CBS's Reid Can't Resist Contrasting Obama's Vacation Time to Bush's
CBS and NBC on Saturday night ran full stories on criticism of
President Obama for vacationing with his family this weekend in Maine
instead of along the Gulf coast, but Chip Reid, CBS White House
correspondent, couldn't resist defending Obama by invoking an
unfavorable comparison with George W. Bush, enhanced by an on-screen
graphic:
Whatever criticism there may be of the President's vacation choices, he's spent 33 days on vacation in his first 18 months. His predecessor, George W. Bush, spent 96 in the same period.
Reid proceeded to assure CBS Evening News viewers that Obama is on
the job despite video of him walking up a mountain path and licking an
ice cream cone: "Since the President's been here, even though he's
technically on vacation, he's received numerous briefings on everything
from the economy to national security to the oil spill."
Earlier in the July 17 report, Reid recited the Obama
family's busy days the President is working in around his briefings:
For the Obama family, vacation means non-stop activity. In less than two days on the Maine coast, they've been seen touring a lighthouse, taking in scenery from a mountaintop, boating in the harbor, going for a hike and getting ice cream. Off camera they've also gone biking, swimming and played tennis.
- Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.
