Bush knows how to deal with job stress

I just have to pass this one along - President spends 40% of time out of the office (Guardian/UK, 4/12/04).

Yes folks, our hard working "War President" is on:

33rd visit to his ranch in Crawford, Texas, at the Easter weekend, where he has spent 233 days or almost eight months since his inauguration, according to a tally by CBS news. Add his 78 visits to Camp David and five to Kennebunkport, Maine, and he has spent all or part of 500 days out of the office while in office.

This is also a man who knows the importance of a good night's sleep and pacing his day:

Regardless of what is going on in the world Mr Bush is usually in bed by 10pm and wakes at 6am. As governor of Texas he would be in work by 8.30am and out by 5.30pm. In between was a 90-minute to two-hour break for exercise or a nap.

By my calculation, that means that he works roughly a six hour day. Now that takes true discipline in my experience. I have yet to have a full time job where I was able to limit my schedule in that way.

Now I have no problem with naps. I think we should all get a nap time. It would slow the pace of life significantly if the US structured a daily nap into our society.

But this picture of the 6.5 hour day, and 40% paid time off, is not the picture that pops into one's head with a President of a nation that is constantly under an Orange Alert, and has two major war offensives going on (Afghanistan and Iraq). One might wonder what would shake Mr. Bush from is personal schedule. When does he have time to do his job? We know he doesn't read the papers and depends on his trusted advisors to tell him what's going on. He probably also doesn't like to read pesky complicated reports. For sure, he doesn't like dry little numbers like the budget (to paraphrase, it looks like a budget, it's full of numbers).

I wonder about the rest of the Administration. What is their work schedule? Cheney has to be one of the most invisble VPs of all time. Even Dan Quayle was more visible and they were actively trying to keep him out of the spotlight. For those who don't remember, Qualye was Bush Sr.'s VP. He was almost as verbally maladroit as the current President Bush (perhaps they spent to much time together). He would pop off with embarassing remarks like

Quayle Quotations Page A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls.

I am not part of the problem. I am a Republican.

I have made good judgements in the Past. I have made good judgements in the Future.

I love California, I practically grew up in Phoenix.

If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure.

I am almost postive that Bush Jr. used that one about "good judgements" in the past and future.

Anyway, I have digressed. Who IS working at the White House? I sure don't know, given that it seems that industry writes policy and neo-conservative think tanks write the strategies. There has GOT to be a bunch of lawyers in there somewhere who are working their tails off to keep too may egregious admissions from popping out.

On the other hand, given the damage that Bush has been able to inflict only being present 60% of the time, maybe it is a blessing he isn't in Washington more.

Posted by rowan at April 12, 2004 5:09 PM | TrackBack | [eMail this article!] |