WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama’s summer getaway to Martha’s Vineyard has renewed a seemingly annual debate: Is there ever a good time for the president to go on vacation?
Given the demands of the job and the risk of an unexpected crisis, the political perils of the presidential vacation never seem to go away. This summer, the dilemma is compounded by high unemployment, the debt crisis and the public’s frustration with political gridlock.
But White House press secretary Jay Carney says he doesn’t think the public begrudges the president a break to recharge. And Carney says the president is never really off-duty. White House advisers travel with him on vacation and he still receives regular briefings on national security and the economy.
Obama plans to leave Thursday for his 10-day trip.
