paying his contractors, running a scam university, running the "Trump Network,"
and cheating vets out of $$ he had raised for them

35 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Daily Kos, Amazing: Obama Helped Stranded Stranger 20 Years Ago (Original Post) Botany Jun 2016 OP
What a great story mainstreetonce Jun 2016 #1
When the girl's parents wrote Obama he wrote back to them Botany Jun 2016 #3
Aloha Spirit Octafish Jun 2016 #2
((opi)) blm Jun 2016 #11
... BlancheSplanchnik Jun 2016 #14
... scarletwoman Jun 2016 #21
oh.... BlancheSplanchnik Jun 2016 #24
Why have we never heard... 3catwoman3 Jun 2016 #4
You never heard that story? It was a floating around back in 2008. glowing Jun 2016 #5
Somehow I missed it. 3catwoman3 Jun 2016 #7
I hadn't heard it either... awoke_in_2003 Jun 2016 #10
heheh….boy, howdy! blm Jun 2016 #12
I missed it, too ailsagirl Jun 2016 #16
Same here - what a wonderful story! eom BlueMTexpat Jun 2016 #29
Because we have a "liberal media" Botany Jun 2016 #6
Nice. Never heard this but not surprised. mountain grammy Jun 2016 #8
Great story Gothmog Jun 2016 #9
What a lovely story mcar Jun 2016 #13
Love this. Totally in keeping with the man we see. BlancheSplanchnik Jun 2016 #15
Kick! red dog 1 Jun 2016 #17
They ryan_cats Jun 2016 #18
I really wish we could elect him for a third term. roamer65 Jun 2016 #19
I would elect him again in a heartbeat... tallahasseedem Jun 2016 #23
Me too. n/t BlancheSplanchnik Jun 2016 #25
Humanity. herding cats Jun 2016 #20
I thought I heard it all! tallahasseedem Jun 2016 #22
Thank you for the reminder. Matt_R Jun 2016 #26
wonderful story Liberal_in_LA Jun 2016 #27
npr had an interview w/ the guys who did SPY magazine and it has several snippets pansypoo53219 Jun 2016 #28
I had not heard that story before either. SheilaT Jun 2016 #30
i had a friend of a friend who met Trump in NYC in the late 1980s or early 1990s ...... Botany Jun 2016 #31
Kick and Rec. Warren DeMontague Jun 2016 #32
Inspiring. yardwork Jun 2016 #33
Never heard this before. Kentonio Jun 2016 #34
In 1988 Hillart was on the Walmart Board of directors. Motown_Johnny Jun 2016 #35

Botany

(70,504 posts)
3. When the girl's parents wrote Obama he wrote back to them
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 04:39 PM
Jun 2016

Last edited Sat Jun 11, 2016, 06:48 PM - Edit history (1)

In a letter to Mary’s parents dated May 4th, 2006 and stamped ‘United States Senate, Washington DC’, Barack Obama writes**:
‘I want to thank you for the lovely things you wrote about me and for reminding me of what happened at Miami airport. I’m happy I could help back then, and I’m delighted to hear that your daughter is happy in Norway. Please send her my best wishes. Sincerely, Barack Obama, United States senator’.

*******

I am going to miss that man more then I can ever say.

ailsagirl

(22,896 posts)
16. I missed it, too
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 07:18 PM
Jun 2016

Just read it and it brought tears to my eyes.

I'm so bummed he'll be leaving office in such a short time.

Botany

(70,504 posts)
6. Because we have a "liberal media"
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 04:46 PM
Jun 2016

And President Obama is more concerned about getting more things done then
taking credit for things in the past that he has done.

When you have a chance:
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/01/obama-biggest-achievements-213487

BTW I have done election protection work in OH and the Obama people were wonderful
and they were upfront about never making things about yourself, making problems, and or
talking to the press (we were told not to).

ryan_cats

(2,061 posts)
18. They
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 08:46 PM
Jun 2016

They must have been Muslims, or Kenyans or were smuggling drugs or were Muslim, Kenyan drug smugglers!

It proves he was planning to run for president twenty years ago! He is the Anti-Christ for sure now.

Do I need to say it?

roamer65

(36,745 posts)
19. I really wish we could elect him for a third term.
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 08:49 PM
Jun 2016

I think the 22nd Amendment rivals the Prohibition amendment in its stupidity.

tallahasseedem

(6,716 posts)
23. I would elect him again in a heartbeat...
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 10:17 PM
Jun 2016

Actually, I kind of wish we could just write him and and let it be done already.

tallahasseedem

(6,716 posts)
22. I thought I heard it all!
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 10:16 PM
Jun 2016

It doesn't surprise me at all that he did this...he is the real deal and I will miss him and the amazing First Family terribly.

pansypoo53219

(20,976 posts)
28. npr had an interview w/ the guys who did SPY magazine and it has several snippets
Sun Jun 12, 2016, 03:23 AM
Jun 2016

that show just how money grubbing don the con is. short fingered vulgarian needs to be stopped everywhere.

 

SheilaT

(23,156 posts)
30. I had not heard that story before either.
Sun Jun 12, 2016, 04:59 PM
Jun 2016

But that's the sort of thing a decent person does: helps out another in a time of need.

Imagine the scene if Donald Trump had been behind her in line. He'd have started calling her names, complaining she was holding things up, didn't know what it took to travel overseas, and so on. On the up side, I doubt Trump has ever flown commercially in his life, so none of us will ever be subject to his abuse while at an airport.

Botany

(70,504 posts)
31. i had a friend of a friend who met Trump in NYC in the late 1980s or early 1990s ......
Sun Jun 12, 2016, 05:19 PM
Jun 2016

... and guess what? He was an asshole.

With today's awful news reading some good news about the President helps
a little bit.

 

Kentonio

(4,377 posts)
34. Never heard this before.
Sun Jun 12, 2016, 05:43 PM
Jun 2016

Sometimes I get disappointed by some of his choices in office, but I've never doubted that he's a decent man above everything else.

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