Obama deserves a round of golf, White House says

[sabra]

Source: CNN

(CNN) – The White House is beating back Republican charges that President Barack Obama is taking too many breaks during the ongoing oil disaster off the Gulf coast.

"I don't think that there is a person in this country that doesn't think that their president ought to have a little time to clear his mind," White House spokesman Bill Burton told reporters Monday.

The comments came a day after Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele issued a strongly worded statement condemning the president for playing a round of golf Sunday, attending a baseball game Friday, and recently hosting Paul McCartney at the White House.

"Until this problem is fixed, no more golf outings, no more baseball games, no more Beatle concerts, Mr. President," Steele said in the statement. "The stakes are too high for President Obama's lackadaisical approach to both his responsibilities and the challenges we face."


Burton instead suggested the president's BP response has been whole-hearted.

"After a week where the president was taking on the oil spill; got a historic agreement with BP to put aside $20 billion to pay claims; after a day on Friday when he strengthened lobbying and ethics rules in the White House; after going to Ohio to talk about the economy and see the progress that is being made in some of those stimulus projects that are happening around the country; all the different issues that the president is dealing with, I think that a little bit of time to himself on Father's Day weekend probably does us all good as American citizens that our president is taking that time," said Burton.

Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/21/obama-deserves-a-round-of-golf-white-house-says/?fbid=VP2LgjjHQ1T

[truedelphi]

1. Obama golfing is fine with me, but the folks in the Gulf

Deserve a couple rounds of fishing.

Or at least they deserve to start seeing some of the 100 million that BP has supposedly already paid out.

[Richardo]

2. So they didn't say "he deserves a round of golf". They said "he deserves some time to himself."

Big difference, you paraphrasing spin-meistering dickwad editors.

[Igel]

22. Not really, not in context.

So Friday he went to a baseball game, Sunday--Father's Day--he went golfing. Some time previously, to a concert.

Steele says "no more concerts, no more baseball, no more golf." Clear enough. Steele's responding to recent Obama down-time activities.

WH response (Burton): " I think that a little bit of time to himself on Father's Day weekend probably does us all good as American citizens that our president is taking that time."

So, what exactly is Burton referring to? Buddhist meditation? Time soaking in a bath tub? Or is this, perhaps, part of a conversation where we don't get to shift other people's meanings mid-stride because we don't like what they mean?

To me, Burton's comment is precisely equal in meaning to 'I think a little bit of time to himself on Father's Day weekend, going to a baseball game and playing golf, probably does us all good as American citizens that our president is taking that time.' (I leave the disastrous grammar of the sentence unchanged.)

This isn't spin. This is just how humans using a natural human language typically resolve referents in discourse, by considering the verbal and real-world contexts and identifying likely referents.

[Richardo]

23. The White House did NOT say he deserves a round of golf

That's an implication, and even a valid one, given the context, as you point out.

BUT as a headline that most people will scan without reading the story, it's pure spin - and not in a positive way. It legitimizes Steele's criticism because it makes it look like the White House is defending the golf game.

The issue is bigger than playing golf, and family-values-friendly I might add, but that is ignored by the editor. I stand by my disgust.

[Socal31]

3. Now watch that drive?

[Diane R]

14. Exactly.

[wordpix]

4. after 8 yrs. of shit left in the Oval Office by BushCo, Obama deserves time off shoveling

That's definitely "hard werk" that earns him a break now and then.

[Robb]

5. Perhaps if he were clearing brush?

:eyes:

[avaistheone1]

8. ...but only with a chain saw.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

6. "Now watch this drive..."

[AzNick]

7. Obama is probably having more healthy good sex with the wife than Bish did

How many countries did Obama invade so far?

Case in point.

[Psephos]

9. How many countries has he un-invaded?

Case in point as well.

[AzNick]

13. Not much into the pull out method, I suppose...

I know, people are dying or suffering. Just could not resist the joke.

[Psephos]

27. lol n/t

[papadog]

11. This is Micheal Steele trying to stir up junk.

Why hasn't the RNC Chairman been to the Gulf yet. As the head of his party I would've thought he'd have been there to show support for the folks of the Gulf (all Red States). Typical hypocrite GOP.

[BigD_95]

10. Steele is an idiot

but Obama shouldnt be golfing right now. Looks bad

[timo]

12. nooooooo

its ok if he does it ( sarcasm )......I think so tooo, I am tempted to bump some of the old bush is an asshole for golfing during the war threads!!!

[TerribleLarryDingle]

15. Yeah they are so similar

:sarcasm: Go dig up your threads or even better post some links to freeperland.

[timo]

21. yawn

more similar than you think, better yet defend one for what you were outraged against the other for.

[Solomon]

16. No more eating or sleeping either.

Jeeez what a crock of crap.

[okieinpain]

17. it's amazing how stupid political people can be. I've been

waiting on someone to bring up the paul mccartney concert, me myself I would be keeping a low profile, but I'm just a small person so what do I know.

[oldgrowth]

18. Golf looks bad to the small peps.nt

:sarcasm:

[Lil Missy]

19. This from an organization that does business in a lesbian bondage club. n/t

[maxsolomon]

20. pot. kettle.

the GOP think the AP ("Thee American People") have the memory of a goldfish.

lucky for the GOP, and unfortunately for the future of the planet, the AP do.

[Iowa]

24. Golfing displays poor judgment and tone-deafness, IMO...

...not because he's taking a break, but because golfing tends to be associated with elitism, opulence, and exclusivity. I wouldn't step foot inside a country club because of what they stand for. A president who sends the kids of poor families off to be killed in wars-about-nothing, at the very least, ought to be able to refrain from golfing for the four years he is in office. There are plenty of other ways to spend free time.

[truthisfreedom]

25. You have a point, but I want my president to do whatever makes him happy to clear his mind.

Golf on, Obama. Go every week for all I care. Don't let the bastards grind you down.

[Iowa]

26. If kids can be forced to be shot at in war zones years beyond their enlistment contracts...

...a President responsible for keeping them there ought to be able to tolerate four years without golfing. Furthermore, we're going through a depression with high unemployment, food insecurity, record numbers of home foreclosures, massive banker bailouts... Obviously he can do whatever the hell he wants, but toning down the jet-set lifestyle would be the classy thing to do under these circumstances. There are plenty of activities a person can do to relax with resorting to the more "in-your-face" stuff.

"I want my president to do whatever makes him happy to clear his mind... Golf on, Obama. Go every week for all I care. Don't let the bastards grind you down."

Yeah? Well I guess you and I are about as different as night and day. Hell, if I had my way, I'd take remove the heating/AC from the WH, put him on a grim diet, and force him to sleep on the grass until he nixes these ridiculous wars about nothing. He's entirely too comfortable, IMO. But then, I tend to be aligned with regular working people as opposed to the fat-cats. So maybe that's just me.

[CRK7376]

30. some of us golfers

are not elitist, opulent, or exclusive and we play on public courses. At least I do. No thanks to my soon to be 16 yaar old trying out for high school golf team two years ago. He made the team, loves the sport and is trying to get me to play the game too. I'm not good, but it is fun, great exercise walking the 18 holes and all the extra miles I walk looking for golf balls that have gone far astray....Son and I have fun needless to say. Sometimes I even get my 12 year old daughter to tag along, she doesn't have as much fun as we do...

[New Dawn]

28. He should not be taking breaks when we are still illegally occupying Iraq.

And 100,000 barrels of oil is spewing into the Gulf each day.

[JoeyT]

29. Seriously? People are complaining because he was golfing?

That's pretty sad. Shall we tape him to a chair and pry his eyelids open? Can't have him eating or sleeping while there are crises happening. It's doubly sad since he's probably spent more time working in the last year than Bush did over two terms.