Dubya takes 1 yr vacation?
 

Who's on Base? This morning, Good Morning America released this embarrassing fact:

George W. Bush has taken 342 vacation days since his 5 yrs in August. He took a 5wk working vacation on his ranch in Texas. This is his 49th trip there. That's nearly 1 yr. He has taken nearly 1 in every 5 days off.

The State of the Union. Hmmmmmm. That explains it.

ETA: updated link: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1...C-RSSFeeds0312

I wish I had that many vacation days. :( I'd even settle for as much vacation time as the Europeans get!

As I recall, he took a month off within a couple of weeks of his first inaguration.

We all need jobs like that.

Ok, it's well known around here that I can't stand the guy, but is a "working vacation" really a vacation? Isn't it more like "working from home"? I don't think any president really gets a vacation ever. At the least, they are always on call.

I have to agree with you on this one. He is still traveling around the country to make speeches. I am sure this is more than a working vacation, he is the leader of the US. I can cut him some slack here. He is under SOOOOO much scrutiny because of Iraq, leaking of CIA information, and so many other things....I would get the hell out of dodge. At least the most "screwing" around he has done on vacation is ride his mountain bike. At least as far as I can tell.

But then again, this is only my opinion...I am sure we all disagree or agree to a point. ;)

Same here.

Yeah, I don't think "vacation" for a President is exactly what you and I call vacation. He's going to his ranch in Texas to do the same things he would do in the White House....just from Texas. It's not like he's leaves his residence and says "Ok guys, i'll be back in a month. You take care of my stuff while i'm gone."

I have no problem with the president working from wherever he wants. If he wants to be in Texas then whatev, no skin off my nose.

I wish I had that many vacation days :(

I still have yet to get ANY vacation from my current job!

He can be President--and have a full load of responsibilities--wherever he goes. He's always on call, and he's never really "off." If I'm not mistaken, a staff goes with him and he's briefed daily just as he is in Washington. I don't feel any less safe with him in Texas.

So, big deal if he works from home the equivalent of one day a week.

These were my thoughts exactly. I know the Presidency is a very stressful job - every President leaves office with a full head of grey hair that they didn't have before they went into office. I wouldn't want to do it. To be honest, I would expect him to take at least 1-2 personal days per month, but I think 1 in every 5 days is excessive. You never know, perhaps the media is miscontruing this, but instead of calling it a working vacation, maybe he should just say - I'll be working out of my Tx office or something because it certainly looks bad considering the state that our country is in right now that he has taken almost a yr off. When I saw this, I could not help but to think of Fahrenheit 9/11.

JMO.

I'd rather W be getting away from DC and the beltway attitude, than staying in the White House abusing cigars with Monica like Hillary's husband (?) did.

How do you know he's not???? :p Perhaps his "Monica" just knows how to keep her mouth shut. ....:o

If she kept her mouth shut, then she couldn't be a Monica, now, could she? ;)

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As for President Bush's vacation, I agree with the posters who said that it isn't a vacation in the sense of "let's just go lay on the beach and do nothing".

Being President is, I would imagine, very much like being the Pope. You're on the job 24/7, no matter what. I don't think it's like President Bush has turned off his cell phone :)

"The state that our country is in...taking a year off"

I really do think some of us need to stop allowing the "news" to do our thinking for us. No president is ever on vacation. It isn't like he's on a beach sipping drinks and napping.

This man wakes up every morning at 4:30 gets all his reports and works where he is. Just b/c he happens to be in Texas and not at congress' front door doesn't mean he isn't working. I think the man can take a bike ride and get out of the office for a little.

In today's computer savvy world he is only a click away from DC, not to mention the red button! I don't think any president needs to be in the oval office 100% of the time to do his job.

It amazes me that if anyone really thinks we are in such a bad state that this is what everyone is up in arms about.

I totally agree. Seriously, if the US was attacked when Bush was "vacationing" on his ranch in Texas, does that mean that wouldn't be able to address the nation until his vacation is over? Absoloutely not. Being president is a 24/7, high stress job and if he wants to go to Texas for a few weeks to work and enjoy the atmosphere of his ranch, it's fine by me.

Ho-ly-crap.

I understand the need to unwind, but that just seems a bit excessive.



ONE YEAR???

But that's the thing, he's not unwinding, he's doing his job from a different location.

:o :) I knew when I posted that - I would regret it....

I really do think that we can have a decent discussion w/o personal attacks. :rolleyes: No one thinks for me. I listen to/ read/ watch the news and I formulate my own opinion from there.

As intelligent adults with obviously 2 different point of views - can we simply say what we feel about the situation and leave it at that??

The situation is not two sided. The TRUTH is presidents do not take vacations. Just b/c some news story tries to make it seem like air force one picked up and left without as much as forwarding calls is crazy.

As for personal attacks I think if any of us had thin skin we wouldn't be here.

Truth: A statement proven to be or accepted as true.

Opinion: A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof.

The TRUTH is neither one of us really knows what he does on vacation because we are not there - so all we can do is formulate an opinion. Yes, he may be able to receive calls, but does he do more or less work when he's in Tx? So no - your false dichotomy is not TRUTH.

And thin skin? Lol. Please. The real question is are you able to express your opinion w/o arguing Ad hominen?

The main problem in this country is we all think we have to be politically correct, walking on eggshells so we do not hurt someone's feelings. Maybe if we spent more time doing the right things instead of wasting time we wouldn't have these kind of issues to talk about.
The fact is if President Bush was on vaction and couldn't do the same duties on the ranch that he does in DC then he wouldn't be there. If he was on "vacation" and wasn't doing a thing then nothing would be getting done, which isn't true the same govermental duties are his responsibility no matter where he his or what he is doing.
The main problem with this is that his office should be respected. I respect our Presidents and don't think nit picking is really patriotic. Crazy comments on how many days he is n Texas on "vacation" hasn't really got to do with anything important unless he is not doing his job and I don't consider a bike ride shrugging responsibilities.
And that is all I will say about that.

It's more of a problem to see lower level politicians taking breaks because a lot of them just decide to skip votes and meetings and go eat at fancy restaurants with lobbyists.

-Rudey

I agree rudey.
I didn't hear anyone up in arms when Sen Edwards didn't even finish his first term and now gets 100% retirement for the rest of his life. So we paid him to go on the road and now we pay him 200,000+ for the rest of his life and when he dies his wife will most likly get it.

No matter how you feel about a President they deserve respect and a bike ride hear and there.

Really - that's what you think the main problem is, do you?

WE is a word used collectively. So, by WE you are being self-inclusive.

You didn't even see the program, did you? Who said he wasn't doing a thing? The question is - is he doing as much as he could. 2 different people were on there that expressed 2 different views -who didn't argue ad hominem.

1st - you're obviously a Bush supporter - so we're not going to agree on this or probably any other thing about him. Not liking the job that he is doing and not respecting him are 2 totally different things. Nit picking is saying he should never take a day off. In my opinion, over 300 days is excessive - working vacation or not. And as far as I'm concerned - he's not doing his job to the best of his ability. Patriotism is the love of one's country. I don't think those that don't agree with Bush don't like their country, we just don't like the job that he was doing. And given the past week - I reeeaaallly don't like the job that he is doing now. Oh - and if you're wondering - I was one of those "crazy" "Vote or Die" people that voted & urged everyone to vote as well. Trying to ensure who I believe is the best person is in office so that my country will not continue to be torn apart - That's patriotic.

It amazes that someone who began with such thin skin could end up personally attacking anyone.

By the way no matter who I voted for I support this country and who we as a nation elected. By WE I mean all of us. And yes all of us including me spend usless energy to fight about madness. Who cares how many days any President will be out of DC. Soon there will be a report of all Presidents and how many they took and then those will be disputed as well...on going.

So that your country will not continue to tear apart? Come on.

As a poll worker I enjoy seeing peolpe getting the word out in turn getting more to the polls and b/c of that I support who we as a nation elected. And I do think nit picking is disrespectful.

What difference does it make anyway you have made up your mind. In no way am I trying to have some sort of cat fight but it always ends up that way.

Although I am addicted to this I will make an effort not to post again on this subject.

LOL. Again - no other way to prove your point or express your opposing opinion without an ad hominem argument. Bravo. Read carefully through my replies - there hasn't been a personal attack on you, but I questioned what you said without questioning who was thinking for you or eluding that your comments were unpatriotic or "crazy". In fact - I don't think they were crazy - as I stated before - they were just your opinions. Not facts or truth. You have yours & I have mine.

In reference to this "thin skin" that you keep referencing - no dear - I don't have thin skin - however when it comes to those expressing different political ideas other than yourself - you certainly seem to.

Now, let's test that theory.

It costs we taxpayers a lot of extra money for the President to "do his job" on "working vacations" outside the White House.