For Bush the message seems to be, don't worry about the war, I dont even have to be in Washington to manage it; I'm such a competent leader I've got everything running on automatic pilot; I'm doing my best to make government smaller; it's a great country!
BobW --- Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> wrote:
> Houston Chronicle - August 9, 2007
>
<http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/mason/5042364.html>
>
> Bush on track to become the vacation president
> By JULIE MASON
> Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau
>
> President Bush tries to set an example for Americans
> whenever he can,
> in terms of physical fitness, faith, optimism and a
> certain overall
> moral rectitude. He also sets an excellent example
> on taking vacation.
>
> On Thursday, Bush left for a weekend in
> Kennebunkport, Maine, and his
> family's summer compound, Walker's Point. On Monday,
> he heads to his
> Crawford retreat, where he has spent all or part of
> 418 days of his
> presidency, according to Mark Knoller, a CBS News
> White House
> correspondent and meticulous record-keeper.
>
> Never a fan of Washington's more cosmopolitan
> pleasures, Bush will be
> in Central Texas for about two weeks, with an
> overnight trip to
> Ottawa to meet with the leaders of Canada and
> Mexico.
>
> At a White House press conference Thursday, Bush
> appeared to be
> already inhabiting his vacation mode, shedding the
> businesslike,
> sometimes grim demeanor he's had of late to slouch
> against the podium
> and be avuncular.
>
> He gamely joked and mugged with reporters, at one
> point raising two
> fists in a boxing stance to illustrate what not to
> do in a photo op
> with the president of Iran.
>
> "You don't want the picture to be kind of, you know,
> duking it out,
> you know?" Bush said " 'OK, put up your dukes.'
> That's an old boxing
> expression."
>
> Bush's August sojourn will be his 65th trip to
> Crawford, according to
> Knoller.
>
> The 1,600-acre ranch has proved a durable haven for
> Bush, who often
> disappears into its varied landscapes for days or
> weeks at a time
> without public appearances. He has an attractive
> stone house, shaded
> swimming pool, miles of rugged bike trails and law
> enforcement at
> every entry point keeping people out.
>
> "I fell in love with it the minute I saw it," Bush
> said of his ranch
> in 2001. "I like being out here. I like spending a
> lot of time outside."
>
> The presidential vacation-time record holder is the
> late Ronald
> Reagan, who tallied 436 days in his two terms. At
> 418 days, and with
> 17 months to go in his presidency, Bush is going to
> beat that easily.
>
> Even so, this year's August vacation for Bush is a
> contrast to
> previous years such as 2005, when he dragged out
> vacation in Texas to
> five weeks. That was also the year Bush remained on
> vacation
> immediately after Hurricane Katrina hit.
>
> Vice President Dick Cheney generally takes August
> off, often heading
> to Wyoming or coastal Maryland. Congress left last
> weekend and is
> gone until Sept. 4. The Iraqi parliament is taking
> August off, too.
>
> Still, all this governmental time off is more than
> most Americans are
> taking. A recent survey by Yahoo Hot Jobs found
> nearly half of
> American workers did not take all of their vacation
> days last year.
>
> Bush, on his 10th visit to Kennebunkport as
> president (according to
> Knoller), is scheduled for lunch Saturday with
> French President
> Nicolas Sarkozy. Indeed, on the issue of vacation,
> at least, Bush is
> much like a pleasure-seeking Frenchman. According to
> Expedia.com,
> French workers get about 39 days off a year and
> generally take all
> but one.
> ___________________________________
>
http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
>