Is the President Taking Too Much Time Off?

[Autonomy]

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1070529&page=1

Our Experts Debate Whether Bush Is Spending Too Much Time on the Crawford Ranch

Aug. 26, 2005 -- President Bush is on pace to spend more time on vacation than any other president in modern times.

Today is the 342nd day he has spent at least some part of the day at his ranch, which means he's spent almost an entire year of his four and a half years in office at the ranch. That doesn't include time he's spent at his parents' place in Kennebunkport, Maine, or at Camp David.

If he stays at his Texas ranch until Sept. 3, as expected, the five-week stint away from the White House — the 49th vacation he's taken at the ranch — will surpass President Nixon's monthlong trip to Florida 36 years ago as the longest presidential retreat in the modern era.

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Vacation or Not?

Watkins: "I don't know any American that would say this is a vacation — meeting with world leaders, being briefed every day, giving major speeches, signing legislation, traveling to other states. I mean, this is a busy guy. His vacation sounds like work, and it is."

Maddow: "The White House has gone to great lengths to make us all think that the Crawford ranch is a little White House, but it is really not. I mean, listen to the president himself talk about it. He says, 'I'm going fishing with my man, Barney. I'm taking a nap. I'm reading Elmore Leonard.' There are pictures of him fishing, clearing the brush and doing all this stuff. Meanwhile, the mothers of soldiers killed in Iraq are literally camped in a ditch outside his house waiting to meet with him, 68 soldiers died in Iraq since he has been there, the economy is in shambles, we have the biggest budget deficit, we have two wars going on … I find it embarrassing as an American."

<snip>

Watkins: "I spent time around him. He is a joy to be around. He is a hard-working guy. You know, the presidency is the toughest job in the world. He deserves to have an hour or two doing a little bit of what he wants to do."

Maddow: "He never works past 5 p.m. He doesn't work weekends. Does he need that much time to be sharp? How much sharper can he get?"


Vote: Needed Break or Excessive Time Off? http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/popup?id=1070713

[tocqueville]

1. George should take MORE time off

why go back to "work" at all ?

[Montauk6]

2. In fact that whole cabal needs to be sent home

The less damage they do, the better.

[johnaries]

3. That's what I was thinking, how about a 3 year vacation? n/t

[ogradda]

6. Agreed.

I think it better for everyone if he stays right where he is.

[etherealtruth]

7. That was my initial reaction ...

He's done enough "hard work" ...

[longship]

4. Stay on vacation George, we need the break.

n/t

[Missy M]

5. So bush is a joy to be around and deserves an hour or two doing..

a little bit of what he wants to do. I would say five weeks and so far it is about seven weeks this year is more than an hour or two. Also, how is it the toughest job in the world? He should try being a coal miner, a steel worker, a minimum wage earner, those are tough jobs. We give him a beautiful house to live in, a get away at Camp David, Air Force 1 at his command and he is waited on hand and foot. I think we deserve to have him staying at the White House doing his job. Then again, he sure managed to f#@* up the world being away as much as he is.

[blue sky at night]

8. How much sharper??????????

How can anyone in their right mind think this guy has a shred of Sharpness?? Are the 40% approvers that Freaking Stupid?? Sharp? Oh my God, this guy's pencil lead broke when he was in grade school and has declined ever since.

From Snopes.com:

MAKE THE PIE HIGHER
by George W. Bush

I think we all agree, the past is over.
This is still a dangerous world.
It's a world of madmen and uncertainty
and potential mental losses.

Rarely is the question asked
Is our children learning?
Will the highways of the Internet become more few?
How many hands have I shaked?

They misunderestimate me.
I am a pitbull on the pantleg of opportunity.
I know that the human being and the fish can coexist.
Families is where our nation finds hope, where our wings take dream.

Put food on your family!
Knock down the tollbooth!
Vulcanize society!
Make the pie higher! Make the pie higher!

Stupidity Reigns!

[Imagevision]

9. Bush wants to tie Nixon's vacation days off - last time he stayed 28 days

Powell, Cheney,Rumsfeld also happened to work for Nixon at the same time

It's supposed to be in a recogition sort of thing because these morons believe Nixon was the greatest who was soldout by his suboardinates.

Cheney told Bush last time not to exceed Nixon's days spent on vacation thinking it would make him appear negative to the american people.

Richard (I'm not a crook) Nixon...!