The President On Vacation Myth
Sigh...
Of course, all of this ignores the fact that Bush (while on "vacation") continues to hold teleconferences with this nation's leaders, receive daily national security debriefings, meet with foreign diplomats, and basically perform all of the daily functions America's President is responsible for.
Just because the President is not at the White House doesn't mean he's working. With modern technology the President can do his job from just about anywhere he chooses.
You know, Michael Moore first tried to sell this tale of Presidential laziness to the American people in his pre-election "documentary" Fahrenheit 9/11. Since then the political left (aided by the always-looking-for-a-good-Bush-bashing-story media) has tried again and again to make people care about the issue. Which, clearly, the people don't. Why? Because the President spending lots of time away from the White House simply doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.
The Washington Post writing bringing this stupid bit of irrelevance up yet again is little more than a waste of ink.
Vacationing Bush Poised to Set a Record
WACO, Tex., Aug. 2 -- President Bush is getting the kind of break most Americans can only dream of -- nearly five weeks away from the office, loaded with vacation time.
The president departed Tuesday for his longest stretch yet away from the White House, arriving at his Crawford ranch in the evening for a stretch of clearing brush, visiting with family and friends, and tending to some outside-the-Beltway politics. By historical standards, it is the longest presidential retreat in at least 36 years.
The August getaway is Bush's 49th trip to his cherished ranch since taking office and the 319th day that Bush has spent, entirely or partially, in Crawford -- nearly 20 percent of his presidency to date, according to Mark Knoller, a CBS Radio reporter known for keeping better records of the president's travel than the White House itself. Weekends and holidays at Camp David or at his parents' compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, bump up the proportion of Bush's time away from Washington even further.
Bush's long vacations are more than a curiosity: They play into diametrically opposite arguments about this leadership style. To critics and late-night comics, they symbolize a lackadaisical approach to the world's most important day job, an impression bolstered by Bush's two-hour midday exercise sessions and his disinclination to work nights or weekends. The more vociferous among Bush's foes have noted that he spent a month at the ranch shortly before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, when critics assert he should have been more attentive to warning signs.
Of course, all of this ignores the fact that Bush (while on "vacation") continues to hold teleconferences with this nation's leaders, receive daily national security debriefings, meet with foreign diplomats, and basically perform all of the daily functions America's President is responsible for.
Just because the President is not at the White House doesn't mean he's working. With modern technology the President can do his job from just about anywhere he chooses.
You know, Michael Moore first tried to sell this tale of Presidential laziness to the American people in his pre-election "documentary" Fahrenheit 9/11. Since then the political left (aided by the always-looking-for-a-good-Bush-bashing-story media) has tried again and again to make people care about the issue. Which, clearly, the people don't. Why? Because the President spending lots of time away from the White House simply doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.
The Washington Post writing bringing this stupid bit of irrelevance up yet again is little more than a waste of ink.
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