It Must Be Campaign Season

On some occasions, the President writes a personal check — actual money from his own pocket — to Americans who write him about personal hardships, according to a a report by Eli Saslow in the Washington Post last week that probably received far less attention than it deserved.

A few times during his presidency, Saslow reports, Obama admitted to writing a personal check on the writer’s behalf, believing that it was his only way to ensure a fast result.

“It’s not something I should advertise, but it has happened,” he told Saslow, who interviewed the President for a new book.

The White House is not denying it — although they aren’t elaborating on the admission in any way, shape or form.

  TPM

Boy, that just opens up all kinds of questions, doesn’t it? I bet he’s going to get a lot of letters.

Gee, I wonder why we’re just now hearing about it.

“Some of these letters you read and you say, ‘Gosh, I really want to help this person, and I may not have the tools to help them right now,’ ” the President told Saslow. “And then you start thinking about the fact that for every one person that wrote describing their story, there might be another hundred thousand going through the same thing. So there are times when I’m reading the letters and I feel pained that I can’t do more, faster, to make a difference in their lives.”

What a guy. And he wants you to know it. I guess it would be kind of hard to think he's a generous guy who gives charitably to help others if we don't know about it. Kind of a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation there.

While an indisputable act of generosity, the practice is not unprecedented. Ronald Reagan loved to respond to requests from ordinary citizens, sometimes even writing them personal checks if they were under financial duress, according to a James B. Sutherland’s book “Ronald Reagan.”

Just like St. Ronnie.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.