Letters and Comments

The Obama Family Vacation

By U.S. News Staff

August 25, 2009 RSS Feed Print

I think it is absurd for people to be criticizing Obama for doing something every other president has done in the past [Obama's Vacation Plans Not Out of the Ordinary, usnews.com]. Plus, I believe President Bush set the record for vacation taken by a president, but this kind of hypocrisy is expected from Republicans. Seriously—criticize a president for his policies, but every hardworking family deserves a vacation. Besides, even a vacation is not really a vacation for a president. He isn't in Washington, but he is being briefed several times a day and is still making decisions. Seriously, give it a rest.

Comment by Jill of IN

We are experiencing very, very hard times in this country and for the first family to take a weeklong vacation at the cost of more than two times my annual income is disgusting! I wish I knew how much security will cost. That would jack the cost of it probably up to five times my annual income. If you believe that the president will pay for his family's lodging, you are mistaken. The taxpayers will ultimately pay; we always do. How many vacations does that family need anyway? If I'm lucky, I take one a year, and when I can't afford it, I stay home. If I had the job of running this country, I would stay in Washington and take care of business. I often wonder if this family ever took a vacation before they could take vacations at taxpayer expense.

Comment by Joyce of NC

Presidents are not "common" people. They have privileges that most people do not have. They are "royalty" and are treated as such. So get real out there ... this is what we do in this country. We give our president the gift of a luxurious life. Obama is paying for his own lodging, which is very expensive, and he really does not have to pay a cent ... as far as Air Force One and the secret service agents, hey he still has those things regardless of where he is. Stop the nitpicking and grow up.

Comment by Carla of GA

I would like to see a detailed report on all of President Obama's work/vacation trips. Will the family trips cease once school starts for the girls or will we be paying for tutors for them so they can travel all over the world? While they are gone, do you think maybe I could take my grandchildren for a vacation at the White House? I have a feeling if Air Force One were parked for the rest of the year, we could put a big dent into our trillion-dollar deficit. How much did this administration inherit again? How much has it increased since they took over? Do we really still have a government of the people, by the people, and for the people?

Comment by Tommie Engle of MI

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Bush over did it. Many republicans concede to that. His office was in the WhHite House, but he stayed as much to Crawford. We did not like it. There was nothing we could do about it, just like we cannot now. The American people feel they have lost their voice and for those that does vocalize, it is ignored. In fact, critized. It seems all these presdential candidates do all they can do to get elected, get there and then they not want to stay there. Most Americans would relish one night of that kind of life. BUT Obama is the one that campaigned on "CHANGE" and his wife is the one that was marketed in the media as "frugal". Well, her frugal is still more than I can affored and that is fine. Our First Lady should be comfortable. I am smart enough to know that a President is considered royalty in our country and really never vacations. But they both wanted him to have the job real bad. So, he got it. They have, costed us so much money on "vacations" that they average person living from week to week, working 2 jobs just trying to buy the groceries cannot comprehend it. THis was to be the era of CHANGE from the bad "last eight years". So now voters expect him to live up to it. They are tired of date nights to New York, family nights with the WHite House having to entertain entertainers, golf, vacations to Europe, Martha's Vineyard, Bo birthday parties, and now Hawaii. WHere they had just gone in Dec of 2008. I am sure there were alot of official functions as well as a half million dollar state dinner. Much of this is necessary but many people are hurting and it is like rubbing salt in a wound. The campiagn made promises and no one is forgetting them. Everyone in this country has been generous to our Presidents. Well, wants them not be anything but blessed, healthy and happy .You crowd came up with the theme of the campaign and you drove that message right on to a victory so now, live with it and live up to it.Because if you don't this President's legacy may not be as favorable as Bush's was with the democrats when he left. And this Pres wil be bound to be a one termer. Even if the Obamas pay for some expenses it doesn't compare to what they are costing us. And the people do not see how encouragement from the President to tighten our belts and make sacrfices is being practiced like it is preached. There are coming off as high maintence when a a time of recession, foreclosures and high umemployment in the face of taxpayers who are struggling.We will not even discuss how the voters feel about many of his intiatives and the defiecit on top of all this. It is not about BUSH anymore. And Americans is tired of the blame game. IT is old. It may of started in a prev administration but you were the one with the promises. Like Obama said, "I won". Now he needs to start listening to the AMerican people. Now they are saying Mr. Obama, you "CHANGE". You are the leader and the example. Nevertheless, may God Bless our President. Pls pray for him.

Darlene of NC 2:42AM January 01, 2010

The fact that the President's vacation is up for discussion is absurd. With all that is going on in this country, all that has landed in his lap and expected of him before he even took office. His grandmother died, and I suspect that his critics had something to say about him even taking time to bury her. He is a human being, not a machine. He was elected to turn the country around which entails trying to undo the mess that the well-vacationed President Bush created and ignored (no outrage from his critics there). The sooner some get over their biases about a black president, the sooner we will be able to focus on what our real issues are and try to find ways to contribute to the solutions. In order for anyone to be efficient in what they do, efforts should be made to get adequate time for family and rest. I don't know about you, but I would prefer a caring and responsive president, not a machine.

Ellen Ramsay of NY 6:38PM August 30, 2009

Cut this presidnet some slack about his vacation. Nothing is said by citizens when WASP presidents vacation on their compounds or go sailing on their boats. It's it a matter of citizen perception. Many are used to seeing blacks toil and work and then toil some more. That is a comforting image for some. Now imagine the toiler even though President of the United States) enjoying a vacation. It blows the old image, doesn't it?

Get over it and get used to seeing more.

MareeFromRochester of NY 2:18AM August 30, 2009

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