Obama orders ice cream--and gets a plea too

Barack Obama made an unscheduled stop on his campaign bus tour of Iowa the other day. Even a presidential candidate needs an ice cream cone of an afternoon.

Obama got the ice cream cone in a dairy bar in Wapello. But he also got a little more than he bargained for. After ordering around $20 worth of snacks--mostly ice cream and onion rings--for his campaign group, Obama got to talking with the counter waitress, Angela Dossett, who had some non-edible pressing concerns.

Turns out, she's the widow of a Marine killed in Iraq three years ago. She's afraid she'll lose all her survivor benefits if she makes more money or remarries and moves on with her life. "I can't move on," she said. "If I do I lose'' medical and other benefits.

Obama, who is a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, made a note of her concerns. Afterwards, she said Obama was the first presidential candidate to stop by the small diner. Now she is favorably disposed toward him. "He's really a nice guy,'' Dossett told The Times' Janet Hook.

Obama could have gotten away without paying the check. As the candidate was about to leave, one employee told him that the diner owner, who shyly stayed in the back kitchen, would spare him the bill if he just left an autograph. But the senator had already paid.

Obama chose vanilla, by the way.

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Major Man]

Senator Obama proves daily that caring about people and demonstrating empathy come from a persons core.

Sadly, the media somehow equates political leadership with heartlessness.

Thank God for good people like Senator Obama who prove people matter. I've been supporting him for years now and he never lets me down--even when he's not perfect.

OBAMA '08 Learn more at: www.barackobama.com

[Bob]

You're workin your tail off and you just gotta stop for ice cream and onion rings. This guy is the REAL, Real Deal, I can believe what he tells me now, he got my vote.

[Michelle]

Oh brother..so the guy eats so what?? Did you notice that he took note of her concerns there is no mention of his plan to help her and the millions of other Veterans in the country. Obama never says anything about his stance or about what he is really about. Why on earth would you want a muslim running this beautiful Christian country. mormons and muslims oh my!!! Ron Paul 2008! Stick the man that actually has a plan and answers

[Major Man]

Michelle, et al:
Senator Obama has long supported Veterans Issues. See below from his campaign website:
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/veterans/

Furthermore, he has sponsored legislation in the Senate to support veterans:
http://obama.senate.gov/press/071109-obama_introduce_21/

This means a lot to me because I am an Iraq War Vet. I wouldn't expect Sen. Obama to make any roadside promises to the Ice Cream lady but I'm certain he will investigate her concerns.

Surely by now you know he's not and never was Muslim. See: www.snopes.com

[roran55]

Did he make her cry like the woman on NPR? What a man !!! What a god!!! And only two years in the senate? Unheard of.

[wizinit]

Michelle - As a Ron Paul supporter I would expect you to be a strident supporter of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. But you seem intolerant of Romney's religion and uninformed about Obama's christian faith. You should also know by now that Obama integrates what people tell him and will, in the fullness of time, see what can be done to help hard-working widows of our veterans like the waitress in Wapello.

[Ron Paul for prez]

I agree with Wiznit. Obama is a Christian, he never was a muslim.

[Mo allahmo]

Surely by now you know he's not and never was Muslim.
he has you fooled. You need to look beyond snopes,.. follow his father and Africa.
He most definitely has muslim learnings/leanings in his past.

[sheepdog]

MO ALLAMO Is right, his stepfather moved the family from Hawaii to Indonesia and he atended an Islamic Madrass .
He also went to catholic school there.
Maybe he Is a nice guy but I think he needs another few years In the senate before he becomes prez....Oh ! he needs to drop the middle name too

[Flaca]

Who cares if he was a Muslim???! Ever heard of the separation of Church & State?! I am a Catholic & I don't use my religion as a barometer of who to vote for... I vote on policy, leadership, integrity and civic values. Obama represents the best in this race for presidency... a person to rise from modest means, to achieve his goals, and to choose community over getting rich. Lets get real people.. how people pray matters only at home, in their house of worship and to their families... leave religion out of it. Look around... Bush talks to Jesus everyday... how much good has that done?

[Lisa]

I think I need to go down and immediately register for gun permits and training, and stock up on a few handguns too. You people are willing to vote someone into office because he's nice, says he's christian, and eats ice cream at a roadside diner? Here we have all these muslims who are trying to take down all of civilization, and you people are willing to give the United States of America to him to run, no questions asked. Brilliant. I will not vote for someone because he's "nice", and I'd like to think that I'm not alone in wanting to vote for someone who knows how to LEAD, not just TALK about it.

[vwcat]

I love American History and during my adult life I have wondered many times where are the politicians who are statesmen or who make a difference. It seems we have been so mired in mediocrity for so long we don't know someone who has the potential greatness when he's standing before us.
Granted the media has dumbed the whole race and the office down by the games they play. Driving an election not based on what's best for the country but, because you want to have a beer with the guy and in the process set about printing outright lies about his opponet in the hope of making him lose.
Now it;s all about the fantasy subway series and blood match. Even knowing our country is facing many serious and damaging problems.
But, since Obama came on the scene I have witnessed someone who could change so much of that and make our country great and proud again.
This is obviously the person who needs to be elected to white house if we are ever to regain our country and end the destructive era of the Bush/Clinton years.

[Bruce]

According to several news articles, Angela Dossett's husband, Petty Officer Trace W. Dossett, was a reservist in the NAVY, and a member of a Seabee unit. He was NOT a marine, as the above article claims. Which (at a minimum) calls into question the accuracy of the reporter.

This whole encounter sounds staged, to convenient to be just a coincidence, about as phony as Hillary Clinton's planted audience questions. Mrs. Dossett's loss was real, but this appears to be a cynical attempt by a politician to take advantage of that loss.

[SilverC]

MO ALLAMO and sheepdog, your intellectual laziness is what is putting America in danger by living in an ignorant cocoon that doesnt help anyone. if you want to know about Obama, read his book dreams from my father written 15years ago. whatever you believe, right or wrong, he is 100% American capable of leading this nation like any other person whom the voters give a mandate to lead.