Does anybody know how many weeks Bush was in office before

[rustydog]

He began his record breaking-presidential vacationing quest?

Wasn't Bush eating or cutting cake with McCain as people were dying in New Orleans?

[Patsy Stone]

1. Here's an article from August 2001.

Not sure if it was the first vacation but it's the beginning of the long vacations.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/august01/2001-08-03-bush-vacation.htm

White House to move to Texas for a while

By Laurence McQuillan, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Six months after taking office, President Bush will begin a month-long vacation Saturday that is significantly longer than the average American's annual getaway. If Bush returns as scheduled on Labor Day, he'll tie the modern record for presidential absence from the White House, held by Richard Nixon at 30 days. Ronald Reagan took trips as long as 28 days.

[alsame]

5. Yeah well, there's was nothing much happening in

August 2001. It was such a quiet time that he didn't even bother reading memos.

[Zynx]

6. And never mind the recession we were in at the time either.

[alsame]

8. But that was 'inherited', so he didn't

have to do anything about it except blame Clinton.

[waiting for hope]

2. Yeap -

[FrenchieCat]

3. I posted dateline of his 2001 vacations

here.... http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8442187

[underpants]

7. Wow after a week he needed some time at Camp David?

Let's not forget too that Bush instituted a 8-5 workday at the White House. He felt it was more important to spend time with the family than governing the United States. Hey I am all for that sort of thing most of the time but taking a job at the White House usually involves loooooooong hours. But hey What could possibly go wrong????

[Phx_Dem]

4. Yep, and prior to Sept 11, he had spent 1/3 of his time as the newly

appointed-by-the-Supreme-Court President on vacation. Perhaps he should have spent less time on vacation and more time listening to the urgent pleas of Richard Clarke about Al Quaida and terroris