The public President Obama, bubbly in his reelection campaigning about a recovering U.S. economy, isnt as optimistic in private, telling a select few that it will likely take up to two years for any recovery to click in.
A letter provided to Washington Secrets from Obama to a long-unemployed Portland, Maine carpenter pulls back the curtain of economic hope to reveal the truth about the stagnant economy. I wont lie to you, Obama penned in hand to Charles Oliver in October. It will probably take another year or two to fully dig our way out of this hole.
Oliver had written the president in June to ask: Are we as Americans going to be alright? Answered Obama, Yes, we will be ok. Because America has gotten through tough times before, and because of good people like you.
While happy for the response, Oliver told us that he hasnt seen any of the recovery the president and media have been heralding. Hes out campaigning saying everything is coming up roses. Hes a lying SOB, Oliver said of Obama, who has tried to temper his hopefulness with cautions that the recovery could hit speed bumps.
Oliver recently sold his letter through a dealer to pay for truck repairs but remains unemployed. Another firm, Alexander Autographs now has his letter and is offering it to the first buyer who bids over $10,000. The companys president, Bill Panagopulos, told us that he will give half of the profit to any company that gives Oliver a full-time job.