So, is Obama ever gonna stop blaming Bush for everything?

[Dave]

I can understand a newly elected president giving the ole "we're gonna fix what the last guy screwed up" line, every president does it if they come into a mess like Obama did... there is no doubt that things were a mess at the end of the Bush presidency.

Sooner or later though, he needs to stand up and say that its his mess. Its getting to that point now. He was elected to fix things and so far, he hasn't. The economy hasn't improved to any significant degree in his 18 months in office.

He can't seem to grasp the concept of what he spoke of himself, in that we all need to make sacrifices and tighten our belts when it comes to spending. The recent  vacation his wife took to Spain in a example of this. The trip ended up costing the American taxpayers around $400,000. Michelle Obama did pay her personal expenses and with that I have no issue.. just the fact that it cost all of us for her to go is more the
concern. Its like couldn't she of better spent that money in the USA, showing us all what a wonderful land we have? Basically, it falls into leading by example.. they want us to do one thing but it doesn't seem that they want to follow their own advice. Had the trip happened when the economy was good, probably would of never made the news. On the other hand, how often did you hear liberals go after Bush for taking vacations?

[Willy]

I understand Bush spent most of his vacations at home in Texas.

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

Yeah and still got hammered for them as excessive go figure. How many vacations/celibrations has Barrack taken in one year? I am with Dave though I take no offense to his B-ball with and for the troops however.

[Dave]

At least with Bush, when he was on vacation in Crawford, he was never truly away... the ranch there was equipped to basically be the White House West with conference rooms, secured data and communication networks. In reality, his vacations were more working vacations then anything.

Of course the thing I always liked about the whole Crawford thing in general was that it was built to be about as energy efficient as possible while you have Al Gore that burns more energy then a small city in his TN home. Got to wonder how green his ocean side home is... until it of course is underwater as the oceans rise.

[masonco]

Yes I'm sure it is Bush's fault Obama's wife has to travel to Spain to "comfort" a friend---AND take their daughter with to stay in the most expensive places abroad..
It is Bush's fault Obama HAS to take all those gulfing vacations isn't it?
And isn't it Bush's fault...somehow that Obama did nothing at first to get BP to move.

I said last year...Somehow, someway, everything is Bush's fault. Even if the earth blew up tomorrow...It would be Bush's fault SOMEHOW.

[Dave]

I heard a part of an audio clip of the CA congress woman that is up on a ethics charge blaming Bush and Cheney.. even though they had nothing to do with her helping a bank her husband had a large amount of money in get TARP funds to stay afloat.

[XLFD]

Some might think this attitude is due to some lingering hatred of Bush, but I think the origin is more part of the adolescent mind-set of many of your typical progressives/liberals.

[masonco]

I had to enlarge to page to see it....TOO TRUE!

[Sweater Cows!]

It doesn't matter WHERE she takes a vacation. Grand Canyon, Vail, Disney, Spain, Africa, Zimbabwe, or Tim buk to. She will still need the same security detail whether she is here in the states or abroad. ummm why don't people get that?




Ya know you guys..................jealousy will never get ya anywhere.

Go Michelle, live it up, ya only go around once.

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

Sheila..
Although the guys here did not really express such. It is the hypocrisy of the Liberals that are causing the backlash about the Obama's vacation choices. If you do a little research Liberals blamed GW bush for taking basically any vacations his last four years at all while most were on his own Ranch. Including one of his daughters weddings.
The security needed as well as the wear and tear on tax payers money were minimum. Yet.. it was never a "good time " in the eyes of the liberal media. The Obama's have taken more government paid vacations fund raisers and other assorted trips in one year than Bush did in 4. And as far as living it up I pray no one in that office thinks that way with the massive debt we are now facing as a nation.
We can not even sell our debt to other countries. And yet the fed is trying to leave the interest rates at 0% as if this is going to help anyone buy anything. No one wants to buy anything because those who make the most in America small businesses are not hiring or expanding as the tax cuts put in effect during the Bush years end inJanuary.
Obama comes out in speeches telling us all we need to tighten our belts, and we read daily of how much graft and corporate pay back was done by many in his government. The yes we can campaign by most of America is being seen as " oh no God we didn't??" I will be very very surprised if The Dems have the House or the Senate after November. As most of America on a two to one margin cant stand the New " Change we can Believe in"
Same security detail not quite...
The presidential detail does grow and shrink according to the threat level of the location. Overseas being twice the size of Conus. And it takes considerably fewer hours to fly Air Force two across country. Than to Fly it and 40 rooms worth of $400-$4000 room guests to Spain. In fact I would be very curious for someone to find any American President who took that large of an Entourage on vacation with him. Or First lady for than matter.

[XLFD]

You state a valid point, Sheila, that there isn't generally a big difference in the cost of security and travel expenses wherever she may go, foreign or domestic. First Lady Jackie Kennedy travelled a bit more, with and without JFK, during her tenure as first lady, and it was historically seen as positive for international relations.

However, most who have commented on this, here and elsewhere, do not do so out of jealousy. Some may do so because they think it would have been more 'sensitive' to vacation here, say in Florida, whose tourism industry will be negatively affected by the ongoing oil spill her husband has been very effective with. Some may do so because of the poor economy and all the fiscally conservative choices her husband has made recently, makes her look insensitive or even hypocritical to Joe Taxpayer.

[Dave]

That's pretty much it as far as i'm concerned... its not that the Obamas, either alone or together want to take the occasional vacation, its the destinations and such that seem hypocritical. They tell us to tighten our belts and make sacrifices. But when it comes to them, they don't seem to want to take their own advice. Going to Spain and spending tens of thousands of dollars on expensive villas and doing the tourist thing just doesn't seem to be making much of any sacrifice.... its almost like they are trying to make it tough for him to get reelected.