Critics call on Obama to cancel his Martha’s Vineyard vacation

[alp227]

Source: The Washington Post

If it’s August, it must be time for that annual Washington political tradition: griping over the president’s vacation.

Through wars and natural disasters, recessions and reelections, the getaway locales for America’s chief executive have been dissected by critics looking for symbolic reasons why the president shouldn’t go.

With 14 million Americans out of work, a volatile stock market and a historic downgrade of the country’s credit rating, President Obama is set to begin a 10-day retreat Thursday at a 28-acre Martha’s Vineyard compound called Blue Heron Farm, which costs an estimated $50,000 per week to rent. The dichotomy, and presumed hypocrisy, of a president who has pledged not to rest “until every American looking for a job can find one” going golfing and biking on an island playground for wealthy celebrities has been too much for political pundits to resist.

Obama has taken heat the past two summers for renting Blue Heron, but the difference this time is the intensity of his critics and the fact that they are on both sides of the political aisle. Republican strategist Mike Murphy told the Daily Beast that Obama is “acting like the rich guys he wants to raise taxes on,” while liberal columnist Colbert I. King wrote in The Washington Post that this is the wrong time “to dwell in splendid seclusion among the rich and famous.”

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/critics-call-on-president-obama-to-cancel-his-marthas-vineyard-vacation/2011/08/15/gIQAONJGJJ_singlePage.html

[Davis_X_Machina]

1. It's an annual tradition...

...I remember when we used to call on Bush to cancel his vacations...

[Tempest]

3. I encouraged Bush to take vacations

The further he was away from D.C. the better.

[Wait Wut]

9. So did I.

But, there was that Cheney thing that worried me.

[denverbill]

12. Bush spent 977 days at Camp David or his 'ranch' during his terms.

And a fair amount of time at the family 'compound' in Kennebunkport as well.

In no way does that compare to Obama. And you can bet if a major US city was destroyed by a natural disaster, he'd do more than fly over it.

[digitaln3rd]

2. What about the Congress on their MONTH LONG vacation?

Do they have to cancel theirs, too?

[TwilightGardener]

4. Stupid criticism. Plus, I'll bet most of his time is spent in campaign strategery.

[on point]

5. I've plenty of criticism for Obama's lack of spine, but canceling vacation is just a repuke idea

Obama has not taken excessive vacations. Just compare his time to that of George 'the liar' Bush for instance.

I gave plenty of Obama criticism for not having the spine to do what needs to be done in this country for the average person, and what he was elected to do, but this is just more of the repuke personal attacks from made up nonsense and should be shot down.

Even if I am VERY unhappy with the direction his Admin has been going, I don't think he has been shirking work

[julian09]

8. He can work from anywhere

but you think that, the uncompromising tea party are going to suddenly cooperate when they got the economy on the ropes, to defeat him in 2012. The congress on vacation should face their constituents and represent them when they come back instead of the corporations. He will confront them with a jobs bill when they return; and if they don't cooperate, he will go to the people.

[cstanleytech]

10. Agree for the most part

except with the lack of spine insert, no Democratic president could get shit done with these Republicans making it their sole goal (before he was even sworn in) to make his presidency next to impossible and the hypocrisy of it is if the Democrats had done to Bush what the Republicans have been doing to Obama they would call the Democrats unpatriotic.

[renate]

6. I would think he'd get some nice positive press for canceling an expensive vacation

He totally deserves a vacation, but this would be a pretty easy way to shut those critics up AND look like he really won't rest until the economy is better. I think both of the people quoted in the OP make a good point (although I'm not sure why Murphy is doing Obama the favor of clarifying that it's the rich that Obama wants to raise taxes on). Whether his staying in Washington would make any difference isn't the point--so much of politics is about appearances. I think King makes a good point--I'd say the same thing about a Republican president who vacationed at Martha's Vineyard while the economy was barely breathing.

[JJW]

7. What is the point of making all that money for...

criminals on Wall Street, if you can't enjoy some of it?

[HipChick]

11. It's does not matter if he did not go on vacation...they would still find something to gripe about..

I hope he has a great time..sod the critics..