Obama’s Glamorous Vacation Provokes Waves of Criticism

Published in Argenpress
(Argentina) on 18 August 2011
by PL (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Patricia Simoni. Edited by Drue Fergison .
Barack Obama left today for vacation on Martha’s Vineyard, an island in Massachusetts for the rich and famous, where he will arrive to be pursued by paparazzi, fierce political critics and analysts from the press.

With 14 million unemployed in the United States, Wall Street in unadulterated volatility and the historic degradation of the national credit rating, the head of state chose a 10-day retreat at Blue Heron Farm, where a stay costs $5 million.

This represents hypocrisy on the part of a leader whose speeches are always directed at the lower middle class, promising not to rest this year until marketplace problems are resolved, according to a Baltimore Sun article.

Disgust over the Democratic leader’s decision is ubiquitously apparent. Republican strategist Mike Murphy said in the Daily Beast that, “It’s not a good time to start acting like the rich guys he wants to raise taxes on.”

In the same vein, liberal columnist, Colbert King — who, in 2008, fought for Obama, over Hillary Clinton and John McCain — wrote in The Washington Post, “This is no time for the president to dwell in splendid seclusion among the rich and famous.”

On Martha’s Vineyard, with its ocean beaches, golf courses and lavish restaurants, the average home is worth $6.5 million. It was a site often frequented by Bill Clinton when he was in the White House. It also attracts famous sports heroes, musicians and movie stars.

Last week, in a Republican debate aimed at the 2012 elections, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty was one of the first to criticize the president, saying, “He should cancel his Cape Cod vacation, call the Congress back into session and get to work on this.”

Judson Phillips, founder of Tea Party Nation, added, “If you, the president, leave for vacation while S&P’s lowers the country’s rating and the Dow Jones falls 1,500 points, it’s because you are politically tone-deaf.” *

Also, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, landing on Thursday in Hawaii on a presidential campaign trip, said that Obama, as the most responsible administrator of this country, "ought to cancel his vacation — period."

The U.S. president has not responded to the barrage of accusations, offering that, in early September, he will make a keynote speech in Washington, "with new ideas to combat the growing unemployment," currently at 9.1 percent.*

Editor's note: the quote, although accurately translated, could not be independently verified.



Barack Obama sale hoy de vacaciones en dirección a Martha's Vineyard, una isla para millonarios y famosos en Massachussets, a donde arribará perseguido por los paparazzis más las fuertes críticas de políticos y analistas de prensa.

Con 14 millones de desempleados en Estados Unidos, un Wall Street en volatilidad plena y la histórica degradación de la calificación crediticia nacional, el jefe de Estado eligió un retiro de 10 días en el campamento de verano Blue Heron Farm, donde el alquiler cuesta 50 mil dólares.

Este hecho representa una hipocresía del mandatario, cuyo discurso siempre va dirigido a la clase media-baja y prometió no descansar este año hasta resolver los problemas del mercado laboral, destacó un artículo del diario Baltimore Sun.

El disgusto respecto a la decisión del gobernante demócrata se ha visto por todos lados. El estratega republicano Mike Murphy dijo al diario digital Daily Beast que "Obama actúa igual que los magnates ricos cuyos impuestos quiere subir".

Igualmente el columnista liberal Colbert King -quien en 2008 defendió la carrera de Obama por encima de Hillary Clinton y John McCain- escribió en el The Washington Post que "es un mal momento para regalarse un viaje de lujo espléndido a un club de celebridades."

En Martha's Vineyard, con playas oceánicas, campos de golf y fastuosos restaurantes, las viviendas promedios valen 650 mil dólares. Fue una villa muy frecuentada por William Clinton cuando estaba en la Casa Blanca. Igual atrae a notorios deportistas, músicos y actores de cine.

La semana pasada en un debate republicano camino a las elecciones de 2012, el exgobernador de Minnesota Tim Pawlenty fue uno de los primeros en criticar al Ejecutivo. "Debe cancelar ese viaje ya, y además llamar al Congreso a reanudar sesiones inmediatamente", subrayó.

Judson Phillips, fundador del grupo Tea Party Nation, increpó: "Si usted Presidente se va de vacaciones luego que Standard & Poor's descalifica al país y el Dow Jones cae mil 500 puntos, la razón es que usted está políticamente sordo".

También el exportavoz de la Cámara de Representantes, Newt Gingrich, -quien aterrizó este jueves en Hawai para una gira promocional de su carrera presidencial- señaló que Obama, "como principal administrador responsable del país, está obligado a suspender este periodo de descanso".

El presidente norteamericano no ha divulgado comentario alguno ante el aluvión de señalamientos y adelantó que a inicios de septiembre formulará una conferencia magistral en Washington "con nuevas ideas para combatir el creciente desempleo", actualmente en un tasa de 9,1 por ciento.
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