I need a vacation too

Wow! is all I can say to this article in the WaPo. I think we should all get to go to retreats 40% of the time - really, who can blame him? To be fair, I am sure he does some work while at the ranch, Kennebunkport, and Camp David - like entertain important people, clear brush, get briefings, etc. Bush is chillin' out at the ranch in Texas right now, with the leaders of several "conservation" groups such as Ducks Unlimited, as well as the CEO of the NRA.

Things that make you go hmmmm: Ducks Unlimited claims to be the "world leader of wetlands conservation," next to these words on their website is a poll asking - "How many buddies do you typically duck hunt with?"

Via Balkanization.

Update: It so happens that Bush arrived at the Crawford, TX ranch the day after he was handed the briefing entitle “Bin Laden Determined to Strike inside US.” He received the PDB on August 6, 2001 and was in Crawford to begin a month long vacation on August 7, 2001. Just a guess, but maybe his mind wasn’t really on terrorism at that moment?

I’m sure you’ve heard by now, but insiders have leaked the briefing at question and the papers are saying that it really did contain fairly specific warnings – and guess what – the WH has delayed its declassification and release.

The pattern is now long familiar: the administration withholds the info, pressure builds for them to release it, pundits and papers begin to get very critical, the New Jersey widows start appearing on talk shows saying the WH is stonewalling, finally the WH releases a redacted version of the briefing and attempts to spin it through double-speak (‘those aren’t really warnings even though they look exactly like warnings’). Look for the blame game to begin next week when Ashcroft (who oversees the FBI) goes before the 9/11 commission – there will be fallout from this, but on whom will it land?

Via Daily Kos and Atrios.