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Bush is taking off for a month of fun and fundraising.
I expect he’s going to use Lincoln’s “don’t change horses in the middle of the river” argument when he’s trying to get reelected, but it’ll be hard to take that seriously after he’s stopped in the middle of the river to go swimming.
Update: Kos has a sharper-tongued and more extensive take on this same story. (You all do read The Daily Kos, right?)
I don't recall any other presidents taking off for a month at all, least of durring a war. I know, I know, major combat ceased on 5/1. Blah, Blah, Blah. But isn't this week's rationale for our presence in Iraq the ongoing War Against Terrorism? Well, Bush did give the world nottice. So let's just hope that those terrorists are polite and won't interupt his vacation with an unscheduled bombing or hijacking. That really would be a faux pas on their part.
A whole month off... I thought that was against the rules in America. Even over here in The Netherlands you get funny stares if you are a regular person and take four weeks off work in the summer.
t's clld th "Smmr Wht Hs", nd Prsdnts hv bn dng t fr dcds... bt tht dsn't mttr bcs w ll knw tht Grg W. Bsh s n vl Rpblcn, nd nds t b pnshd, r t lst rdcld.
Yeah, quit laying off the poor guy! I heard he's on a big self-improvement jag, and has signed up for a course on how to breath and eat pretzels at the same time.
Yeah, right, the Summer White House. Where Bush chops wood and pretends to be a rancher.
The rest of the year he's at the regular White House, where he gives speeches without knowing if what he says is true and pretends to be the president.
Only the devil finds Crawford in August a desirable vacation spot.
I have no respect for Kos: he used the name of my nephew, who was injured in Iraq, to support his arguments, over my protests (and my nephew's, after I told him about it). Kyle is not healed yet; to add the insult of using his name and the fact of his war injury to support an ideaology he does not support himself is despicable.
Sorry, Kris; Kos is one of the best news sources on what's going on in Iraq, and we can all be used as data or an example whether we agree with the speaker or not. I nevertheless understand that you and your nephew are upset about it, and I wish your nephew a full and speedy recovery.
Reagan was noted for taking long vacations, as well. There was a Doonsbury sequence where the people of America were invited to vote upon where Reagan should go to next. "Remember, folks, it's our vacation, too!" This was, of course, during a period of high unemployment.
I feel like I'm trapped in the summer re-runs.
Jeff, you've got that right. On the skiffy front, I keep wondering what the people at Armadillocon are thinking: to save a few bucks on expenses, they've been running their convention in August instead of October when anywhere in Texas is tolerable for those without molten lead in their veins, and then wonder why nobody in their right minds will visit any more.
As for his moving to Crawford, it's only because his "real" home (the one he had before he moved into the Governor's Mansion) is in Highland Park, Dallas' ritzy suburb. Although he tries to deny that he's anything but a homespun boy, you sure had a lot of people in Highland Park back in 2000 who were braying "When MY CLOSE PERSONAL FRIEND George W. gets into the White House..." I guess cutting brush and playing cowboy works better for flyover country than publicly beating the servants for not dyeing all of the gardenias in the front yard to match the swimming pool.
I keep wondering what the people at Armadillocon are thinking: to save a few bucks on expenses, they've been running their convention in August instead of October when anywhere in Texas is tolerable for those without molten lead in their veins...
My solution regarding ArmadilloCon in August is to stay inside for twelve hours of panels in one day. Much like any other Con.....
Re Dillocon: Yup, and if you play your cards right you can park under a tree. And then the grackle droppings cover the windows, so your car doesn't greenhouse on you. (Would that I were going. Maybe next year...)
I just hope the President is staying hydrated while he's shrub-cutting, as the heat index has been around 115. Be a darn shame if he got brain-damaged from heatstroke.
Paul, I was on the committee for the 1978 Worldcon in Phoenix, AZ. You can get wonderfully cooperative hotels if you have a summer convention date in a desert area that isn't a tourist destination.
Yeah, Teresa, but Phoenix has reasons for visiting, not to mention restaurants that don't require having to travel ten miles overland in the heat. You have to remember: Texas ain't civilized, so if you don't have a car of your own when you visit, you're screwed.
I say the elephant is very like a wall. My experience of Texas is rather extensive, and I remember Austin as a green oasis full of interesting shops and delightful restaurants, whether in 1970, or the 80s, or the 90s.
My memory of Phoenix is of an urban blight where walking a block between hotels was a trip from freezer to freezer through a sweltering hell that left my socks drenched. And it didn't take ten miles to get that way.
I guess the more time you spend somewhere, the more you get to know the good parts.
This is why Tucsonans look down on Phoenix. Why, they're a full 10 degrees hotter than us—and have traffic.
---L.
Don't be unfair to W; he's owned that ranch since 1999. How much more commitment to the ranching "lifestyle" could you want?