"How many vacation days has Bush taken" is top Ask Yahoo question of 2003

[Paragon]

http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/most/2003/

1. How many vacation days has George W. Bush taken to date as president?

http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20031001.html

While the president of the United States is never completely on vacation, most commanders-in-chief manage to enjoy a respite from the daily grind during their stay the White House. George W. Bush seems to have taken this to the extreme early in his tenure as president. A humorous, fake resume for Bush suggests that he set the record for most days on vacation by any president in U.S. history -- a bit of an exaggeration, but still cause for some teasing.

According to an August 2003 article in the Washington Post, President Bush has spent all or part of 166 days during his presidency at his Crawford, Texas, ranch or en route. Add the time spent at or en route to the presidential retreat of Camp David and at the Bush family estate in Kennebunkport, Maine, and Bush has taken 250 days off as of August 2003. That's 27% of his presidency spent on vacation. Although to be fair, much of this time is classified as a "working vacation."

Bush isn't the first president to get away from his work. George Bush Sr. took all or part of 543 vacation days at Camp David and in Kennebunkport. Ronald Reagan spent 335 days at or en route to his Santa Barbara, California, ranch during his eight years in office. Of recent presidents, Jimmy Carter took the least days off -- only 79 days, which he usually spent at his home in Georgia. That's less than three weeks a year, which is closer to the average American's paid time off of 13 days per year.

What about Clinton? As of December 1999, President Bill Clinton had spent only 152 days on holiday during his two terms, according to CBS News. A former staffer noted Clinton was such a workaholic that "it almost killed Clinton to take one-week vacations during August." In 2000, Clinton cut his summer vacation short to just three days, so he and his wife could concentrate on her Senate race and fundraising for Democrats. While we couldn't find the exact tally for Clinton's last year in office, it's reasonable to expect he didn't increase his vacation rate. And in barely three years in office, George W. Bush has already taken more vacation than Clinton did in seven years.

[Pale_Rider]

1. Betcha that none of those vacations are ...

... mandatory furloughs! This Xmas, people at my place of work are required to burn up at least three days of mandatory vacation.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. "Which is closer to the average American's...

paid time off of 13 days per year."


says it all, doesn't it?

[Blayde Starrfyre]

3. Remember . . .

The most important thing to remember is the entire MONTH off he took, coincidentally (or maybe not) right before 9/11. That was a disgrace. He should refund a chunk of his salary to the taxpayers.

[oostevo]

4. As Much as I Loathe This Guy ...

I really can't blame him for wanting him to take time off. The job of the President, even one who is apparently as hands-off has he is, is an incredibly stressful one, and if he needs to vacation to work effectively (or at least as close to effectively as he can get), then he should take them.

I do like the idea of refunding his pay, though. We pay Constitutional officers way too much.

[K-W]

5. Then why has he taken so much in comparison

with presidents who did so much more than him? It doesnt flush. We provide the president with a huge staff and very comfortable work and living conditions for a reason.

[101 Proof]

8. He knew what the president goes through...

before he accepted the job. You can't tell me Dubya thought being the prez would be an easy task.

[diamond14]

6. seems reTHUGs milk it for all it's worth, while Democrats work

hard...so the numbers prove, those reTHUGs are just plain old LAZY...

[101 Proof]

7. Haven't you heard?

Bush works 24/7.....24 hours a week and 7 months out of the year. :)