Letter to the Editor: Obama has already accomplished much

It's been a few years since I did one of these. This one appeared in Monday's Grand Rapids Press - the front page of which featured the headline "Bin Laden Dead" in all caps - meaning many people probably got that particular issue.

I am glad President Barack Obama has decided to run for re-election. His character, competence, and courage make him one of the best Presidents in the post-FDR era.

Thanks to him, our economy is recovering from the Bush Recession. America’s auto industry is not just surviving - it's thriving. More people have access to health insurance. Our government is more transparent than it was before. Combat operations in Iraq are over, as Obama promised during the 2008 campaign. Thanks to Nobel laureate Obama, recent polls show that the United States is the most respected country in the world - a remarkable change from the Bush years.

These are all huge achievements - achievements which most Presidents would be unable to do in eight years, much less 27 months. It would be hard to list all of President Obama’s accomplishments thus far, but suffice it to say that he is that rare kind of President who usually only comes around once or twice in a person's lifetime.

Principled, patriotic, and progressive, Obama is what we all should want in a President. I look forward to giving him the support he has earned. God bless our nation and our President!