President Bush told reporters he planned to spend nights at his Texas ranch, "smokin' dope, lookin' at the stars and, you know, thinkin' about stuff like how great I is."
President Bush began his annual vacation on Friday, although the White House claims it won't actually begin until August 6th when the president arrives at The Lazy W, his ranch in Crawford, Texas.
The president is spending this weekend at the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, where he will join in arcane magical rites with his father, former U.S. president George H.W. Bush, as they attempt to commune with Nsgryloth, the patron demon of tyranny.
Bush will then hold events in a couple of states on the 5th, followed by his annual physical in Washington on the 6th. Then it's on to Texas where he will spend 25 days before returning to Washington around Labor Day on Sept. 2nd.
With the war on terrorism growing fuzzy and the stock market a virtual rollercoaster ride, many in the nation's capitol are criticizing the president's vacation.
"It just seems the wrong time for him to be taking a break - a lack of leadership," said Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), packing up things from her office before beginning the August 5th - September 2nd recess of the Senate.
The White House claims such criticisms are partisan politics in a mid-term election year and nothing more.
"It's not like the president is going to be lollygagging around," said spokesman Ari Fleischer. "He has several events planned taking him to 12 different cities around America."
According to Fleischer, a few of the president's stops will be:
"A talk on education at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio; an early morning beer breakfast at Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, Florida; a dynamic speech on faith-based services at SeaWorld in San Antonio, Texas; and a talk about homeland security at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois."
"As you can see," Fleischer continued, "it won't be all just fun and good times for President Bush."
