Posted on 12/13/2010 1:21:46 PM PST by Red Steel
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is likely to delay the start of his Christmas vacation to help several of his key legislative goals pass Congress before the end of the year, the White House said on Monday.
Obama is tentatively scheduled to depart on Saturday for Hawaii, where the family traditionally spends its year-end vacation. But lawmakers are still debating the extension of Bush-era tax cuts and a new nuclear weapons deal, both of which Obama is eager to see approved.
"The president will be here for as long as Congress is here," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, adding he saw a good chance this would keep Obama in Washington next week.
Obama wants to make the most of the remaining time that both chambers of Congress are in the hands of his Democrats, before control of the House of Representatives switches in January to Republicans and they increase their weight in the Senate.
Congress is debating a $858 billion package of measures to keep income taxes low and extend unemployment benefits, as well as ratifying a new START nuclear weapons treaty that Obama has said is vital to U.S. relations with Russia.
The Senate takes a procedural vote on the tax package later on Monday. Obama thrashed it out with Republicans and has been criticized by other Democrats for conceding to their demand for a two-year extension of tax cuts for wealthier Americans.
The White House also hopes Congress will lift a ban on gays serving openly in the military.
Senate Republicans last week used delaying tactics to prevent a vote on a regularly approved military funding bill that contained a repeal of the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy.
Gibbs said he was confident the ban would be repealed by the end of the year.
What a TROOPER!
Why, he’s almost like Abe Lincoln in his dedication to his job....
So... Do you think he'll enlist?
As we speed the start of his retirement......
Why does he need to delay? Can’t he just leave Slick Willy in charge?
Leave already!!
Please, GO!
Maybe he doesn’t believe in Christmas?
Well first, you would have to assume he is a Christian...
When has the Obama family NOT been on vacation? Hello???
Anyone remember how the press complained and attacked GW when he would go home to Crawford, TX, actually do some physical labor on his "vacation" week once or twice a year?
Interesting to compare the every-other day (or so it seems) Obama junkets/vacations all over the globe and the comparable silence by the press.
I would like to see a "cost to taxpayers" comparison of GW's trips "home" to Obama's international jet-setting vacations. I would imagine one Obama trip probably outspends all of GW's vacations in 8 years combined. ($100 million per-day trip of recent as an example).
isn’t ramadan over?
“Tax Cuts & Unemployment Benefits” At 4:10 pm ET, the Senate vote was 62 -7 in favor, 60 yes votes, that moves the bill forward to an up and down majority vote.
He’s been on vacation all year. This is lame-duck time... time to ram more crap down the throat of the American public.
If he misses a few days of “Christmas vacation” (what’s a muslim-sympathizing marxist care about Christmas anyway), he can always make up for it by taking another 9-11 months off next year.
What the heck does an islamic, muslim communist need with a Christmas Vacation??
Wan't "Rham-eeee-Don" some time ago?? The little tin god shoulda taken his vacation then. Did he forget??
Haven’t we been here before? This last-minute cram session where the worst sort of crap gets shoved through in the interest of “going home”...
And good luck getting through to your congress-crook this time of year to express your views.
IF there is any organization on the face of this earth more corrupt than the US Government (particularly CONgress and the current President), then I would sure like to see it. WE make a fuss about how corrupt the Mexican government is... at least they don’t try to hide it.
Obama is tentatively scheduled to depart on Saturday for Hawaii, where the family traditionally spends its year-end vacation.
When did the Obama start traditionally spending their year-end vacation in Hawai??
When we started buying the flight ticklet and picking up the tab for the $2500 dollar a day house?
Or, as I’m sure the kenyan refers to it...X-mas vacation.
I wonder if he has Michelle’s permission to be late?
Just a question to throw out...
How many of you are taking an all expense paid vacation this year??
And to the POSPOTUS
Dear arrogant Jerk,
In the spirit of this great depression, wouldn’t it be prudent to save some of OUR hard earned money and have a vacation at the beautifully decorated White Hut?
Sincerely,
BTB
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