COMMENTARY | The hot story in the press this week is that Barack Obama is facing a difficult decision. He must decide whether he will spend his vacation in Hawaii or in Washington, D.C.
Amie Parnes wrote in TheHill.com today that "the toughest call for the president this holiday season could be whether to join his family for Christmas in Hawaii or stay in lonely Washington."
With unemployment rates around 9 percent, the European banking crisis threatening to spill over into America, and a succession crisis in North Korea, whether or not to vacation in Hawaii or the White House is the toughest call he has to make this week?
The White House has set up a website to allow people a chance to follow the president and his family on his trip. The idea is that Obama is reaching out to those people who cannot afford a Hawaiian vacation year after year as it says on the website. I am afraid that I am missing the logic of the White House here. Do they think that people who are struggling to heat their homes, feed their families, and trying to make sure that there are a few gifts under the Christmas tree will take comfort in the fact that they can experience in real-time, the Obama's playing on the beach, surfing, and playing golf?
The White House website goes on to say that Obama has done his part to leave for Hawaii on time. He has scheduled Air Force One, made hotel reservations, and even made his golf tee time reservations. He only waits for the Congress to act so he can leave. Finally, the White House says that "prayers and good intentions of the American people are appreciated during this difficult and disappointing time."
I can understand that being President of the United States is a great burden. I understand that the pressure of having the leadership of the free world is beyond what many could shoulder. I listed above only a fraction of this issues that he is facing right now. I get that.
What I don't get is President Obama asking for the taxpayers of the country to offer up their prayers so that he can take what Malia Zimmerman at the Hawaii Reporter estimates is a vacation costing that taxpayer over $4 million. What the nation needs is prayers for healing and recovery from this recession.
As to the original problem, I would suggest that if he chooses to stay in Washington for Christmas, rather than spend it alone, Michelle and his family should just fly back to be with him. That would solve his crisis in a heartbeat, but then he would lose the opportunity to use it as leverage against the congressional Republicans on the White House website.
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