Edgar Allen Beem may not be aware that he used faulty reasoning founded on irrelevant evidence in his column, “Mitt Romney, President of Corporate America,” so I’ll take this opportunity to educate him.

 

Mr. Beem stated that Romney “believes he is entitled to be president of the United States simply because he is rich and successful.” Has Mr. Romney ever stated that he is entitled to be president because he is rich? The answer, of course, is no. For Mr. Beem to so clearly demonstrate his bias against Mr. Romney because he is rich is simply ignorant.

 

Have there been other instances where wealthy men have served as president? Of course, we all know the answer is a resounding yes. It’s not the presence or absence of personal wealth that makes for a great president. Consider Washington (wealthy), Lincoln (not wealthy), FDR (wealthy), JFK (wealthy), Clinton (not wealthy) as examples that personal wealth, or the absence thereof, did not factor into their job performance. It’s much more important that our presidents surround themselves with excellent advisers who will guide them in making the best decisions. I’m very proud to say that my nephew has been chosen to be a senior adviser to Mr. Romney on one of the most critical policy decisions facing our nation today, health-care reform. And just for the record, Mr. Beem, my nephew is not wealthy, but he’s incredibly smart and has a compassionate heart.