Taipei Times: "The longest break for a sitting president in 36 years"

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Bush begins five-week presidential vacation
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY: The US president will make his 49th visit to his ranch since he was elected in 2000, taking the longest break for a sitting president in 36 years

THE GUARDIAN , WASHINGTON
Saturday, Aug 06, 2005

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2005/08/06/2003266654



Presidential vacations are nothing new: Harry Truman played poker and fished in Key West, Florida; Dwight Eisenhower spent his holidays blasting golf balls at a tree that is named in his honor at Augusta National; John Kennedy played touch football and sailed at the family compound in Hyannis Port, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, while George Bush senior threw horseshoes in the grounds of his home in Maine.

But even for a man famed for taking long, luxuriant holidays, this year's presidential vacation is breaking records. When US President George W. Bush boarded Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base just outside Washington on Tuesday to make the journey to his ranch in Crawford, Texas, it signaled the start of nearly five weeks away from the White House, believed to be the longest retreat in at least 36 years.

The extended August break has drawn fire with Democrats accusing Bush of running away from a growing political scandal surrounding his chief political adviser, Karl Rove. In response the White House has spent much of the last week emphasizing just how busy the president will be over the summer.

But less than five years into his eight years in office, Bush is closing in fast on the record set by Ronald Reagan who spent 345 days -- nearly one eighth of his presidency -- at his Santa Barbara ranch. "It just seems a lot easier to sort out a problem when I'm on a horse," is how the Gipper defended his vacations in his autobiography.

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

1. Well at least Chimpy can't use the horse excuse ala Ronnie.

Isn't he scared shitless of horses?

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

4. He doesn't ride them...

..and I don't think I've ever seen an actual George W. Bush statement on the subject. There's all kinds of material on the web about how the Crawford Pig Farm was "acquired" for photo ops...but there's no getting away from that fact that once you strip away the very thin veneer, you find a substance-abusing, spoiled, Oedipal frat boy underneath.

The freepers love to think of Bush as a rugged, no-nonsense, "Wanted Dead Or Alive," ornery, rootin' tootin' cowboy Nothing could be further from the truth.

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. He's such a subhuman ignorant useless criminal piece of shit fuckwad

filthknocking cock, I can't even put into words my hatred for the man who is one step below hitler.

[In Truth We Trust]

6. Ha- You forgot awol fratbrat with shit for brains chimpy fuckup

[Rabrrrrrr]

8. Yeah, I did.

Also left out traitor.

[madrchsod]

3. what the hell kind of horse is

he riding?? yup-all hat and no cattle

[Richard Steele]

5. Riding is out; he just likes to MILK 'em!

[ProudDad]

9. Only the males

[Miss Chybil]

11. Shit, he can't even ride a bike! nt

[carrowsboy]

14. or

a Segway

[deadparrot]

7. 36 years ago was 1969. Who was president way back then?

Oh, yes:



May they have similar fates.

[ProudDad]

10. With a Dem House and Senate

next year. He will...

[opihimoimoi]

12. He is the POSTER BOY for STUPIDITY and he is doing his best to

make LAZINESS....... POPULAR....

Damn.

Ignorant Presidents are elected by Ignorant peeps.

[FlyByNight]

13. A born slacker

I can only imagine what Republicans would loudly sputter if a Democratic president had the audacity to take that much time off at once. He's completely oblivious as to how this looks to all of us who work hard for 2+ weeks. For someone who doesn't like "Old" Europe (France, Germany, etc.), he certainly enjoys a very European-like vacation schedule, eh?

:eyes: