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Home Front: Politix
Obama Fiddling (but in Martha's Vineyard) while Rome Burns
2011-08-18
"If you're the president of the United States, and the nation is in crisis -- and we're in a jobs crisis right now -- then you shouldn't be out vacationing," the former Massachusetts governor said. "Instead you should be focusing on getting the economy going again. And, yeah, go back to the office yourself, pull back members of Congress and focus on getting the job done."
Oh, The One is working on his big speech to save us from His economy, but we'll have to wait until after Labor Day.
Donald Trump, appearing on Fox News earlier this week, complained, "the fact is, [Obama] takes more vacations than any human being I've ever seen."

"They used to complain about George Bush, but I understand he's already exceeded George Bush and we're not even through the year. ... I think it sends a very, very bad message," said Trump

White House press secretary Jay Carney doesn't think the public begrudges the president a break to recharge and spend time with his family.
Sure. What about Virginia Beach? The Jersey Shore? Someplace middle-class. Why is it always London, Spain, and Martha's Vineyard?
Carney also argued that the president is never really off-duty since White House advisers go with him, and he still receives regular briefings on national security, the economy and other matters.
Right. Even Bush wasn't off duty, says the Chicago Sun-Times:
But Mark Knoller of CBS, the unofficial and completly un-biased keeper of presidential work schedules, reported that President George W. Bush had taken more time off than Obama at this point in his first term.
Yup. Texas ranch and Camp David, not London, Spain, and Martha's Vineyard. Say hello to Big Jawn, willya? He's on vacation, too!
Posted by:Bobby

#24  rjschwarz, I agree. We all know people who voted for BO, and came to deeply regret it. Bumper stickers have been scraped off, sheepish apologies have been made. A few weeks ago, Ace of Spades posed the key corollary: does anyone know anyone who did NOT vote for BO, but now wishes they had?

No, me neither.
Posted by: RandomJD   2011-08-18 21:02  

#23  savvy or evasive what's the difference? The difference is between those that fell for his pseudo-charisma and are only now realizing they are fools and those that did not.

Just because everyone on this board, and everyone on the right saw right through him doesn't mean he wasn't slick and pulling the wool over a ton of folks and shafting Hillary and her team when the time came. I still think it was savvy, he played them like a fiddle.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2011-08-18 20:21  

#22  He didn't seem savvy to me, rj - he sounded evasive.
Posted by: Barbara   2011-08-18 19:02  

#21  Zero's supporters (media included) remind me of the stoners from school back in the '60's / '70's.

They'd toast themselves on sopors or acid or even hash and there attitude was "Wow, what a rush".

To the a$$holes that voted for him that is all he ever was a cheap high.
Posted by: AlanC   2011-08-18 16:57  

#20  BO is mesmerized by his own image and the sound of his own voice. Does it really make any difference where he is. He doesn't do anything anyway. Is he hitting par yet?
Posted by: JohnQC   2011-08-18 15:56  

#19  Unemployment. Inflation. Debt. And you say he has no plan? I'm afraid that is the plan.
Posted by: Abu Uluque   2011-08-18 14:58  

#18  Disagree Swartz. The one thing I think about during Obama's 2008 campaign in regards to "savy", or rather intelligence, is when during his big Race speech he threw his Grandmother "under the Bus". Nobody noticed though because his Baritone voice was so soothing...
Posted by: Charles   2011-08-18 14:57  

#17  I believe he seemed savvy because he avoided any and all questions with style. Yes he had a lot of help from a fawning press back then but you can't come from nowhere and win a national election with no serious credentials without some kind of election savvy.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2011-08-18 14:40  

#16  Mr. Schwarz,

you said Seemed so savvy during the 2008 campaign

I have to ask, WHY? What did he ever do that was so savvy? He was created by and nurtured by the progressive left-wing media and elites. Other than being their chosen vessel he did nothing; or did I miss something?
Posted by: AlanC   2011-08-18 13:52  

#15  One thing I remember Hillary saying is, "I have a lot of plans, but we can't afford them all." Obama's plan is there is nothing that we can't afford. All we have to do is borrow and print money.
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2011-08-18 12:29  

#14  Given the kind of "solutions" this president comes up with, I think we are all better off with him on vacation. Ideally, he will take 14.5 more months vacation, then retire.
Posted by: Iblis   2011-08-18 12:04  

#13  The night of the Great Fire of Rome, Nero was playing the lute in (I think) what is now Anzio. So Bammer being out of town fits the analogy.
Posted by: Rob Crawford   2011-08-18 11:34  

#12  This President is very much so lazy. He delegates everything to his friends and then wonders why none of it works. He is so lazy that he still to this day has not learned or studies the matters he is supposed to preside over.
Posted by: newc   2011-08-18 11:29  

#11  Where I come from it's called LAZY !

Thank G*d for small favors---imagine Hillary won.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2011-08-18 10:42  

#10  People are surprised that he is gone? Hasn't it been shown that this president and his advisers don't have the first fucking clue on how to govern?
Posted by: DarthVader   2011-08-18 10:31  

#9  Does appear to be politically tone deaf doesn't he. Seemed so savvy during the 2008 campaign I thought that was at least one thing he was good at. Apparantly not.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2011-08-18 10:23  

#8  Where I come from it's called LAZY !
Posted by: Besoeker   2011-08-18 09:32  

#7  #2 A serious review in order. Plan A didn't work. Plan B fizzled. Plan C under review.

There never was a Plan A, B, or C. They will be forthcoming sometime in the future after the 2012 election--maybe or not.
Posted by: JohnQC   2011-08-18 09:20  

#6  Malignant neglect.
Posted by: jack salami   2011-08-18 09:16  

#5  They used to complain about George Bush...

Why yes...yes they did. And they looked liked idiots. Exactly the same way the people now complaining about the current President taking a vacation look like idiots.
Posted by: DepotGuy   2011-08-18 08:33  

#4  Oh, he's working, in his own way. What, never saw a presdent primary against himself?
Posted by: swksvolFF   2011-08-18 08:28  

#3  I think he was told before his election that no heavy lifting would be involved. Sucker!
Posted by: Spot   2011-08-18 08:05  

#2  A serious review in order. Plan A didn't work. Plan B fizzled. Plan C under review. Where's my other dart?. Sir we each only get three darts. Don't be silly it's my game so I make the rules.
Posted by: Dale   2011-08-18 07:59  

#1  More comments, Link
Scarborough said the current controversy reminds him of Memorial Day Weekend 2010, when Obama insisted on relaxing in Chicago when many of his advisers were urging him to fly to the Gulf to show solidarity with victims of the BP oil spill. “He refused to do it, and got hammered for it politically,” Scarborough recalled. “We were told that ‘the president doesn’t do theater.’ I’m sorry, the president needs to do theater, baby.”

He DOES do theater. Just not on his days off.
Posted by: Bobby   2011-08-18 06:39  

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