It arrived yesterday in a plain grey envelope the size of a greeting card with a return address of only "Ann Romney" - nothing more. At first I wasn't going to open it, but then curiosity got the better of me and I did, fortunately. There is no date on the letter, only "Wednesday Morning" - apparently that is how the 1% think about time. The salutation is rather presumptuous - "Dear Friend" - Ann begins and she writes very well - complete sentences, perfect grammar, short paragraphs.
But then things start heading downhill in a hurry.
Ann starts off by saying "I believe in America". Glad she cleared that up for me because I had some doubts.
Ann says her "deep-seated belief comes from growing up surrounded by the best America has to offer." Ain't that the truth! Has there ever been a day in her life that she didn't know where her next meal was coming from? You know, like the people she claims to be meeting on the campaign trail:
"I am meeting with people who have lost their jobs, their savings, their homes, even
their way of life."
Unfortunately, Ann's perspective on people has been woefully distorted by her life with Mitt because her next observation is simply mind-boggling:
"Mitt and I are grateful that loyal Republicans like you are committed to reclaiming
the White House, re-electing a Republican majority in the House, and restoring a
Republican majority in the Senate. Your steadfast support for our shared Repub-
lican values is truly inspiring."
WRONG, ANN, JUST WRONG!!
But it is one thing to be wrong and another to be a mendacious hypocrite, which Ann proves to be in the next paragraph.
"What strikes me most about the people I meet on the campaign trail is their
positive spirit even as they are sharing their struggles with me. In addition to
the economic struggles I mentioned earlier, many people are facing devastating
health issues. Because they are aware of my own health struggles, we share a
special bond. I always take the time to listen and offer whatever encouragement
I can because I know what it is like to face a devastating diagnosis and an
uncertain future."
No Ann you absolutely do not know what it is like to face a devastating diagnosis and an uncertain future because unlike most Americans, you have unlimited funds to pay for medical care.
My father did not have those advantages when he got the devastating diagnosis of ALS - Lou Gehrig's Disease. He lived for 5 years in pain and suffering as we watched him slowly die fully conscious to the end. And even though he had full health insurance through his employer, it was not nearly enough and eventually ran out.
My mother did her absolute best to care for him because there was no way we could afford the full time nurses he needed, but it nearly drove her insane. She simply exploded in rage one day in a way that shocked me to my core.
We only avoided financial disaster because my father was a WWII vet and finally got into a nursing home on the VA where he lived out his last days. I don't want anyone else to go through what my family had to endure with insurance companies denying us coverage and trying their best to cut us off.
So my answer to you Ann is no, we do not share a special bond, not when Mitt's first priority is to kill "Obamacare".