The Three Problems With Obama's Vacation

As President Barack Obama departs on his 10 day Matha's Vineyard vacation, let me first say that I do not begrudge he and his family some time away together and I believe that no matter where he may be the US president is 'always on the job'. But three things about this particular president and this specific vacation prove that, despite his occasional references in campaign speeches, he is completely oblivious to the real economic suffering most Americans currently endure.

First and worst, his cruel game of 'I know something you don't know' - If, as a senior administration official claims, President Obama has new ideas that will create jobs and help the poor and middle class; why wait to start putting those ideas in motion? Holding back his alleged plan until after his luxurious vacation shows he does not understand that each new week without a job can destroy another life, another family and more dreams like being able to hold off foreclosure or keep a child in college.

Even someone who has never lived paycheck to paycheck and never had to meet a payroll should be able to understand that there are people who are just a week or two away from personal economic disaster. While claiming to know how to reduce that pressure, Mr. Obama is traipsing off on a high end vacation telling those on the edge of a financial cliff that they'll just have to wait until he gets back from his fun in the sun.

Second, his choice of vacation destination - For security reasons alone, the president of the United States can't spend his summer vacation in a bungalow at the Jersey Shore or standing in long lines at DisneyWorld. But the huge amount of publicity and dollars that a first family vacation draws to a place that is already the playground of America's elite seems like a wasted opportunity. In this dismal economy there are so many American resorts that could really use a moment in that spotlight and after last year's gaffe of making a quick stop at the oil spill affected Gulf Coast before their real vacation, the Obamas should realize the good they could do with a more thoughtful choice.

And third, the cost of his accommodations - While the Obamas are picking up the $50,000 a week rental fee for the 28 acre beachfront estate themselves, spending that kind of money when many Americans desperately need a job that pays half that per year is more proof that this president is tone deaf when it comes to the struggling of ordinary citizens.

Yes, every American president should have the right to take an occasional vacation. But he should not rub his opulent lifestyle in the faces of those who are bearing the weight of his failed economic policies.