Obama Writes Note For Fourth Grader Playing Hooky To Attend Town Hall

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Ten-year-old Kennedy Corpus has a rock-solid excuse for missing the last day of school: a personal note to her teacher from President Barack Obama.

Her father, John Corpus of Green Bay, stood to ask Obama about health care during the president's town hall-style meeting at Southwest High School on Thursday. He told Obama that his daughter was missing school to attend the event and that he hoped she didn't get in trouble.

"Do you need me to write a note?" Obama asked. The crowd laughed, but the president was serious.

On a piece of paper, he wrote: "To Kennedy's teacher: Please excuse Kennedy's absence. She's with me. Barack Obama." He stepped off the stage to hand-deliver the note _ to Kennedy's surprise.

"I thought he was joking until he started walking down," Kennedy said after the event, showing off the note in front of a bank of television cameras. "It was like the best thing ever."

The fourth-grader at Aldo Leopold elementary in Green Bay already knew what she was going to do with the note: frame it along with her ticket to the event. She said she'd make a copy for her teacher.

Kennedy said she had never seen Obama before. "He's really nice," she said.

Comments

[NotBeatenYet]

The man defines cool on all levels.

[Bramble8]

He's a dad what do you expect?

[frappe]

...at the request of the 4th grader's father, who was also present at the town hall meeting.

[foofoobunny]

what's your point? it was still a cool think for him to do.

[MEN8v]

Go back and listen to the exchange again; the father did not ask for the note until after President Obama volunteered to provide one. What the father did do was state that he was there with his daughter who was missing her last day of school.

[Jayne Faire]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HTA-G5OLMs

[raop]

What surprised me was not that he wrote the note or that he did it while answering the father's question. That we can expect of this president now. What i was surprised about was that he had to tear a part of his speech notes up and write a note. I mean would you not expect a president to have a decent notepad with the presidential seal at his disposal to take down any points or reminders? On the MSNBC website you can see the reflection of his speech notes on the other side. I am commenting about the organisers, not the president, just in case........

[GAPeach99]

The fact that it's wrtten on a page from his speech notes makes it all the more special.
What a cool family heirloom!

[1088]

This note will worth millions in the future. The note is written on a piece of his speech paper, based on reforming health care, which is historical in itself. I wish I had that for an investment. NICE!

[dappleganger]

Barack Obama is like the Samuel L. Jackson of Presidents.

[dontpanic1]

Hopefully without a lot of the cursing... :)

[mightyhead]

"I want these motherf*in' HMO's off my motherf*in economy!"

[madatnewsmedia]

LOL

[CANADAwii]

I wish he were the Prime Minister of Canada. This man is the coolest ever!!!

[jobecky20]

It's cool to have James Bond for a President!

[maggienash65]

Isn't it too bad some TV host had to make a mockery out of this.

[goodtomeetyou]

Shmoopy papoopie! Great President.

[mapleaforever]

Sorry for the negativity, but I can't remember a GOPer, with the exception of Spiro T. Agnew (snicker), who would have done this.

The only way would be if the child was unborn. Then they'd bend over backwards.

---------------------------

President Obama is one cool man.

[j mcdouglas]

Coolness personified.

[KLordsha]

This leads directly to the photo galleries. http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090611/GPG0101/90611112/1978

[madatnewsmedia]

THANKS! Very enjoyable!

[KLordsha]

Some great pics of the townhall and also this story here>> http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/news

[foofoobunny]

thanks for the post...nice photos

[albanianmomforobama]

Thank you! Nice picks. Our President is sooooooooooo handsome!

[Sensiblebg]

It will be funnier when the teacher does accept it! haha I dont agree with Obama on a lot but this was a good move..

[cheforacle]

I suspect that it will not be kept by the teacher but by Kennedy, the ten-year old. She'll be showing it to friends and family when she is much older. It will be quite a valuable memento one day.

[OKSunny]

that is why his approval ratings are thru the roof-he's just a sincerely nice guy
pretty cool