HE IS WHO REAGAN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE (via Kevin Whited):

Bush says it's no vacation at his Crawford ranch (JULIE MASON, 8/07/2005 Houston Chronicle)

White House officials are touchy about criticism of Bush's traditional August break, because most Americans don't get five weeks of vacation a year, nor do they have access to Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland where Bush sometimes spends weekends.

So they call the ranch the Western White House and say that modern communications allow the president to stay in close contact with key aides and maintain a regular work schedule.

Never a big fan of Washington, Bush much prefers his 1,600-acre ranch, where he can clear brush, toodle around in his truck and ride his mountain bike far from the hassles and scrutiny of the capital.

"I'm looking forward to getting down there and just kind of settling in. I'll be doing a lot of work; on the other hand, I'll also be kind of making sure my Texas roots run deep," Bush said last week.

In all, Bush has made 49 trips to Crawford for a total of about 325 days since he took office.

At this clip, Bush will surpass the vacation record of President Reagan, who tallied up 436 days in his two terms.

Given sniping like this, it's no wonder the President is always flipping off the Press.

Posted by Orrin Judd at August 7, 2005 6:31 AM