Today Obama Quietly Bought Food for a Widow and a Disabled Roofer in Need

[FourScore]

FROM:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/18/20635/849/791/634836

Today Obama Quietly Bought Food for a Widow and a Disabled Roofer in Need
by JPZenger
Sat Oct 18, 2008 at 05:34:07 PM PDT

The following account is paraphrased from several posts by BrotherJonah today, including the following:

http://www.alfrankenweb.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=42025&p=440193#p440193

BrotherJonah was a roofer who became disabled, with injured feet. He was out scrounging for scrap metal today (against his doctor's orders), to get enough food money to last him and his landlady through the weekend.

BrotherJonah shares a house in Colorado Springs, Colorado with a widow who he calls Miss Johnnie. He came home and found the woman was crying and showing him a table full of Chinese food. He thought one of our friends or my relatives had come over and bought for them. But the real story was much more interesting.

Obama volunteers were canvasing in the area and knocked on the door of Miss Johnnie. She is a registered Republican, but told them she was supporting Obama. She then started to tell them her troubles, including how her husband was a Vietnam Vet who died of Agent Orange. One of the volunteers was a Marine and a Vietnam Vet. The volunteer then started making calls on his cell phone. Soon, he handed the phone to Miss Johnnie. It was Barack Obama.

The woman told Barack about her daughter Michelle, a Marine who had been deployed to Iraq twice, and whose scheduled discharge may be delayed because of the Stop Loss rules. She talked about her continous troubles with the VA concerning her husband's medical bills. She talked about the difficulty of getting the VA to cover medical expenses that she had paid out of pocket, and the nitpicky paperwork errors by the VA. She told him about her difficulty affording food.

About 20 minutes later a very large order of Chinese food came to the door.

The delivery man was a recent immigrant and didn't speak English, so he called his boss, who told them that Obama had called and put the order on his personal credit card.

Brotherjonah came home and had only been able to buy a half gallon of milk, enough food for one meal and some cat food. Instead, they had enough food to last until Monday.

Brotherjonah wrote:

"He was there in a way that really counts. McCain has a fake falsified made-up "Joe the Plumber" who turns out to be a white-collar person named Sam and not even a plumber...

Obama now has Miss Johnnie the Viet-Nam Widow and a Real Joe the Ex-Roofer with Busted Feet. That's why Obama wins. He's Real, his concern for the people is Real, and the people who supporting him, WE'RE real too."
----
I know BrotherJonah as a person who regularly posts on the www.alfrankenweb.com website. This account did not come from the campaign office or a reporter - it came directly from the disabled ex-roofer.

----
Here's a photo of Obama making a phone call to a voter today. (Fourth photo)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=7510492&mesg_id=7510492

[tblue]

1. I'll see your Joe the Plumber and raise you a Jonah the Roofer!

[roguevalley]

25. What you do for the least among you, you do also for me. I pray for those two people.

God bless those who love. God bless those who care. I hope we all get better together.

[JPZenger]

45. Big Update from BrotherJonah with confirmations

The above post is based upon writings by BrotherJonah on www.alfrankenweb.com.forum. I sent the link to this story to BrotherJonah and told him that many people were skeptical about his story. I asked him to provide some more information as confirmation. He read the comments on kos and here are some of things he wrote in response at www.alfrankenweb.com/forum, with some minor paraphrasing by me for clarity:

"The restaurant is "Coal Mine Dragon" at 1720 W Uintah, Colorado Springs.
The lady who runs it is Second Generation Chinese.

She told Miss Johnnie that it was Obama paying the tab, and that it was supposed to have been secret."

Brotherjonah says he thinks that Congressman Mark Udall (son of the great Mo Udall and current candidate for US Senate) was involved in getting Obama on the phone. Brotherjohan said:

"If it was merely the Volunteers calling in the food order, and the restaurant owner not getting it out clearly distinguished, that's still great.

Regarding who actually spoke to the restaurant owner, the caller identified himself as Obama. If he was a clever impostor doing a good imitation, that's more improbable. Not much reason anybody in the campaign would imitate him, especially as Obama wouldn't tolerate it.

We have one cat, Keenan ... we can't let him outside because our next-door neighbor is a Confirmed Cat-Kicker.

Last summer Miss Johnnie contracted Leishmaniasis ...They gave her Antibiotics for it, and for the Mycelin Resistant Staph Aureole that goes with it. This has affected her inner ear, because the antibiotics were so strong. At the time we thought it was her lymphatic cancer coming out of remission.

After Miss Johnnie's husband died, she was waiting on getting her Widow's Pension, the VA wasn't even acknowledging that her husband had died of Agent Orange.

It took a few years for that. That's when she had the lymphoma. She was out on the street while taking chemo.

Last year she started to try for her CHAMPVA benefits, so she could get meaningful health care. The ones who come to the forum to blast "Socialized Medicine" don't know the least part of what the hell they're putting out, or putting down. We had the paperwork and forms from the VA to take to the Air Force to get her Widowed Spouse ID card, to get the CHAMPVA started.

We rode the bus across town to Peterson AFB, they allowed her onto the base, but not me, made me get off the bus and wait outside. Which I prefer anyway, when I left the Air Force, I LEFT...

At the Admin building another Mercenary, not Air Force personnel, clerk told her that the VA was full of shit, everything changed with nine eleven, don't you know there's a war on yadda yadda and threatened to have her arrested. This year we finally got her ID card, got her CHAMPVA started.

Any Vets reading this, be-the-hell-ware because this is what they're fixin' to do to YOU next if McInasane gets in power.

So she's owed 11 years worth of reimbursement for all the medical care she had to pay for out of pocket, even with the next to worthless Colorado Indigent Care Program insurance (Look up "worthless" in the dictionary and right next to it will be a picture of CICP) one of those "Massive Entitlement Programs For Bums" that McCain bitches about.

She got some reimbursement but is owed about 5 times as much more. They keep bouncing her claims back, saying the forms are "incomplete".

Utter bullshit, because I went over their claim as to what information was missing, and it was all right there in the papers.

That's why I believe somebody from Mark Udall's office is going to give them a Nasty Note Monday.

The Health Care meltdown in Colorado is almost as bad as it was in Texas when I left. Privatized everything. Well, I can testify, it didn't work in Texas, and it surely ain't working in Colorado either.

I get SSI and Medicaid. Miss Johnnie gets a Widows pension and CHAMPVA.
I supplement it by repairing computers and selling them, and the Scrap Metal. I've been making more money off the scrap metal than the computers though. The internet is part of our Cable package.

And, it's necessary for the repairs I do to the computers, otherwise we would have ditched that part and just used dial-up.

The past month I haven't been able to scrap, doctor's orders. That drop in income brought us near the edge. On top of that, scrap prices are down, way down... and there's more competition for what scrap there is.

This is what's happening across America.

I find out on November 5th what exact kind of surgery is going to be needed, for the foot I thought was uninjured 16 years ago. I do know part of it is going to involve removal of a bone, the Cuboid. I won't have a leg to stand on.

It would be really really cool, you know, if this situation were anywhere near being unique. Fact is, it ain't.

Another person asked if he could send them some money. This was BrotherJonah's response:

Thanks, but we're getting there. You might need it yourself soon anyway.
Stocks are tanking like mad.

Gas prices are down to 3 a gallon but that's mostly because so much business, small and large, has crashed that there's a huge drop in actual consumption.

There's going to be money coming in, just a question of when. We both know how to make money, just we aren't going to try doing anything on credit, build from a cash-only base.

Miss Johnnie used to be a business owner, she and her husband did custom printing. Before his illness got to him they had over a million in the bank. That's how quick a catastrophic illness can do you down.

"Difficult" and "impossible" are two separate equations, if something is difficult that just means it's possible.

It's a challenge more than anything. I hope.

I've got good skills I can adapt, like these computer skills. This one I'm using now I built up from parts I salvaged, part of the scrap metal deal.

...I'm developing a base of people who will want to buy good computers, that'll do whatever they want, just at an amazingly lower price than they would pay to HP or Dell.

Now HP is closing down most of their local operations here, moving some to Albuquerque and some to iirc Little Rock.

But I'll adapt. Part of it is that I don't have a huge monetary investment in anything, mostly my investment has been in skills.

At least we have a plan, and are getting, slowly to be sure, but it is building up, the means to implement the plan.

Dire straits are familiar territory for me. At least I know my way around.

There's good coming onto the horizon."

"Obamas avoids comparing himself to Gandhi, but Gandhi campaigned on brotherhood, compassion and the notion that none of us is placed on this planet in a higher birth order, we're all equal... "

Here's my favorite line from BrotherJonah (Obama is on the Senate Committee that oversees the VA):

"If I'm not mistaken, some poor clerk at the VA in Denver is going to have a rude surprise Monday morning."
----
More at several posts at:

http://www.alfrankenweb.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=42025&p=440193#p440193 (including on page 2 of that thread)
---
Morality is when you do good even when no one is watching. Obama had no way of knowing that the woman he was helping was living with a person who loves to post political comments on a website, or that BrotherJonah's comments would end up being read by thousands of Kossacks.

[JPZenger]

57. Update 2: People uniting to help them out

Some fellow bloggers who know Brother Jonah and a Kossack who lives in Colorado Springs are teaming up to make sure they are helped until Brother Jonah can literally "get back on his feet." check out:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/20/214650/12

[JPZenger]

58. Update: Apparently Canvassers Ordered the Food

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/18/20635/849/791/634836?mode=edit

Based upon more research by others, it appears the food was actually ordered by the Obama volunteers and not Obama himself. There apparently was some confusion because of the language barrier with the Chinese restaurant. I've updated the original post (above) as more info. has become available.

[faithfulcitizen]

52. It's not Joe the Plumber, it's Samuel the Liar.

[RepublicanElephant]

2. HOW DARE HE...

spread the wealth.

[madaboutharry]

3. This is the same kind of thing as when

he paid for that woman's overweight suitcases at the airport.

[vaberella]

13. Yup..in Florida almost 20 years ago, right?! Wow.

This guy is so amazing.

[BlooInBloo]

4. Chinese food? Why does Obama hate America?

:rofl:

[Ishoutandscream2]

7. LOL! Now that tickled me

Good thing it wasn't French cuisine.

[judasdisney]

55. Chris Matthews is complaining that Obama sent "elitist" Orange Juice as well

For clarification: That's a joke referencing Matthews' earlier campaign position on Obama's diner choices.

[POAS]

5. Typical Democrat buying votes with food

pfft.

[AlCzervik]

6. typical lib with the hand outs!

I love these stories and i love that his volunteers care that much.

[Binka]

9. Gawd Damn Obama For Being So Classy

How dare he share. Fucking socialist. Elite bastard. Muslim Arab sharing. Caring. Helping. Gawd damn Bill Ayers lovin freak.:sarcasm:

[AlCzervik]

10. yup and it speaks volumes about the people who give their free time to help

gotv, just good caring people.

[Botany]

8. Class is quite

This is story made me "misty."

A few years ago there was a fire in Wooster Mass. (?) and some firefighters
lost their lives .... John Kerry went there and spent 10 days living w/ the
families trying to help them out ... funny real values seem to be liberal.

[Binka]

12. I Cried Too Bot

My heart is broken in so many ways these days but we LIBS keep giving. Yell out to you baby.

[quiet.american]

11. I love Obama. nt

[Phx_Dem]

14. That's a great story.

Obama is a genuinely good man who cares about other people.

[Window]

29. Obama makes you want to become a better person and citizen.

[Phx_Dem]

15. That's a great story.

Obama is a genuinely good man who cares about other people.

[vaberella]

16. We need to send this to KO and Rachel Maddow to make it national. n/t

[quakerboy]

43. Naw

I don't think Obama did it to get in the news. And while I will use it in my conversations, I think thats where it should be. Not some spectacle that will then get attacked as a stunt. Let it be what it is, and wait to put it in the news after the election to explain Why he won and how he will govern us.

[Window]

17. ((((((((((((((( BARRACK OBAMA )))))))))))))))

[asdjrocky]

18. Man, and I don't cry easy.

This man must be my President.

[Bubbha Jo]

19. Pass it forward ....... let's all donate some food to a local shelter/food bank this week.

The holidays are coming up and I'm sure their donations are down.

[asdjrocky]

20. Good idea.

I have quite the garden in the backyard, and they get a box full every week.

[Chorophyll]

22. Great idea. Thank you

for the reminder.

[Bubbha Jo]

24. "Yes We Canned" would be a great name for a canned food drive ; )

[MadMaddie]

33. That's not a bad Bubbha Jo idea maybe we can get Skinner to set up a DU

food drive for the Holiday's!

[TooRaLoo]

36. Agree with another poster - make this an OP.

Maybe the Obama camp will adopt this idea!

[sandnsea]

38. I third this, and

I'll contact the National Rally Day people and see if they want to expand that into a national canned food drive.

[Bubbha Jo]

48. Good....doing one for the next 2 weeks would channel some of the

enthusiasm we all have into helping others!

Yes we can, y'all.... yes we can be the America we wish to be!

[boppers]

56. Started

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x7525200

Credited this thread. :D

[Lisa0825]

32. YOu should make this an OP. nt

[JPZenger]

47. Church Food Bank: Mainly Grapefruit Juice and Saltines

Like many food banks, the food bank run by my church has been overwhelmed recently. Even though the church can buy government subsidized food very cheap for distribution, the selection has been extremely limited. The food bank is now mainly down to grapefruit juice, saltine crackers and canned tomatoes. Fortunately, Giant Supermarkets donates their one day old bread everyday to different food banks.

Our church set up this food bank on Saturday mornings to serve the large number of working poor. The other foodbanks were only open on weekday mornings.

[Chorophyll]

21. K&R for Barack...and for his volunteers.

What a wonderful story. :cry: :patriot:

[grantcart]

23. Vietnam 1978

Not during the war - after it.

One of the first Americans to go in after the war. Complete desolation.

Electricity is only on for a few hours a day. No air conditioning. At night the entire population of Saigon goes out door to beat the heat and socialize.

Walk around and see an untidy dump.

Elderly folks picking through the garbage trying to find something to eat.

That we would have a Viet Nam widow now approaching that reality, and knowing that all of the elderly in Vietnam now are atleast guaranteed enough food to eat every day, and that - in the richest country in the world - we have people running around hysterically about how terrible it would be to 'share the wealth'.

And they talk about "real Virginia" and "real Americans" and "real American Congress people".

They have no grasp of reality at this level.

[Rocknrule]

26. Finally, a True Christian(TM) president!

[iceman66]

27. Of course this will be COMPLETELY ignored by the MSM!

[Window]

28. I wish there was some way we could initiate a "Tinklenberg" fund for honest

people in distress. Quietly, of course.

I know, I know, probably not plausible for so many reasons, but my heart just goes out to good and honest people in need of help.

I have a model of doing two good things a day for people, but you cannot tell anyone or it won't count.


Peace:thumbsup:

[greenmutha]

30. K&R

What a wonderful story... That's our President!

:cry:

[expatriate]

31. I don't cry easy, and my ocker Aussie husband less so.

We're both in tears.

I was very poor in America for many years. I had many meals out of a dumpster, and wore what was tantamount to rags. I was often in despair over where the hell I would get insulin for my child, because we had lost our health coverage and at the time, had too much "income" to qualify for Medicaid. They were desperate times, and there was no help forthcoming, as programs had been cut back. Even though I had been paying taxes all my life, as well as my then-husband, and we had a very sick child, it didn't matter. Unemployment in our area was very high, there were no jobs, and we had no money to move where prospects were better.

It was very possible to fall through the cracks in America then (1990's) and I'm sure it is much, much worse today. In the so-called greatest nation on earth, people are hungry and living in deplorable conditions, while rich fat-cats protest the idea of "spreading the wealth around".

Bless Barack Obama. This is the President we need. Bless the man.

[SunsetDreams]

34. Wow, this story made me cry

This speaks volumes on the character of Barack Obama.

God Bless him and this family.

[political_Dem]

35. That is a beautiful story.

Mr. Obama is truly a special person. You'd never hear of McCain or Palin doing anything to help anyone. This story makes them even more superficial, selfish and repulsive than ever before.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

37. Is there really anything more you need to know about Obama.

Seriously, He is a good and decent man. He cares about people who have little and struggle. He is the finest candidate we have put forth since Robert Francis Kennedy. Barack Hussein Obama should be the President of the United States for the next eight years. We are honored to have him present himself at this terrible and desperate time, This is a fortunate country. And I would never believed that I could say such a thing.

[Frank Booth]

39. If this were a true story, it would be even better!

[IndyOp]

50. Do you have evidence that suggests it is not true? It could be an internet creation,

but do you have evidence that it is just a story that makes Obama look good? It could have been someone from the Obama campaign who ordered the food. If you just have a cynical attitude, and no evidence, then you should indicate that.

:(

[barack the house]

40. This a true American story, it was all about the people from the naions conception. Take >

care of people and everything else falls into line. We are all here to share wealth, skills and most of all hearts.

[Hope And Change]

41. Great story.K & R!

[Joe the Liberal]

42. McCain would NEVER do that the greedy bastard!

Gotta love Obama for doing that though, this just gives me even more reason to vote democrat up and down the ballot.

[nadine_mn]

44. Nope...Obama wouldn't have done that... he knows that they would be hungry again in 20 min

Sorry....couldn't resist when I saw it was Chinese food.

[Jennicut]

46. Chinese Food! Yum. Obama is great man.

A real genuine good person and I will be proud to have him as my Prez and Joe Biden as my VP.

[ThatsMyBarack]

49. OMG!

:cry: :patriot: :loveya:

[tokenlib]

51. This is a great story--but I feel like there is something missing...

I highly doubt that Obama would simply buy dinner for these poor souls.. I hope and suspect he would try to give the VA a good swift kick in the ass as well. Not that he has time to do it--but I'd bet he delegated the task to some staffer somewhere. After reading the story I want to know what else happens for these two.

[democrank]

53. Beautiful.

GOBAMA!

[RichardRay]

54. Practice random acts of kindness

and senseless acts of beauty.

No single such act will cure the ills of the world, but each act will ameliorate at least two ills - the recipient of the kindness and the provider's.