Has it really come to this? Dennis Kucinich is now the president?s lucky charm? The man who as mayor made Cleveland a joke to Detroiters is the man on whom a presidency rests?

Was it the four meetings with the president that changed his mind? The trip on Air Force One? The rally in Cleveland? The chance to be in the spotlight again? The chance to pass an important piece of legislation?

No, no, no, no, and no. As Kucinich explained, it was not egotism but altruism that made the difference. President Obama, Nobel Prize winner, best-selling author, leader of the free world, master of oceans, and all that, is an object of pity.

I left with a real sense of compassion for our president and what he’s going through. We have to be compassionate towards those who are called upon to make decisions for this nation. It’s not an easy burden that he has taken up.

So when you still can?t afford insurance, you lose your Medicare Advantage coverage, or your doctor refuses to treat you, remember Dennis Kucinich and his compassion.