Posted on 12/21/2011 4:16:54 AM PST by Sub-Driver
President Obama's Hawaii Christmas vacation dilemma By Amie Parnes and Jeremy Herb - 12/21/11 05:10 AM ET
President Obama faces a most difficult decision with the payroll tax extension up in the air, and it isn't whether to compromise with Republicans.
The toughest call for the president this holiday season may be whether to join his family for Christmas in Hawaii or stay in lonely Washington.
The White House won't say whether the president is heading west for the holidays—or even if he’s making an abbreviated appearance.
Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, said Tuesday that Obama “intends to stay and work with Congress to ensure that Americans don’t have their taxes go up.”
Even if there’s no ideal time for a presidential vacation, this one comes at a particularly inopportune time. For weeks, Obama has insisted that lawmakers stay in town to pass the tax extension. Otherwise, as he said earlier this month, “we can all spend Christmas here together.”
Now, with the payroll tax extension compromise unsettled, and members of Congress already back at home, does Obama up and leave, too? Or will the president be forced to spend the holidays at an empty White House with the Yule Log on TV listening to Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas?”
“If he stays, he could be seen as the only adult in the room,” said Susan MacManus, a professor of political science at the University of South Florida. “If he leaves, it could hurt him.”
The question of whether Obama would stay in Washington was posed to Carney a couple of times during Tuesday’s briefing at the White House.
“Are you saying there’s a scenario that’s possible, on December 25th, where the president wakes up and ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is on, and he puts on his Christmas sweater in the White House, and he’s all alone and his family is in Hawaii?” Ed Henry, the senior White House correspondent for Fox News wondered.
“I’m reluctant to say where he’s going to be on which day because I don’t want to make this about him,” Carney responded after jokingly asking Henry if he’s available to spend time with the president on Christmas. “It is a very fluid situation. It’s hard to know what tomorrow is going to look like, what the next day is going to look like, as this saga continues.”
It’s unclear how the payroll tax extension fight will play out and whether or not a compromise will be reached before the Christmas weekend.
But if the measure isn’t passed and Obama does go to Hawaii, the imagery of the president in paradise amid the payroll tax extension debate could give Republicans campaign fodder well into the election year, observers say.
“Without any question it will be used against him,” said Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. “You can see the Republican ads now about why he’s in Hawaii.”
It's not as if a Hawaiian Christmas is some exotic vacation for the president. Hawaii is where the president grew up, and he's visited the state each year for the holidays since his election.
First lady Michelle Obama and their two daughters are already in Hawaii, and staying in Washington would deprive the president of Christmas with his family.
Yet just as when Obama traveled to Martha’s Vineyard this summer in the wake of the nation’s first credit downgrade and a sagging economy, it will be hard for him to escape criticism if he goes to Honolulu without a tax deal.
Some Republicans sound a bit sympathetic, even as they are signal their readiness to pounce.
“He has every right to celebrate the holidays with his family,” said Sean Spicer, the communications director for the Republican National Committee.
But if negotiators are in Washington working on a compromise, “I think that speaks volumes about the lack of leadership. He can’t chide Congress about going on vacation and then go on vacation,” Spicer said.
Tony Fratto, who served as a White House spokesman to George W. Bush, a president frequently criticized by the left for his vacation time, agreed.
“He’s been the one challenging [lawmakers], it’s the standard he’s set for Washington officials so he should stay here and make sure he’s helpful,” Fratto said.
At the same time, Democrats say Obama should make the trip regardless.
Democratic consultant Karen Finney, a columnist for The Hill, said having Obama remain in Washington “symbolically” is not the answer.
“Americans are very clear on who’s raising their taxes,” Finney said. “And it isn’t the president.”
Mike McCurry, who served as White House press secretary under Bill Clinton, said Obama “should go on vacation and Hawaii is perfect.”
“It’s dumb not to give our presidents some down time and he has a long slog ahead next year,” McCurry said. “It also gives his hard-working staff a break and they need it more than he does. I think most Americans would prefer that Obama and Congress take a long vacation wherever and then come back to do some real work.”
Prior Presidents vacationed in private residents owned by them or friends. This Grifter vacations at high dollar rentals and resorts. Living the high life while he burns Rome to the ground.
But, at least he got to spend Ramadan with his family.
Link http://www.hawaiisbestrentals.com/detail.lasso?SKU=685
has been pulled from the web. Too much publicity? LOL!
I know. I weep for him and the Lovely Michelle as we forgo our annual vacation and stay at home this year with the thermostat turned down. The Republicans should start calling him Oahu Barry.
I'm sure the _resident has his own fruitcake picked out.
How about “Barack Hussein Oahu”?
Maybe Zero's $100K+ per year [former] body man, Reggie Love, will come to the White Hut for Christmas "dinner," and they can pack some fudge or nog some eggs.
Where are the Occupy Kailua people?
Some say taking out Osama was a tough decision. BS, real US citizen would've done the same thing.
He doesn't have to make any tough decisions, he just stirs up the pot, then sits back and watches.
DING DING DING !!! WE'VE GOT A WINNER !!!
It wouldn’t have been any different than his previous Christmas jaunts to Hawaii if he hadn’t opened his big mouth (again) about staying in Washington to get this done. And what has he been doing anyway? I haven’t heard about any meetings or phone calls to Boehner or Reid or anything st all from him. Pathetic.
“He has every right to celebrate the holidays with his family,”
______________________________
Sure he does and they should have stayed there or go to Camp David instead of costing the tax payers millions. I realize the WH just doesn’t live up to their extravagant standards, but suck it up, buy Maya and her family a first class plane ticket to DC to spend CHRISTmas there with them. Easy, just saved the taxpayers about 4 million. The WH is already decorated to the hilt at our expense. We all know why they won’t spend CHRISTmas there, they don’t celebrate CHRISTmas. He made that pretty clear long before he was elected by the biggest fools on the face of this earth.
“He has every right to celebrate the holidays with his family,”
______________________________
Sure he does and they should have stayed there or gone to Camp David instead of costing the tax payers millions. I realize the WH just doesn’t live up to their extravagant standards, but suck it up, buy Maya and her family a first class plane ticket to DC to spend CHRISTmas there with them. Easy, just saved the taxpayers about 4 million. The WH is already decorated to the hilt at our expense. We all know why they won’t spend CHRISTmas there, they don’t celebrate CHRISTmas. He made that pretty clear long before he was elected by the biggest fools on the face of this earth.
YEP! Same reason they would never get the kids the dog they wanted for many years and waited until they got into the WH so their "servants" paid with our dollars could deal with any mess.
Sorry for my late attention to your post to me.
Please give me until tomorrow to reply. I have had a full trying day…and no…not Christmas shopping.
One of my big questions right now is how Ms. Fat-Ass The Hogly who is not an elected official…and even if she were… is allowed to spend yours and my and other folks tax money for her vacations around the world to include her family and friends. This also includes any elected official and non elected officials such as czars who spend our money for their pleasure, fun, vacations, and for an ego political power show, all need to go directly to jail for a long, long time. It is robbery.
The cheeky Kenyan bastard needs to be flown around in a Piper Cub instead of a 747…and charge the fuel and manpower to him if it is not an official trip.
Fat-Ass would need a specially built wide-body Piper Cub to accommodate her fat-ass.
I think I just expressed most of my thoughts here…rather than tomorrow…because I became so angry again.
And of course, the congresscrooks are not going to do anything about it because they are just as crooked.
Anyway and never the less, I would like to hear from you tomorrow if you have time.
My best regards to you and your family. Merry Christmas, and saludos from Panama.
Back in May of this year, I ran a daily thread on Madison's record of the Constitutional Convention. Early on, when no powers had been assigned, nor even the structure of the Senate was under discussion, Ben Franklin had some words regarding salaries for members of the new government. He wished to pay the Senators nothing, and IIRC, require a certain amount of free and clear wealth as a qualification for the President. His words:
“Sir, there are two passions which have a powerful influence on the affairs of men. These are ambition and avarice; the love of power, and the love of money. Separately each of these has great force in prompting men to action; but when united in view of the same object, they have in many minds the most violent effects. Place before the eyes of such men, a post of honour that shall be at the same time a place of profit, and they will move heaven and earth to obtain it.”
“The more the people are discontented with the oppression of taxes; the greater need the prince has of money to distribute among his partizans and pay the troops that are to suppress all resistance, and enable him to plunder at pleasure.”
The First Fat-Ass is set for life. Why? How did this happen?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.