Those who are ‘capable of leisure’

Those who are currently on a break from work should not complain about those who are not.

Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) said Wednesday that President Obama has shown he is fully capable of relaxing on vacation, but has yet to demonstrate the kind of leadership needed to avoid the March sequester.

“As commander-in-chief, the President is responsible for ensuring the health and viability of our national defense capabilities — yet he appears unengaged,” Bishop said. “With only a few days left until sequestration, the President is reported to have been playing golf in Florida. He has certainly proven capable of leisure, now it’s time to prove that he’s capable of leadership.”

It’s true that President Obama took a three-day weekend, which included Monday’s holiday. Since it was Presidents Day, he probably deserves a little slack. In fact, on Tuesday, Obama was in Washington, taking the lead in presenting an approach that would avoid the sequester.

In contrast, Rob Bishop and his congressional colleagues aren’t even in session. With a looming deadline, Congress took the week off, which is one of many vacation days GOP leaders have scheduled for this Congress. Who’s “unengaged” — the one in Washington looking for a compromise or the folks who left town who aren’t interested in a compromise?

What’s more, I really hope there isn’t a racial subtext to Bishop’s whining. Obama “has certainly proven capable of leisure”? George W. Bush took more time off than any sitting president ever, and I don’t recall members of Congress complaining about Bush proving himself “capable of leisure.”