WASHINGTON – President Obama will spend Thursday in the shoes of a Minneapolis mother who wrote him a compelling letter about her daily middle-class struggles, White House officials said late Monday.
Obama recently read a letter from a woman the staff identified only as Rebekah, whose struggles keeping pace with the cost of living and child care and work inspired Obama to launch a series of conversations around the country with regular folks, officials said.
The conversations are meant to promote policies the White House believes can bolster the middle class.
In a YouTube video the White House will release Tuesday, Obama reads the letter aloud.
" 'I know staying silent about what you see and what needs changing never makes any difference so I'm writing you to let you know what it's like for us in the middle of the country and I hope you will listen,' " Obama reads.
Turning to the camera, he said, "I think it's going to be wonderful for me to let Rebekah know not only am I listening [but] that she's not alone out there."
The president had long planned a trip to the Twin Cities for a private fundraiser Thursday night.
