Demagogue

I know that the job of being the president is hard work and I appreciate the value of down time-- but does Bush really need 5 whole weeks to clear brush on his ranch?

President Bush is getting the kind of break most Americans can only dream of -- nearly five weeks away from the office, loaded with vacation time.

The president departed Tuesday for his longest stretch yet away from the White House, arriving at his Crawford ranch in the evening to clear brush, visit with family and friends, and tend to some outside-the-Beltway politics. By historical standards, it is the longest presidential retreat in at least 36 years.

The August getaway is Bush's 49th trip to his cherished ranch since taking office and Tuesday was the 319th day that Bush has spent, entirely or partially, in Crawford -- roughly 20 percent of his presidency to date, according to Mark Knoller, a CBS Radio reporter known for keeping better records of the president's travel than the White House itself. Weekends and holidays at Camp David or at his parents' compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, bump up the proportion of Bush's time away from Washington even further.
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Until now, probably no modern president was a more famous vacationer than Ronald Reagan, who loved spending time at his ranch in Santa Barbara, Calif. According to an Associated Press count, Reagan spent all or part of 335 days in Santa Barbara over his eight-year presidency -- a total that Bush will surpass this month in Crawford with 3 1/2 years left in his second term.

I think the thing that bugs me the most is that Bush really does approach the job of POTUS like a CEO. (Actually he behaves less like a CEO and more like the owner/founder of a company who is able to do whatever the hell he wants. How many CEOs get to spend as much time away from the office as Bush?) Although what CEO in his right mind would voluntarily to go to Texas in August to chop trees and clear brush? Then again we all know how much Bush enjoys pretending he's a folksy cowboy instead of a platinum-spoon-fed multi-millionaire. I';; give him one thing-- his level of self-dillusionment is as transparent as it is interesting.

However, running a country is not the same as running a company. Companies don't declare real war on other countries. The job of president is not supposed to be a cushy, luxurious job. Apparently the White House mansion, his dude ranch, the private jet and being surrouned by yes-men has confused him. If he hates Washington so much maybe he should have pursued another career, eh?

The super-rich really are different from the rest of us. I wish that Bush would sign up for the show 30 Days and would get personal exposure to the real lives of average people.