Obama's vacations: Populist, then tony

I can't remember when a president's family have taken so many vacations at taxpayer's expense. Maybe they see the light and realize it will be all oven in 2012. Think back, Carter, Clinton, George W all had school age kids while in the White House. How many freebees did any of them take. VERY, VERY few

I never heard this snarky criticism when George Bush flew off to Kennebunkport or his mutli-million dollar ranch in Texas...

http://www.political-buzz.com/

But it's OK for the CEOs of the top 10 Insurance companies to make over 20 million a year each. How dare the president "vacation" at a place where these same CEOs could "buy" it on a years salary.

No President will top boy George Bush's 495 days of vacation he took while in office. And it was at the taxpayers expense. Bush spent most of his time at the so called ranch in Crawford, TX pretending to be a gruffy cowboy type. This 'ranch' was nothing more than a glorified photo op as the hay and brush were shipped in from elsewhere and there were very few animals on the ranch. A few days after Sept. 11, Bush flew to the ranch for a week of relaxation and smarmy Cheney was hurried away to a super secret undisclosed location where he remained for months.

Gee, whenever GW went on vacation the stories were always laced with criticism. No bias here.

LT Bob, jimmy carter 79 days vacation in 4 years. clinton, 152 days in 8 years. reagan, 335 days in 8 years. w bush, 879 days in 8 years as of may 11, 2008. LT Bob, out of curiosity, how did you come up with your info? if bush's 879 days (30% of his presidency) count as very few in your eyes, then what pace is obama on?

You have to remember that these are Chicago thugs and we had better be carefull what we say.

I would love to vacation like they do at taxpayers expense whoever it is or was.

LT Bob: you're making an erroneous assumption. This president, like all presidents, slices and dices expenses based on what's a state event and what's a private event.

Did you know that the president doesn't get free meals out of the kitchen any time he wants? That's right, the president has to pay for late night snacks and such.

The system is regulated for all presidents, don't make uninformed assumptions.

Another vacation for obama?

What about obamacare?

What about the economy?

What about global warming and cap and trade?

On top of Valantine's Day in Chicago, date night in NYC, etc. etc.

President Bush got hammered relentlessly for working vacations in Crawford !!

Guess it's different if you're obama...the savior !!!

Hey Bushnuts...

Dubya was on vacation 1 out of every three days he was in office. 977 days over eight years.

I love all of the conflicting stats. Are we supposed to take your word(s) for it? Source people, sources!

Who freakin' cares! I'm sooooo tired of hearing about everytime he smiles, waves, or farts ---oh wait, the Messiah doesn't fart!

Hey sheeple, Bush did Presidential work while in Texas.

I do hope that Ted Kennedy will be able to take the time and drive Barry around to show him the sights.

Man, this guy sure does take enough vacations! I wonder if they traveled this much when they had to pay for it out of their own pocket.

Looks as if Yellowstone is a cover up for his lavish living.

Thanks, Dave, for setting LT Bob straight. As for visiting the National Parks to "counter-balance" the stay in Martha's Vineyard: the Obama girls are still young and, like other kids in the U.S., should see these amazing places as part of their education. When our children were young we took them to national parks, museums, and, after saving, to foreign countries. Michele and Barak Obama are just doing what so many educated and involved parents try to do. Unfortunately, their trips are in a spotlight and their intentions are twisted by those who just can't stand them in the White House.

Really LT Bob? You can't remember the last time a president took so many vacations? It was just a few months ago when George W Bush was in office. In fact, he's taken more vacation days than any president in history. But I guess knowing or admitting that wouldn't allow you to wallow in your own self loathing because your guy didn't win the election. Presidents work hard. Presidents take vacations. They're entitled to them and if you think he's still not working, your sadly mistaken.

People hammered Bush II for being out of the office so often; they're hammering Obama on "how much does it cost?" Obama is on pace to spend more out of pocket than any President before because of this obsession. I suppose it is because they can't just pop off to the family compound.
Track the # of days spent out Washington all you want but keep the gripes level.

Hey Stan,
What have you done to support the President? You sound like the latest Repuglican rant...

So how many average Joe Americans can afford to take 3 vacations in a month's time, not to mention that 1 of the destinations costs $40,000? Do the people around "the savior" really think Americans are dumb enough to believe he's just like us because he takes vacations in the same places we do? Apparently so. Sad, really sad. BTW: In my 44 years, I haven't made it to the Grand Canyon or Martha's Vineyard. I did get to see Yellowstone. We drove. And we stayed in a pretty run-down mom-and-pop motel to stay money. Yeah, I can really relate to the manufactured candidate (oops! it's president now, isn't it?).

Hey sheeple, Bush did Presidential work while in Texas.

I do hope that Ted Kennedy will be able to take the time and drive Barry around to show him the sights.

Posted by: BDD | August 14, 2009 10:20 AM

He did a really great job on the whole terrorism thing during the entire month of August, 2001, didn't he? That Bin Laden Determined to Strike In US Memo must have taken him 30 seconds to read and disregard.

Back to the doublewide, you deluded chump.

@SuzeeQ

1. The President is not an "average Joe American" -- he's the President.

2. That you are an evident economic failure is not anyone else's problem. Isn't it just the free market at work? Are you lazy? Shouldn't you just roll up your shirtsleeves and buckle down? Bottom line: Are you a dedicated "conservative" or not?

which one of you ding-bats are right? did GW take 400 days of vacation, or 900?

whether he took off 1 day per week or two, i don't really care. 2 days off is pretty standard for 9-5 type jobs. most reports of bush's days in the oval are anything but 9-5. he was in the office by 7 and left at 10. i think taking some days away from the office is very reasonable- considering the job. that said, 900 days off during 8 years of a presidency is probably OK. obama should do the same. i have no problem paying for the costs associated with the current president's day-off security and transportation.

If you are lucky enough to get through the phone line you have to make reservation to be in the park one full year prior to you arrival. There is always a waiting list. I just wonder which John Q. Citizen is getting screwed out of their vacation if he stays on property in the National Parks and no in a tent.

I have no problem whit him taken two or three vacations. I fact I feel sorry of all of the kids of presidents. For the rest of their lives they will have secret service people looking over their backs. Tough on the kids.

Granted the taxpayers are paying for his secret service detail, as a benefit of his job title, but did some of you miss the part in the article where it says that Obama is paying for this himself?

Maybe Obama could vacation at the family home in Chicago. They could cohort around with the Chicago and Crook County folks. There are a lot of touristy things to do.

It is OK with me. He can take as many vacations as he wants. Any time that he is not working is great and once in a while it shuts him up for an hour or two.

As the first African American president, President Obama will be criticized for everything that he does. If he stays at the White House, people will complain that he never goes anywhere. If he takes a poop, people will say that he sat there too long. There's no getting around this - people are so ignorant!

Kinda might be surprised that Margaret Thatcher agrees with her.

About lots of interesting things to do in Chicago, that is.

She told Brian Lamb Chicago was her biggest surprise on her American book tour and she loves it!

Why isn't the Chosen One doing a staycation like the rest of us suffering out here in this recession?

Sorry, Loons, but Bush was not on vacation one of every three days. Where do you clueless morons get such ideas?
Anyway, Obimbo has been out of the White House more than he has been in it, so does that mean he's been on vacation two of every three days so far?

Donut,

The worst president in history, George W. Bush, spent 487 days at Camp David and 490 days at Crawford during his presidency. Those numbers can be easily verified on "The Google".

I'm glad he spent so much time away from his job. I can't imagine how much more he could have f*&cked up the country and the world had he actually been doing his job.

W.

It is now known "W" is short for "Worst President Ever".

Anyhoo, Replicans are very good at feathering their nests at taxpayer expense.

Nixon's compound down in Florida.

Ronnie Reagan's "ranch".

The Bush "compound" up in Bunkville-- er, Kenniebunqueporte.

All these multi-acres estates were "hardened" with a lot of Secret Service installations which, no accident, enhanced the property values.

When is W putting the "ranch" up for sale?

Funny to see all the Democratic idiots in here saying they know how many vacation days Bush W took, yet i see all kinds of #'s. 495 days? , 977 days? 879 days?? 900 days? Now, who is lying here? Although, lying is a Democratic thing. Just waiting for the next "broken promise" Obama will break from his many "promises" during his campaigning.

Dave,

The only idiot is the one who is too stupid or lazy to research the numbers.

BTW, no need for quotation marks in your post.

Try researching information before making brash statements about the amount of money we the taxpayers are spending on President Obama's vacation. To date George Bush followed closely by Ronald Regan have been the Presidents who have spent the most time on vacation. You may call them working vacations or whatever you like but they did and they of course are Republicans. There will always be expenses attached to the office of the presidency just as there are to the many branches of government to lie and distort the truth as though this president is somehow so much different is another smoke screen for what many of you are really upset about. It has less to do with his vacation and how many days he has spent away from the White House but more to do with the color of his skin.
If one can afford to take a vacation in this economy, why not. I Mary Q Public have taken two, it is my right to do with what I want with my money (be it recession or depression).

Try researching information before making brash statements about the amount of money we the taxpayers are spending on President Obama's vacation. To date George Bush followed closely by Ronald Regan have been the Presidents who have spent the most time on vacation. You may call them working vacations or whatever you like but they did and they of course are Republicans. There will always be expenses attached to the office of the presidency just as there are to the many branches of government to lie and distort the truth as though this president is somehow so much different is another smoke screen for what many of you are really upset about. It has less to do with his vacation and how many days he has spent away from the White House but more to do with the color of his skin.
If one can afford to take a vacation in this economy, why not. I Mary Q Public have taken two, it is my right to do with what I want with my money (be it recession or depression).

But Gail, Most of it is NOT HIS $!!!!!

I agree with JMT. You can spend your money any way you like but he is spending yours and your neighbors in these difficult economic times. Race is not the issue and should not factor into the argument. If it were he would not be President.

gotta love all these left wing loons on here screaming about Bush's "vacations" at Camp David and his Crawford ranch. They are counting the days the Bush entertained foreign leaders as vacation! Nice try folks, but you failed! If the Bush's had dared to take even ONE lavish vacation or given ONE private concert the press and the leftie loons would have been up in arms...but they make excuses for the Obama's constant expensive entertainments. Democrats...the Party of Hypocracy!!!