Washington Vacation dilemma Obama faces perils of the presidential getaway

By Julie Pace Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama's summer getaway has awakened a seemingly annual debate: Is there ever really a good time for the president to go on vacation? Given the demands of the job and the always-looming possibility of an unexpected crisis at home or abroad, the political perils of the presidential vacation never seem to go away. This summer, the vacation dilemma is compounded by the country's urgent demand for jobs, the debt crisis that has left Washington with a hangover, and the public's frustration with political gridlock. The president has promised that new jobs initiatives are coming soon. But the American people will not hear details of those proposals, or any other solutions to the nation's economic woes, until Obama returns from his summer sojourn in Martha's Vineyard, the wealthy island enclave off the Massachusetts coast where he and his family will vacation for the third straight year. Obama is due to leave Washington Thursday for his 10-day trip. And the president is not the only one taking a break this summer. Most lawmakers left town in early August, right after reaching a deal with the White House to raise the debt ceiling and avoid a potentially catastrophic government default. Congress isn't expected to get back to work until early September. With the lawmakers away, there is probably not much Obama could get done on the economic front even if he did cancel his trip. And even if Congress stayed in Washington, too, there are no quick fixes for the country's deep economic problems. "They don't have anything to act upon," Rich Galen, a Republican consultant, said of both Obama and Congress. "If anyone knew what the answer to this was, they'd do it." Then there's the issue of perception. Obama will be vacationing at a rented multi-million dollar estate on an island known as a haven for the rich and famous at a time when millions of Americans are out of work and countless more are financially strapped. Perhaps mindful of the president's image, the White House booked Obama on a three-day, economy-focused bus tour through the Midwest right before the start of his vacation. He also traveled to Michigan last week to speak at a factory that makes batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles. White House press secretary Jay Carney said he does not think Americans begrudge the president a break to recharge and spend time with his family. Besides, Carney said, the president is never really off-duty, since White House advisers go with him and he still receives regular briefings on national security and the economy. Published: Thu, Aug 18, 2011