Were you...

[norsebiker43]

Hating on Bush while he vacationed during Katrina?
Here is your chance to be a hypocrite.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37831927/ns/politics-white_house/?gt1=43001

B

Comments

[hawkfist]

Heh. Actually, I was not.

Having been equal parts worker and management in my career, I recognize that there is a time when the Boss can't really do anything more but annoy the people who are supposed to handle things. Micromanagement is bad.

The problems with Katrina (as I understand them) was that he put cronies who didn't know how to effectively respond in charge of an agency he'd logistically gutted.

[doom_diva]

The one thing I remember about that situation which I thought was on the "just don't get it" side was how Momma Bush basically said the victims should be happy with their accommodations. :no: Now that of course made Junior look really bad, because most folks follow the old adage of the apple not falling far from the tree.

With your comparison though, I do believe in both cases (oil spill, hurricane) that both Presidents should have been out there in person and most certainly NOT on vacation. You're right bosses can be EXTREMELY annoying when they're trying to be helpful, and added pain of Secret Service guys would be pretty bad.

Handing out bottled water and scrubbing oil off pelicans are token photo ops more than anything, sure, but at least it would give the public a sense they "get it" and they care. That I think is the big difference, and it tends to win a few votes, too.

[ravan]

So a round of golf and a baseball game are the same as a vacation of several days? Who knew? Of course, the President also shouldn't celebrate Father's Day either, right? He needs to get his wetsuit on and stop the leak!

Mind you, I never saw the point in golf (goof-ball), but some people have a lot of meetings over a golf game, so it's possibly productive. I've known many executives who shot a round of golf in the morning and then came in and worked a full day.

My problem with Bush over Katrina wasn't his vacations, it was the jackasses he left in charge of it failing again and again.

I just hope that Obama has the balls to sack McChrystal for insubordination. I fear he won't, though. Some days that guy is just too laid back and forgiving.