Bush continues to attack Kerry for missing Senate votes and skipping committee hearings, but, ironically, takes more time off than any president in recent memory.
CBS News tally shows that President Bush is now making his 38th visit to his Prairie Chapel ranch since taking office. Add up the number of full or partial days he has been there — it comes out to 254.
That’s about 20 percent of his presidency. Add in his time at Camp David and the Bush family home in Kennebunkport, Maine, and the percentage more than doubles. And the White House is self-conscious about it.
The White House regards the swipe as a cheap shot — but still avoids using the word “vacation.”
Spokesman Scott McClellan prefers to describe the president’s latest ranch visit as “a little bit of down time prior to the final home stretch of the campaign.”
That’s a clever euphemism, but it can’t hide the fact that this president really enjoys time away from the job. Here’s a thought: let’s vote for Kerry so Bush can clear brush in Crawford to his heart’s content.