PrintOctober 26, 2009
A president of leisure
If there has been any question as to how seriously Barack Obama takes his presidency, the mounting evidence is providing an answer.
Last week, we discussed the president's permanent campaign and the fact that in nine months in office, he's attended 22 fundraisers -- Bush only participated in six in his first year in office. While Obama has been raising money for Democratic campaigns, he has left a "gone fishing" sign for the leaderless Democrats in Congress.
Today, Politico ran a story that discloses that Obama has already played golf as many times in nine months as Bush did in almost three years, but golf isn't his only game of choice. Various media sources have recently covered the president's basketball games at the White House. We already knew that Obama was a sports fan, but the Baller-in-Chief seems to be more concerned with victory on the greens and hardwood than on the battlefield.
We've read about the president and first lady's weekend in Chicago - taken while an urgent stimulus package sat on his desk unsigned. We've also looked from the outside in at their nights out in Paris, New York City and failed trip to Copenhagen. But have we read anything about a successful stimulus, recovery in the job market, the passing of any key legislation, or a decision about the war in Afghanistan? Have we been entertained with any stories about how the president's apologizing to the world for our "sins" has helped advance American interests? Anything about how the president's call for nuclear disarmament has changed the minds of rogue nations?
No, you won't find any of those stories on the front page. Instead we get fundraising, golf, and basketball. Who would complain if we were talking about Brad Pitt or Justin Timberlake in between movies or albums? No one, why? Because neither is the President of the United States. Barack Obama is. Obama is not some celebrity performing artist who can fly around the world in between projects and sip chi-chi's on the beach while he collects royalty checks. Obama is the leader of a nation that is currently engaged in two wars and handicapped by a faltering economy, increasing unemployment, a weakening dollar, and unsustainable debt. Has Obama presented any viable solutions to change the course of any of those problems? No, so you'll have to excuse me for not celebrating another "Yes We Can!" chant at a $30,000/plate fundraiser, his declining handicap, or his improving jump shot.
Liberals were incensed over the number of "getaway trips" former President George W. Bush made to his ranch in Crawford. But do you think they will join us in criticizing President Obama's leisure activities? Apparently we need to find something for the president to do, because he has too much time on his hands.
Fore!
J.C. Arenas is a frequent contributor to American Thinker and welcomes your comments at jcarenas.com
