Bush takes shortest summer vacation yet

Ron Burgundy · 08-03-2006, 12:45 PM

Bush takes shortest summer vacation yet (AP)

AP - Heading for his Texas ranch, President Bush is taking his shortest summer vacation yet with turmoil in the Middle East and an uncertain future for his Republican Party in fall elections.

MISSION, Texas -
President Bush got a tour of border patrol efforts in his home state — a "look-see," as he called it — before settling down on his ranch Thursday for a 10-day summer vacation.
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With violence boiling in the Middle East and his party's control of Congress up for grabs in elections this fall, Bush is forgoing his typical monthlong break from the White House. Instead, he planned to spend 10 days in Crawford, Texas, before returning to work in Washington — his shortest summer vacation since taking office.

The White House was taking pains to make sure it didn't appear that the president was tuned out from the world's problems, even temporarily. Bush's national security adviser and secretary of state were to arrive at the ranch Saturday to discuss a diplomatic resolution to the fighting between
Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

Bush also planned a brief interruption to his stay Aug. 10, when he was to fly to Wisconsin to tout his economic record and campaign for Republican congressional candidate John Gard. In another effort to help the party in this critical election year, he planned to attend an Aug. 11 barbecue at a neighboring ranch for donors who have raised at least $15,000 for the
Republican National Committee.

On the way to Texas from Washington on Thursday, Bush detoured briefly to the U.S.-Mexico border to push his immigration plan, emphasizing the tough enforcement measures that conservatives support. He got an up close look at several tools the Border Patrol uses to catch people sneaking across — helicopters, a boat and a small plane — and he stopped to pet some horses that are used on old-fashioned patrols.

In a speech on the banks of the Rio Grande River, he spoke of using motion and heat sensors, infrared detection equipment and other high-tech devices to catch illegal immigrants. But he also said those who have been working in the United States long-term should be given a way to pay a fine and become citizens — an idea that is unpopular with his conservative base and has been stalled in Congress.

"We have an obligation to secure our border and we have an obligation to treat people with decency and respect," the president said after his tour.

Bush said he had fulfilled his promise in May to put 6,000 members of the National Guard into the fight against illegal immigration by Aug. 1. The Guard said Monday that while more than 6,000 guard troops had been assigned to Southwestern border states by the government's Aug. 1 deadline, only about half were actually on duty along the border and many were still in training.

The president plans to return to his ranch near the end of the month for a few days. But that trip is scheduled to be interrupted with other travel away from Texas, including a visit to the Gulf Coast to mark the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

Bush has faced criticism every year for the time he spends at his ranch, but never as much as last year. Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast while Bush was away and eventually prompted him to cut his vacation short. And anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan and thousands of her sympathizers camped outside the ranch to draw attention to the mounting deaths in
Iraq.

Sheehan intends to return this summer — this time to a five-acre lot that she bought seven miles away from the ranch. The site is a few yards from a sign picturing the president giving a thumbs-up sign that welcomes visitors to Crawford.

DosEquis · 08-03-2006, 01:19 PM

"My guess is he's going to be working pretty hard," Snow said. "So this is not something where he's simply going to be gallivanting and ignoring the realities of the situation."

Paying attention like last time... where he had to watch all the katrina updates on DVD?

Scrum · 08-03-2006, 01:21 PM

All that brush isn't going to clear itself.

JaJae · 08-03-2006, 03:34 PM

Why do they announce his vacations? Why not just say.. Hey the president is going to the ranch for a few days, hold all interviews.

Nonphixion · 08-03-2006, 06:39 PM

After the World War (3) officially starts, Bush will be found 8 weeks later -- hiding in his closet reading Dr. Seuss

motivez · 08-03-2006, 08:29 PM

Why is he even taking a vacation now? There's lots of stuff to be done in Warshington

Ardentfrost · 08-03-2006, 09:05 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

Why is he even taking a vacation now? There's lots of stuff to be done in Warshington

Everyone needs a vacation

I mean, the presidency IS a stressful position, no doubt.

SoFlaJDM · 08-03-2006, 09:39 PM

Originally Posted by JaJae

Why do they announce his vacations? Why not just say.. Hey the president is going to the ranch for a few days, hold all interviews.

yeah... they should hide MORE stuff from us... excellent idea!!

motivez · 08-03-2006, 10:24 PM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

Everyone needs a vacation

I mean, the presidency IS a stressful position, no doubt.

I guess I'd feel better about it if he was on the ball with the crisis in the middle east and the civil war in Iraq..

Ardentfrost · 08-03-2006, 10:34 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

I guess I'd feel better about it if he was on the ball with the crisis in the middle east and the civil war in Iraq..

Crisis in ME is only his business if/when Condi fucks it up. And I doubt he does a lot day-to-day about Iraq.

motivez · 08-03-2006, 10:44 PM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

Crisis in ME is only his business if/when Condi fucks it up. And I doubt he does a lot day-to-day about Iraq.

He should be more involved in the ME shit than he is now. It's disgraceful that he's allowed the violence to go on this long when an international force could have been in there by now..

Ardentfrost · 08-03-2006, 10:45 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

He should be more involved in the ME shit than he is now. It's disgraceful that he's allowed the violence to go on this long when an international force could have been in there by now..

no! fuck that. It's NOT our business. He's sending someone to try to talk through some peace, but I agree with his position as long as he supports no forceful peace.

motivez · 08-03-2006, 10:57 PM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

no! fuck that. It's NOT our business. He's sending someone to try to talk through some peace, but I agree with his position as long as he supports no forceful peace.

It's our business as long as we continue to supply Israel with the weapons that they're using over there.

Ardentfrost · 08-03-2006, 10:59 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

It's our business as long as we continue to supply Israel with the weapons that they're using over there.

Which we shouldn't be doing anyway

but that still doesn't make it our business. We're SELLING them weapons, not giving it to them or loaning it to them. Munitions is an industry like any other.

motivez · 08-03-2006, 11:00 PM

As long as we are, we have an interest in how they're being used. That's just the way things work.

Diesel66 · 08-03-2006, 11:04 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

Why is he even taking a vacation now? There's lots of stuff to be done in Warshington

Like he isnt going to be working ? He has the ability to talk to anyone in the world and many leaders have come out to his ranch for meetings

motivez · 08-03-2006, 11:15 PM

Is he going to be taking any meetings? Is he going to call Olmert?

It seems bad form to "go on vacation" to your "ranch" while all of this shit is going on that demands his attention.

Diesel66 · 08-03-2006, 11:20 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

Is he going to be taking any meetings? Is he going to call Olmert?

It seems bad form to "go on vacation" to your "ranch" while all of this shit is going on that demands his attention.

He isnt going on vacation though. Before the White House had air conditioning, every President took the entire summer off and moved the whole operation up north.

motivez · 08-03-2006, 11:35 PM

Well they shouldn't call it a vacation then

Ardentfrost · 08-03-2006, 11:35 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

As long as we are, we have an interest in how they're being used. That's just the way things work.

I don't think so... I mean, other than us WANTING them to use them so we can sell more, but that's not good policy either.