Presidential Vacations

August 2, 2003 in Politics

Presidential Vacations

Ursula Petula Barzey 0 Like Post 16 Comments

President Bush is on yet another vacation. Does anyone know how much vacation time he gets officially? He seems to be on vacation like every other month. I know being the President is a 24 hours/7 days a week job, and as such he deserves a little rest and relaxation every now and then, but when American soldiers continue to die at 1 a day in Iraq and the economy is in the crappers, I don’t want to hear that my President is on a month-long vacation in Crawford, Texas. I want to hear that he’s holding court in the White House trying to figure out how to get the economy going again and more importantly how to bring our soldiers home safely.
Update: Below is an excerpt from Washington Post article re the vacation matter:

A CBS News tally shows this is Bush’s 26th presidential trip to Crawford. He has spent all or part of 166 days at the ranch or en route — the equivalent of 5 1/2 months. When Bush’s trips to Camp David and Kennebunkport, Maine, are added, according to the CBS figures, Bush has spent 250 full or partial days at his getaway spots — 27 percent of his presidency so far.

Yikes! Am I the only person who thinks there is a problem here? If I were to spend 27 percent of my time away from my job, I’d be fired. Hmmm. Maybe I’m just jealous because I only get two weeks vacation.

16 Comments

September 8, 2004 at 8:58 am

Stan Gallihugh

Facts:
I wish Americans would use common sense and facts to re-elect a President.
There would have been no money to provide any tax cuts if it wasn’t for William Jefferson Clinton.
It was William Jefferson Clinton’s military that defeated Sadam, Bush didn’t have enough time in office to build a militay.
Bush gave a 4.3% pay raise to active duty military last year. Clinton gave a 4.8% pay raise with less inflation in his last year.
Bush Records:
Largest one year deficit in history 422 billion.
The most bankrupties in history during 2003.
The only President in 75 years, since Herbert Hoover to lose more jobs than he started with in one term of office.
More vacation than FDR had in his entire term while suffering from polio.
Largest increase in premiums for Medicare in the history of the United States.
This President, apparently is insisting that he is not responsible for all of this. When a ship sinks on the west coast and the Captain is on leave on the east coast. He is relieved of duty. The Commander in Chief should be relieved of duty in November.
July 28, 2004 at 7:03 pm

Yvette Shy

i also like your site.
June 27, 2004 at 10:54 am

Yvette Shy

Reply to Damien:
1. Thank you for the “few things” however wrong they may be
2. The only policy Clinton had in effect was of covering his behind and servicing…oops…serving himself not the American People.
3. Clinton was offered Bin Laden, the mastermind behind the tragedy of 9-11, on 3 separate occasions and dis not act on it
4. George Bush was in office 8 months when those monsters murdered American citizens… and there was no warning a tragedy of this magnitude was coming…. there were only general warnings.
5. Never before in the history of terrorism had planes been used as bombs, so how was the President to know or predict 9-11?
6. Bush’s office is far from corrupt….. infact it is a breath of proverbial fresh and clean air after the stench of the Clintons, whose primary concern has been to line their pockets, and undermine America’s greatness
7. As far as an unbiased news source is concerned i would turn your attention to Fox before i would to anything else we have out here.
Before you paint the President with the mark of liar or traitor I would suggest you do more research and verify your facts
April 15, 2004 at 9:08 pm

LeDePetite

I heard that several flights (6) flew Saudi’s ( including Bin Laden family)out of USA right after 9/11 (even with all flights grounded). It is very suspect that they were let out of USA without interrogation. Also, how did Bush know to round up them (Saudis) so quickly?
Also, heard the Saudis have lent/given the Bush family over a billion dollars in the last 15 years.
I don’t trust our president.
LeDemPetite
April 13, 2004 at 8:08 pm

Angst

Bush is a trip, tumbling in a lottery of misfortune. I hope he goes to Camp David and gets bit in the ass by a black bear.
Bushie…angst for the memory….
January 25, 2004 at 9:09 pm

Damian

Just a few things, Yvette:
1. Bush’s policies on national security have come way too late. Clinton had a defense strategy that was about to be put in place that could have thwarted or even completly prevented 9/11 had anyone in the bush administration bothered to follow through.
2. Bush had been given many warnings regarding possible terrorist threats in the months preceding 9/11.
3. The Bush administration is corrupt. In March of 2003, Bush asked congress for $489.3 million for repairing damage done to Iraq’s oil facilities. Most of this money went Haliburton Co., the company of which Vice President Dick Cheney was CEO of. Do you really think that this is because it was the most economical contract?
4.Clinton spent as much of the amount of time on vacation that Bush has in his first term during his whole presidency.
5.There is no such thing as an un-biased mews source. The best thing you can do is try to draw from as many sources as possible and then make up your mind.
So, tell me again about what a great president Bush is and how Fox News Network is “Fair and Balanced”.
December 17, 2003 at 5:10 am

Yvette Shy

There are several points that I am in contention with.
1. The economy is not in the crappers. In actuality the economy is on the rebound and is recovering well from the recession.
2. George Bush is an extremely effective President and is doing his job superbly. The level of responsibility is completely and totally different from that of any other American.
3. A vacation is not lounging on a beach ordering drinks from the cabana boy. You have NO idea the amount of pressure this man is under and a vacation for him could be a working one as well.
4. The Washington Post is a left wing propagandist paper that want to discredit this President and undermine American sovereignty.
5. The soldiers that lose their life defending the rights of people and following the commands of their Commander in Chief should be praised for making the ultimate sacrifice. How many of you are so brave?
I am proud to be an American and even prouder of me President. He is an admirable man and is doing an excellent job!
August 30, 2003 at 11:33 pm

gln

bush is lame. your not alone! STRIKE HIM DOWN! can’t we just like… kick him out? dont we have that power… i think every american is on our side.
August 26, 2003 at 1:47 pm

Marva Ruhmann

With our national deficit now exceeding $500BILLION, Bush needs to give some thought to RETIREMENT rather than election (note that I did not say re-election, since, he was APPOINTED, not elected). His “working vacations” are costly to the American taxpayer who, if fortunate enough to have a job at this time, certainly cannot afford one … and who do you suppose is paying for the Secret Service, not to mention the “official” trips of Cheney and the remainder of Bush’s “administration.” The taxpayers foot the bills for the White House, etc. and Bush thinks he’s too good to conduct OUR business in the White House. The economy of Crawford, Texas must be booming, while the United States’ economy is being flushed down the proverbial toilet!
August 20, 2003 at 7:52 am

Mel

Most Americans work 100 hours more per week than the next hardest worked nation, Japan. How many people do you know that manage to take more than a week off per year? How many people do you know that have managed to take off two weeks? Americans die in Iraq every day and this spoiled brat of a president we have is sure not to miss out on ANY days of privilege. I’m disgusted.
August 3, 2003 at 9:32 pm

Klondike Kate's Aurora

So You Want a Little Vacation, huh?

Via jr’s post “I Hear Voices” at Noded to Ursula’s post “Presidential Vacations,” (both recommended Sunday reading,) Ursula writes: “President
August 3, 2003 at 8:38 pm

Kate S.

I was just telling my husband what your blog was saying about Bush being on vacation over 8 months out of the last 44 since he took office…he said he saw a bumper sticker he wouldn’t mind having:
Make Love, Not War
LICK BUSH
(in ’04)
August 3, 2003 at 9:06 am

jr

I’m hoping he will soon be on vacation for a long time.
August 2, 2003 at 11:49 pm

Ursula

The only work President Bush will do during the next four weeks is attending one fundraising event after another.
August 2, 2003 at 10:27 pm

Dawn

I believe that this is a working vacation. CNN said he was going to be meeting with some people on something of importance. To me, the phrase “working vacation” is an oxymoron.
August 2, 2003 at 2:40 pm

Ryan

Like Will Farrell said on SNL,”I’m on the job 24/7, thats 24 weeks a year, seven hours a day.”