Obama's Vacation
The Prez is off on a 10-day vacation starting next week; it's certain to add fuel to the debate over why he and Congress aren't at work on the economy.
Obama's Vacation
John Baer, Daily News Political Columnist
(A brief discussion twixt Baer & Baer's editor, a.k.a. BE)
JB: Buckle up, boss, there's certain to be fireworks over President Obama's 10-day Martha's Vineyard vacation scheduled to start next Thursday.
BE: Everybody needs a vacation.
JB: Tell it to the 14 million jobless Americans and the millions more staying home or cutting back because they've taken pay and benefit cuts or because they fear becoming jobless. Then tell it to American troops in war zones.
BE: Congress is on vacation.
JB: Would that it were a permanent one! And don't get me started on Congress! Washington clamors about urgency, about fixing the economy and creating jobs and undoing the unprecedented credit downgrade and then heads off to posh resorts, Obama to the Vineyard, Biden to the Hamptons, and members of Congress to overseas junkets. Roll Call reported in June that Senate travel overseas is at an all-time high cost.
BE: The White House says the President is never really on vacation. He's in constant communication and command.
JB: Then why go anywhere? Why pack on more expense for travel and for all the security required when he travels? Why not call Congress back into session and deal with the economic "crisis" he keeps talking about?
BE: Maybe because neither he nor Congress can or will do anything about it.
JB: Grrrr!
BE: Well, before heading off to the Vineyard, the Prez will be on a working trip through Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois next week.
JB: WORKING TRIP? It's a campaign swing! Cut back on travel. Cut back on White House dinners like the annual Ramadan dinner at the White House last night! If the country doesn't have any money and is losing its credit rating, stop spending. Think Obama, Biden, members of Congress suffer in economic downturns? Don't you remember me telling you the MEDIAN wealth of members of Congress is close to $1 million?
BE: What do you have against rich people?
JB: IT'S OUR MONEY!! You and I and every taxpayer foots the bill for ALL this stuff.
BE: I think you need a vacation.
JB: GRRR!
John = agree with your columns - what do you think of the photo op of Pres saluting the returning dead servicemen after parents requested privacy?— hilite98
Comment removed.- C'mon. Give the pres a break, afterall it's hard word going about on the campaign trail. All work and no play will make the pres a dull person.— junethe4th
- This 1st family vacations constantly on our dime.— joepir
- I'll tell you what. Your type complains a lot about non-issues. Who cares how stupid Bush looked? The issue was his policies created a culture of failure unparalleled in the past 150 years and took America's status down significantly. I have yet to hear a specific issue with the President's policies from your type, except that they're "socialist," which is just false.— HandNik
- I'll tell you what. Your type complains a lot about non-issues. Who cares how stupid Bush looked? The issue was his policies created a culture of failure unparalleled in the past 150 years and took America's status down significantly. I have yet to hear a specific issue with the President's policies from your type, except that they're "socialist," which is just false.— HandNik
- Handjob-"specific issue with the President's policies":
1) Stimulus program- unemployment went from below 8% to over 10% and is now still over 9%. "Shovel ready" was a joke, even our President admitted that.
2) Auto industry bail out- We, the taxpayers, lost $1.3 billion on the Chrysler deal and the two of the top three manufacturers, Ford and Toyota, never even took money and Ford stock went from $2.00 to over $14.00!!!
3) Obama care- already costing more and only going up and up and up and up, causing companies to cut plans, etc.
In fact the only policies that have really worked are the ones he continued from the previous administration...your type should get some knowledge before you spout off!!!— sarah89 - How about if they vacation like the rest of the country after two years of Obama? Stay home, watch television, and eat cat food.— cj87
Through history, there were generals that ate only what their troops ate, so they knew personally, what their troops could bear. This president, who golfs, loafs, shuns work he should be doing and foists it off on someone else ( but comes in at the end to take credit for the task he avoided)...travels, eats expensive foods at our expense, ...has worn himself out by destroying as much of America's greatness as he could. Jimmy Carter, by comparison, looks like a hero and genius. Let America see how he plays the part of Nero,fiddling away, while Rome (America) burns. Let what this man-child does ( and fails to do) be seared into the mind of American so that we never again cast our votes for the highest office for one so totally unfit to be there. He has cast a shadow on America....one that will take light and God Good to restore. Let all Americans learn from this greatest of mistakes.....which proves why we must make intelligent choices as voters, and be wary of outside interests that place a pretender such as Obama as their puppet to do their bidding.— Alfred-King of Wessex- Many many Americans are really hurting. Our guys in the service are fighting 2 wars, no vacation for them. Obama and congress should be in Washington NOW. These people created all these problems , and should not be on vacation until they turn our country around. How many vacations do Obama and his family need ? I think America will give him a real vacation next year, when they elect a new president. This guy is not a leader.— gordon motta
- Comment removed.
- 1) the Stimulus was watered down to be almost half tax cuts "to create jobs" - so if it didn't work, perhaps someone's Ivory Tower Ideology might have come into conflict with "reality"
2) The US Taxpayer - paying less taxes under Obama than at any point in history - made money on the auto "bailout."
3) "Obamacare" hasn't even started yet.
Thanks for playing,— H.L. Puttgrass - Hacking Libby-
1)$800 billion would take a lot of tax cuts to get watered down and really the tax cuts under Barry are no different than what we had before...that's why he continued them!!!...if it was all about tax cuts how do you explain that infamous "shovel ready" project scam that was a big part of the plan "to create jobs" and the "answer" according to the LIBS...WHAT HAPPENED??? You can ignor statements by your own guy but when the job creation plan is sold to us and then laughted at by the seller, that is a concern, if you deal in "reality" that is. The "reality" is it had nothing to do with tax cuts, it's the spending that has us in trouble, no denying the 300% rise we have had in two years...that's "reality". This BS that a 3% increase in taxes is going to fix everything is another reason to believe that the Ivroy Tower Libs don't deal with "reality"
2)Paying less taxes under Obama has nothing to do with his policies, he has said so himself and he hates it, obviously you don't listen to this guy. Besides the point of the bail out was to SAVE THE INDUSTRY, it's obvious that it wasn't needed. As far as the tax payer making money..where's the proof that they would have saved less if the "bailout" hadn't happened??? The loss of the $1.3 billion is there for all to see, your take is simply denial or spin of the issue and more ignoring of "reality". Do you think the taxpayer made more on Ford or Chrysler. LOL!!!
3)The "reality" is that "Obamacare" actually has started but it doesn't even have to start to have had a bad effect on the health care system. The mere anticipation of the program is enough to cause panic in the market. The "reality" is companies are cutting programs, raising rates...what next???!!That does not bode well for the future if they are already cutting at the beginning of the program.
You don't have to thank me, "playing" with nutty Libs is a lot of fun!!! Maybe you should just put some more grass in the bong!!!!— sarah89 - 'Nero fiddles as Rome burns'... enjoy your vacation Mr. President!— JGD84
John is the author of the book "On The Front Lines of Pennsylvania Politics: Twenty-Five Years of Keystone Reporting" (The History Press, 2012). Reach John at baerj@phillynews.com.
