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Why so much vitriol toward President Obama?
Re: “Obama wastes taxpayer dollars,” Marianne Knoell and “Stay in D.C. and do your job,” Bill Copeland, June 17.
I am continually amazed at the vitriol some people have toward President Obama. I understand that we can have our differences of opinion, but can’t we all at least be kind about it.
Knoell believes that the president ignores the Constitution because he does what he feels like doing using executive orders. We all know that we have total gridlock in Congress and unless the president uses this legal prerogative, little if anything will be done for our country.
President Bush used a different tactic. When he signed many pieces of legislation he signed and attached to it a “presidential statement” providing his interpretation of the objective of the legislation, often contrary to the intent of it as passed by Congress.
Copeland says President Obama has spent more time relaxing than any other president in modern history. Sorry, Mr. Copeland, but according to CBS News reporter Mark Knoller, that is simply not true. He is considered the authority on tracking presidents’ daily activities. And he reports that as of August 2013, President Obama has taken 14 vacation trips totaling 92 days. In contrast, at the same point in time in his presidency, President Bush took 377 days – over a year in a period of slightly less than 5 ½ years.
Allen Shores, Palm Desert
The facts about presidential vacations
Re: “Obamas waste taxpayer dollars,” Marianne Knoell, and “Stay in D.C. and do your job,” Bill Copeland, June 17.
Vitriol about President Obama’s visits here is stunning. Recent letter writers ignore facts and spew Fox lies. One recently claimed Obama “has spent more time ‘relaxing’ than any other president in history.”
It takes a minute to Google George W. Bush’s vacation days for the real truth. Bush holds the record for modern-day presidential vacations, the conservative Washington Post reported in August 2013: “The Washington Post's new political analysis show ... revealed the answer: President George W. Bush. During his two terms, Bush took 879 vacation days, which included 77 total trips to his Crawford, Texas, ranch. Nine of those trips were taken in his first year as president.”
How can you tell lies about President Obama when the last Republican presidency was disastrous for the U.S. in so many ways? I guess some people just can’t stand the thought that a black Democrat is president. It’s sad and shameful.
Ruth Debra, Palm Springs
Short hop on Air Force One was a waste of taxpayer money
I am joining other readers of The Desert Sun in disgust at President Obama’s choice of transportation to Orange County. I am not suggesting he should have ridden a Pope mobile there, but taking Air Force One was the most thoughtless and egregious choice he could have made.
In this time of economic stress and monetary insecurity for so many of us, the ostentation was shocking. No wonder so many of us are disgusted with politicians who can’t keep their fingers out of the candy jar. Now we vote for the least deplorable.
Nancy Bentinck, Palm Springs
Obama doesn’t hold the record for most vacations
Please, no more “Obama takes more vacations than any other president in recent history.” Not true.
Just looking at their first year in office:
• Obama took 26 days of vacation and 27 days at Camp David in 2009. G.W. Bush took 69 days of vacation and 78 days at Camp David in 2001.
• If you look at vacation days for Obama from inauguration in 2009 through Aug. 9, 2013, and compare to the same time in office for Bush, you will see 92 days for Obama and 367 days for Bush, not including days at Camp David.
Just for comparison: Clinton took 21 days, Reagan 42 days, G.H.W. Bush, 40 days and Carter 19 days of vacation In their first year in office.
It is not difficult to get the facts it just takes a few minutes and the desire to be factual in your statements.
And believe me, presidential “vacations” are really a misnomer. All presidents are working when on “vacation.”
Gary Eidecker, Cathedral City
Obama hatemongers
I cannot resist responding to the hatemongers who never faulted President Bush’s frequent weekend escapes to Texas — more days away from D.C. than any other president — and for whom Obama does nothing right.
Why can’t he drive to Los Angeles like the rest of us? Because that would necessitate closing every overpass and freeway between here and the coast.
How about a helicopter? The Secret Service stipulates the mode of presidential travel. There are no armored presidential helicopters here.
Frederick C. Kilguss Jr., Cathedral City
We’re better off with President Obama
Re: “Why keep bashing President Obama?” Richard Goodwyn, June 22.
Richard Goodwyn’s letter of June 22 finally addressed the big picture! When George W. Bush took office after the Clinton era, the government’s finances were in the black. After eight years of the Bush administration, the economy had crashed along with the stock market, and the government’s finances were in the red.
He also started wars in the Middle East based on lies to the American people that have ruined — or ended — the lives of many Americans, Iraqis and Afghanis and cost billions and billions of dollars. The result is the mess in Iraq that we currently see. Can anyone say that Iraq was worse off under their brutal dictator than it is now?
After six years of the Obama administration, our economy is back on track, the stock markets are at a record high and the depressed housing market is making a comeback. Millions of Americans now have access to health insurance, something that the Republican leadership still keeps trying to repeal. All of this in spite of what the agenda of the Republican Party, as stated by their leadership was: to make sure Obama was a one-term president and to block everything he proposes.
Martin Garment. Palm Springs
http://www.desertsun.com/story/opini...bama/11700969/
Re: “Obama wastes taxpayer dollars,” Marianne Knoell and “Stay in D.C. and do your job,” Bill Copeland, June 17.
I am continually amazed at the vitriol some people have toward President Obama. I understand that we can have our differences of opinion, but can’t we all at least be kind about it.
Knoell believes that the president ignores the Constitution because he does what he feels like doing using executive orders. We all know that we have total gridlock in Congress and unless the president uses this legal prerogative, little if anything will be done for our country.
President Bush used a different tactic. When he signed many pieces of legislation he signed and attached to it a “presidential statement” providing his interpretation of the objective of the legislation, often contrary to the intent of it as passed by Congress.
Copeland says President Obama has spent more time relaxing than any other president in modern history. Sorry, Mr. Copeland, but according to CBS News reporter Mark Knoller, that is simply not true. He is considered the authority on tracking presidents’ daily activities. And he reports that as of August 2013, President Obama has taken 14 vacation trips totaling 92 days. In contrast, at the same point in time in his presidency, President Bush took 377 days – over a year in a period of slightly less than 5 ½ years.
Allen Shores, Palm Desert
The facts about presidential vacations
Re: “Obamas waste taxpayer dollars,” Marianne Knoell, and “Stay in D.C. and do your job,” Bill Copeland, June 17.
Vitriol about President Obama’s visits here is stunning. Recent letter writers ignore facts and spew Fox lies. One recently claimed Obama “has spent more time ‘relaxing’ than any other president in history.”
It takes a minute to Google George W. Bush’s vacation days for the real truth. Bush holds the record for modern-day presidential vacations, the conservative Washington Post reported in August 2013: “The Washington Post's new political analysis show ... revealed the answer: President George W. Bush. During his two terms, Bush took 879 vacation days, which included 77 total trips to his Crawford, Texas, ranch. Nine of those trips were taken in his first year as president.”
How can you tell lies about President Obama when the last Republican presidency was disastrous for the U.S. in so many ways? I guess some people just can’t stand the thought that a black Democrat is president. It’s sad and shameful.
Ruth Debra, Palm Springs
Short hop on Air Force One was a waste of taxpayer money
I am joining other readers of The Desert Sun in disgust at President Obama’s choice of transportation to Orange County. I am not suggesting he should have ridden a Pope mobile there, but taking Air Force One was the most thoughtless and egregious choice he could have made.
In this time of economic stress and monetary insecurity for so many of us, the ostentation was shocking. No wonder so many of us are disgusted with politicians who can’t keep their fingers out of the candy jar. Now we vote for the least deplorable.
Nancy Bentinck, Palm Springs
Obama doesn’t hold the record for most vacations
Please, no more “Obama takes more vacations than any other president in recent history.” Not true.
Just looking at their first year in office:
• Obama took 26 days of vacation and 27 days at Camp David in 2009. G.W. Bush took 69 days of vacation and 78 days at Camp David in 2001.
• If you look at vacation days for Obama from inauguration in 2009 through Aug. 9, 2013, and compare to the same time in office for Bush, you will see 92 days for Obama and 367 days for Bush, not including days at Camp David.
Just for comparison: Clinton took 21 days, Reagan 42 days, G.H.W. Bush, 40 days and Carter 19 days of vacation In their first year in office.
It is not difficult to get the facts it just takes a few minutes and the desire to be factual in your statements.
And believe me, presidential “vacations” are really a misnomer. All presidents are working when on “vacation.”
Gary Eidecker, Cathedral City
Obama hatemongers
I cannot resist responding to the hatemongers who never faulted President Bush’s frequent weekend escapes to Texas — more days away from D.C. than any other president — and for whom Obama does nothing right.
Why can’t he drive to Los Angeles like the rest of us? Because that would necessitate closing every overpass and freeway between here and the coast.
How about a helicopter? The Secret Service stipulates the mode of presidential travel. There are no armored presidential helicopters here.
Frederick C. Kilguss Jr., Cathedral City
We’re better off with President Obama
Re: “Why keep bashing President Obama?” Richard Goodwyn, June 22.
Richard Goodwyn’s letter of June 22 finally addressed the big picture! When George W. Bush took office after the Clinton era, the government’s finances were in the black. After eight years of the Bush administration, the economy had crashed along with the stock market, and the government’s finances were in the red.
He also started wars in the Middle East based on lies to the American people that have ruined — or ended — the lives of many Americans, Iraqis and Afghanis and cost billions and billions of dollars. The result is the mess in Iraq that we currently see. Can anyone say that Iraq was worse off under their brutal dictator than it is now?
After six years of the Obama administration, our economy is back on track, the stock markets are at a record high and the depressed housing market is making a comeback. Millions of Americans now have access to health insurance, something that the Republican leadership still keeps trying to repeal. All of this in spite of what the agenda of the Republican Party, as stated by their leadership was: to make sure Obama was a one-term president and to block everything he proposes.
Martin Garment. Palm Springs
http://www.desertsun.com/story/opini...bama/11700969/
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