This wouldn't be particularly important if not for the fact that the press made a point of criticizing our previous president for overindulging in exercise and recreation and supposedly "vacationing" too often at his ranch in Crawford, Texas.
But they did, so a Tweet from CBS White House correspondent Mark Knoller is worth noting:
Politico's Click blog picked up the story and put this twist on the tweet: "President Obama Ties George W. Bush on Golf."
Meanwhile, an unbylined Associated Press piece gave Obama backhanded props for finally including a woman in his golf foursome, but failed to mention the new First Linkster's fore-play frequency Knoller had cited earlier in the day:
Obama has been criticized for playing basketball with men and no women, most recently in Sunday's New York Times.
Whoever said that the Times never goes after the president obviously missed this hard-hitting critique. Actually, some women's groups are apparently annoyed that the President engages in recreational sports almost exclusively with men. Imagine that.
The AP felt the gender inclusion angle to be so important that it produced a TV clip just for the occasion.
At the Politico item, you'll notice a picture, with this caption: "President Obama has already hit the links as much as President Bush did in over two years."
Hmm. Since when does "two years and 10 months" not get rounded up to "almost three years?" Maybe it's because giving readers the incorrect impression that Obama has played golf more than twice as much as Bush (2 years vs. 9 months) is a little more palatable than the idea that he's actually played almost four times as much (34 months for Bushs's 24 rounds vs. 9 months for Obama's two dozen).
Bush 43 gave up golf after that 24th round in 2003 because he didn't think it was right to be playing during wartime.
Now there's the real news. Obama's love of the links may be the real reason why the term "War on Terror" is no longer used by the White House, instead being replaced by "overseas contingency operation."
Having defined the problem Bush cited away, Obama is now able to hit the links with a supposedly clean, dithering conscience.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
—Tom Blumer is president of a training and development company in Mason, Ohio, and is a contributing editor to NewsBusters
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I could care less who Obama
October 26, 2009 - 13:41 ET by Radical1979I could care less who Obama plays basketball with. What I'd really like to see are some stats on his use of Air Force compared with other presidents. That would be newsworthy.
Obama checks his "lie," soldiers die.....
October 26, 2009 - 15:11 ET by motherbeltDrudge Report has this little headline today....
Obama plays more golf in 9 months than Bush did in nearly three years...
And the BIG headline:
14 AMERICANS KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN
Still "considering" what to do, Mr. President???
I am positively, absolute FURIOUS about this!!!
<sound of duct tape ripping off roll!!>
mb...Precisely!
October 26, 2009 - 15:41 ET by PrairieSky"Still "considering" what to do, Mr. President???"
That is exactly what I thought when I heard this today...And, how many more "meetings" is Obama going to hold before he finally makes a decision? If he hasn't made or can't make a decision about Afghanistan by now, he is truly hopeless. Personally, I think he may be waiting for the outcome of the elections next week before he announces a decision. Either way, it comes down to a complete lack of leadership, or, playing politics with a war time decision that effects the lives of thousands of military men and women.
As for the overall rapturous coverage by the media over Obama's athletic endeavors and prowess, pass me a barf bag, please...With Bush, all they did was criticize and find fault...With Obama, they are all (for the most part) in a collective swoon. Gag...
"The problem is not that people are taxed too little...the problem is that government spends too much." ~President Ronald Reagan
mb... I ran out of
October 26, 2009 - 16:19 ET by bigtimermb...
I ran out of duct-tape...need an order pronto.
I'm past furious...it's despicable what this so-called man and his team are doing.
'Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea'~Breitbart
bt...Or as far as Afghanistan is concerned...
October 26, 2009 - 16:27 ET by PrairieSkywhat they are not doing...
"The problem is not that people are taxed too little...the problem is that government spends too much." ~President Ronald Reagan
Sky... Bingo! I really
October 26, 2009 - 16:35 ET by bigtimerSky...
Bingo!
I really have been more than sickened here at home daily for what the left is and always do when they can when it comes to our military and Victory.
Someday they will have to answer to a higher calling.
The deaths that have occurred since O has done zilch, intentionally.
Blood on his and all their hands that support this despicable BS...we hear and see it daily...the msm for the most part will always defend this...they think we are dumb out here...ah heck, they don't care, it's all their agenda...always will be.
At any cost...human life is always included...as we well know.
'Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea'~Breitbart
bt...The Left could care less...
October 26, 2009 - 16:44 ET by PrairieSkyabout the military, and in fact have a deep contempt for it, and all those who are in it. Obama is no different than all the other lefties before him...Clinton was the same way. You're spot on about the MSM defending this crap, and they are complicit in their disregard and contempt of the military, as they make clear on a regular basis.
It is all just sickening.
"The problem is not that people are taxed too little...the problem is that government spends too much." ~President Ronald Reagan
On the other hand.
October 26, 2009 - 16:57 ET by Willis_Leon_JohnsonA large percentage of 'law enforcement' is former military.
So, in the event of an uprising, will the military and a large percentage of 'law enforcement' back the government, and this administration?
http://gjresult.com
I am beginning to think
October 26, 2009 - 15:53 ET by Scuba DudeI am beginning to think LOTUS believes that if he is not at the White House he does not have to make any tough decisions. That is why no decision yet on Afghanistan. All these trips on Air Force 1 is his new way of voting "present".
The Obama Administration: THE most fiscally irresponsible Administration EVER
Obama Is Like....
October 26, 2009 - 16:33 ET by GeneralAlObama is like Eddie Murphy as the phony Congressman only he is the phony President. Its party time in Washington and hes whooping it up!
If I weren't so tired
October 26, 2009 - 13:49 ET by ChristianRebelI'd be in a rabid foamed-mouth fit right now...
Seriously this man has either dragged his feet on important issues or rushed into a decision. He spends more time on golf, basketball, and Martha's Vineyard than in the White House and what does the press have to ask? "why aren't there any girls with you playing ball?"
As a citizen I DON'T CARE and as a woman I DEFINATLY DON'T CARE!!
Honestly
October 26, 2009 - 14:08 ET by The_PumpcropThis surprises anyone? C'mon. Anyone ever listen to Frank Zappa's "You Are What You Is?" GRIN.
How far off am I?
October 26, 2009 - 14:55 ET by TomoramaThis is how they can now look and the mirror and say, "We are just as tough on Obama as we were on Bush" and "What is Fox's problem, we ask tough questions too".
Of course they leave out important differences like 2 years is actually 2 years and NINE BLEEPING MONTHS, but no sense in ACCURATE reporting as FAUX noise, Quagmire, Bush lied and people died, ahhhhhhh, ahhhhhhhh, ahhhhhhhh we need to protect the "leader",
This just in....Obama is having another meeting on the wars today "already Chris, Obama has held more meetings than Bush did in his first 9 months, Bush had only 20 and Obama has had 2065, so that she shows he takes it more seriously and he cares more about the troops", That's correct Keith and Rachael agrees.
In first lady news, Shelly has her "monthly" and "seems to take it so much better that Mrs Bush did, Rachael as a woman do you have ANY insight on her greatness".
Rachael is puzzled by the question, but Keith "volunteers for the mission to find out why".
Tomorrows headline, bathtub boy caught in the WH bathroom going through the trash, NBC decides to give him promotion.
A great man once said, YOU only get out of life what YOU put into it, he obviously wasn't a liberal.
In the spirit of the topic I
October 26, 2009 - 15:11 ET by Dan The Man 2In the spirit of the topic I say we need a Mulligan on Duh Vain One.
Hmmm, so Bush playing less
October 26, 2009 - 15:26 ET by RR GOPHmmm, so Bush playing less golf was a bad thing, because he played too much as it was, but The One playing even more is great...because...OK, let's see here, Bush playing less...um, Obama playing more...
I give up.
One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 86% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.
Its Called Affirmative Press
October 26, 2009 - 16:38 ET by GeneralAlBush was a no good white Conservative [More or less!] while Obambi is a wonderful black Communist, er Liberal!
One of the 86% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.
I say bring back public hangings!
So let me get this straight,
October 26, 2009 - 17:10 ET by 24enakSo let me get this straight, a few weeks ago when Obama gave yet another televised address he was overexposed and people were saying he was on tv too much.
Rounds of golf isn't exactly a fair comparison, it would be like saying Obama has cleared a lot less brush, or spent less time on his ranch. I would still say that Obama has "vacationed" far less than Bush did.
My point about the "vacation" is that
October 26, 2009 - 23:55 ET by Tom Blumer.... President Bush was (and I hope Obama is) never fully on vacation, and the media really knows that. They ALWAYS have to stay apprised of world events.
He preferred to be in Crawford during Congress's August recess. So?
As to the comparison, I'm not the one who started it, then started to feel sheepish about it, and tried to minimize its appearance. Talk to the establishment media about that.
golf is time consuming
October 27, 2009 - 09:44 ET by jon_torlinThe problem is that playing a round of golf is very time consuming, and the number of times that Obeyme's played it is very surprising and very disconcerting, speaking as a golfer. Playing golf 24 times is playing golf 24 days, each time between 3 and 4 hours during each of those days.
That's not counting anything else he's done vacation/date-wise.
Given the amount of stuff happening in the world, that's an awful lot of time to be wasting. I wouldn't begrudge anyone a quarter of that amount, but this is ridiculous.
-Jon
addendum-I'm in no way shape of form defending any of Soetoro's actions, just making some points about the time involved in playing golf 24 times in the last 10 months. Think about what the Secret Service has to do to prepare for him to play, planning and security and etc!
Olbermann
October 26, 2009 - 17:50 ET by azwildcatsIsn't this what the basis was that made Keith Olbermann lose control over back in May of 08?(Remember: BUSH, SHUT THE HELL UP!)