Outside events are interrupting President Obama's August vacation, just as they have for so many of his predecessors. In Obama's case, it's the rebellion in Libya, which has made international headlines and required Obama to pay close attention to developments there, according to his aides. Yesterday afternoon, he consulted with at least a dozen senior advisers before making a cautious public statement designed to encourage the rebels and prod dictator Muammar Gadhafi to resign. Afterward, he managed to take a break to play basketball with aides and friends before getting more Libya updates.
[See photos of the unrest in Libya.]
As I pointed out last week, there are many examples of crises disrupting presidential holidays, ranging from the Iraq invasion of Kuwait while George H.W. Bush was president to Hurricane Katrina while George W. Bush was in office.
Obama is scheduled to go back to his vacation schedule as much as possible today, with golf and beach time in the offing, unless another crisis intrudes. Aides say he also is making phone calls to get more ideas about how to strengthen the economy. Among those he has consulted during his vacation are Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, and Alan Mulally, CEO of Ford Motor Co.
Reader Comments