Posted on 08/24/2014 7:59:30 PM PDT by jazusamo
President Obama boarded a plane back to Washington late Sunday after a two-week trip to Martha's Vineyard plagued by criticism from Republicans and some Democrats.
The trip will likely be remembered most by critics for Obamas nine rounds of golf. However, he also held conversations with nine foreign leaders and delivered four statements to the press, according to The Associated Press, which kept a tally of everything that went on during the 14-day break.
Obama spoke at a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee fundraiser early in his vacation and went to a birthday party that Hillary Clinton also attended.
His golf outings became commonplace, however, either at the Farm Neck Golf Club or the Vineyard Golf Club. Pool reporters following the president began titling some of their dispatches late in the trip with "golf o'clock" or simply "golf!"
Though the White House continuously said Obama travels with all the resources he needs, Republicans hammered the optics of his vacation and urged him to return to the White House as events unfolded domestically and around the world.
Throughout the break Obama addressed the protests in Ferguson over the police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown, and the video released last week of the beheading of U.S. photojournalist James Foley at the hands of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria ( ISIS).
Even some on the left expressed surprise that Obama went golfing just a few minutes after making a forceful statement condemning the ISIS video and described the group as a cancer that needed to be eradicated.
Obama broke up the two-week schedule with a mysterious 48-hour trip back to Washington early last week. During his return, he met with Vice President Biden and his economic team and received briefings on national security issues and the events unfolding in Ferguson.
He also took questions from the press about Iraq and Ferguson. The Republican National Committee blasted him on the brief return as well, noting the high price tag of any presidential travel.
"He spent about a million in taxpayer dollars to fly back from Martha's Vineyard on Air Force One to take a few pictures," RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said. "Then it was back to vacationing and the golf course."
Criticism of presidents during vacation, no matter which party, has become commonplace. Even former Obama adviser David Axelrod on Friday admitted Democrats were wrong when they used a similar tactic against George H.W. Bush.
Obama returns to the White House after calling for a new review of federal policies that provide military equipment to local law enforcement and amid an ongoing airstrike campaign in Iraq targeting ISIS.
This week, Obama will travel to North Carolina on Tuesday to give a speech at the American Legion's national convention. On Friday, he will attend fundraisers in New York and Rhode Island.
Congress will return from its five-week August recess in early September.
What BS...The spin is in high gear. Nine rounds of golf in the middle of a world crisis is ridiculous.
I wonder how that will go?
I disagree. Keep Zer0 on the golf course.
The less time in Washington the less damage.
“This week, Obama will travel to North Carolina on Tuesday to give a speech at the American Legion’s national convention. On Friday, he will attend fundraisers in New York and Rhode Island.”
I see he’s still on vacation.
Vacation’s over? Must be time to get back to the White to start planning the next one.
The golf course is a good place for the anti-American despot.
You make a good point but the problem is that he (his handlers) still control everything, make him do his job and be held responsible for it.
His “mysterious trip” back to Washington was for a five-hour dinner at Sam Kasss home. Mr. Kass, the ex-White House chef, recently got engaged and Obama went there to wish the happy couple best wishes for their new life together.
The name of Mr. Kass’ fiancé? Alex Wagner.
I wonder how that will go?">
The Liberals are always comparing obama VS bush on vacations, how about the First Lady vacation separate from that of the president...
Michelle has NOT been photographed since the vacation began, she was giving her scalp a break from daily sporting wigs and hairpieces...so where is she?????
Obama ought to just file an EEOC complaint against these racists...
Wow, I just realized Obama is going to make a fortune telling everyone for the rest of his life what a wonderful job he would have done except for “the racists” .
Michelle obama is making it a habit of extending vacations and costing tax payers for extra flight and fuel...this needs to stop.
Actually, I think the USA and the world are better off when 0 ISN’T on the job.
You make sense. point. That’s why Zer0 hired dozens of “Czars” to
do policy.
Who are these people?
Wish we knew, maybe their lives could be made much more difficult.
I agree. His multi-million dollar vacations are much cheaper to the country than having Obungler at “work”.
I agree. His multi-million dollar vacations are much cheaper to the country than having Obungler at “work”.
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