The White House Blog: The President

President Obama Remembers Andy Griffith

Andy Griffith, who charmed audiences for half a century as an actor, comedian, and gospel singer, died today in his home in Manteo, North Carolina. He was 86.

Griffith, known for his iconic roles as the sheriff of Mayberry and the defense attorney Ben Matlock, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.

This afternoon, President Obama marked his passing, saying, "A performer of extraordinary talent, Andy was beloved by generations of fans and revered by entertainers who followed in his footsteps."

Celebrating Independence Day at the White House

In each of the past three years, President Obama has marked Independence Day with a celebration at the White House featuring a concert, organized by the USO, to honor members of the U.S. military and their families.

And that tradition will continue this year with a performance from country music star Brad Paisley.

You can watch the concert beginning tomorrow, just after 8:00 on WhiteHouse.gov/live, and if you stick around, you'll get a great view of the National Mall fireworks show -- from the South Lawn of the White House.

In the mean time, check out video from Independence Day celebrations past:

President Obama Tours Wildfire Damage in Colorado

President Barack Obama looks at a map of the fires with officials at the Southeast Family Center YMCA in Colorado Springs, Colo., June 29, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

 

President Obama traveled to Colorado to view the devastation caused by one of the state's worst wildfires, which has been burning near Colorado Springs since Saturday. After touring some of the damaged areas, the President spoke to the press briefly at a local fire station:

I think what you see here is an example of outstanding coordination and cooperation between federal, state and local agencies.  We have been putting everything we have into trying to deal with what’s one of the worst fires that we’ve seen here in Colorado.  And it’s still early in the fire season, and we still got a lot more work to do.  But because of the outstanding work that’s been done, because of not only the coordination but also some unprecedented arrangements that have been made with military resources combined with the civil resources, we’re starting to see progress.

Obviously, as you saw in the some of these subdivisions, the devastation is enormous.  And our thoughts and prayers go out to all the families who have been affected.

One of the things that I’ve tried to emphasize is that whether it’s fires in Colorado or flooding in the northern parts of Florida, when natural disasters like this hit, America comes together.  And we all recognize that there but for the grace of God, go I.  We’ve got to make sure that we have each other’s backs.  And that spirit is what you’re seeing in terms of volunteers, in terms of firefighters, in terms of government officials.  Everybody is pulling together to try to deal with this situation. 

 See a photo gallery from the President's visit to Colorado

Natoma Canfield's Letter to President Obama

This letter in my office is a reminder of how health reform benefits Americans. Today's victory is 1 for all of us. -bo twitter.com/whitehouse/sta…

— The White House (@whitehouse) June 28, 2012

In his remarks on the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act, President Obama spoke about a letter from a woman named Natoma Canfield. The letter, sent to the President during the health care debate, still hangs in his office as a reminder of what the Affordable Care Act means for Americans around the country.

Today, the President told Natoma's story and explained why he carried it with him every day of the fight to pass this law:

For years and years, Natoma did everything right.  She bought health insurance.  She paid her premiums on time.  But 18 years ago, Natoma was diagnosed with cancer.  And even though she’d been cancer-free for more than a decade, her insurance company kept jacking up her rates, year after year.  And despite her desire to keep her coverage -- despite her fears that she would get sick again -- she had to surrender her health insurance, and was forced to hang her fortunes on chance.
 
I carried Natoma’s story with me every day of the fight to pass this law.  It reminded me of all the Americans, all across the country, who have had to worry not only about getting sick, but about the cost of getting well.
 
Natoma is well today.  And because of this law, there are other Americans -- other sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers -- who will not have to hang their fortunes on chance.  These are the Americans for whom we passed this law.