An interesting fact about Bush...

It does not mean that he didnt have to take calls and have meetings. He is still being kept informed and answering important questions and because so much of it is top secret, that we may never know....there are probaly many sleepless nights and phone calls at all hours and a great deal of stress goes with the job....I know they didnt give him three years of peace, it just dosent work that way,,,and probaly never will...

Time spent at Camp David is time spent working. I'm not sure if you remember, but immediately after 9-11 Camp David was like a second White House for him because it is an EXTREMELY secure facility and harder to attack than the White House. While it has been used for vacations in the past, it's primary purpose was as a base of operations and a second White House for Bush. I know you're just writing what you've heard, but the reporters spreading this are misleading people into thinking Camp David is just a vacation resort.

Not being physically in DC may have been a serious problem in another era. But come on, the world is digital now and even a US president can function from just about anywhere nowdays.

yes you are right we must see both the sides of any personality and his working

Gee, I wonder how many planes Obama's celebrity supporters took to his inaugeration? Not very green, if you ask me. But that's okay, we're going to have change, whoopee!

The president does his job where ever he is. THe job is 24/7, 365. Just because you hear that he is "on vacation" at camp david does not mean he actually gets to take a real vacation. His staff goes with him and work still gets done. IT is just a change of senery for them. I hope Obama is perpared for that. So much of his life is changing...not just the big things but the little ones too. A lot of president like to work at Camp David and other vacation houses because at the white house you have tours going on all day, tourist walking around the white house, no privacy. You can't even go out into the yard or go for a simple walk. But at camp david (and on his ranch)they actually get to do some things normal people take for granted. I have heard the white house called the most beautiful prison. Do you think Obama's children will get a swing set up in the white house lawn so they can play? No. It would be too dangerous for them to be out there playing with all those people walking around it,not to mention all the media attention they would get. Can he go for a walk with his wife after dinner? No. Once again the security would be too hard.So I do not begudge them working but doing it in a place that allows them a little sense of normalcy and freedom. It has got to be maddening to trapped in that house 24/7 and only seeing the outside world when giving a speech or doing business. Or whenever you do go outside you have cameras in your face. When do they get to be just themselves?

Give me a break! Does anyone really think that the president of the United States is only at work if he's sitting in the Oval Office? Newsflash for idiots who still listen to the incompetent press... There isn't such thing as a full day off for a president, no matter where he happens to spend a day.

Yes, Bush abused his abilities while in office. Who doesn't. I do they all were more devoted to their job. I do know that being the president they had to take their position seriously or things would not have gotten done. They did use the phone system to get much of the work done. They also do have a vice president and don't you know that in any job the vice president of any company does more work than people are aware of. Yes, you are right that people blow things out of proportion. You must look at all of the works of any one person to think of them as whole of all of the woks they have done.

I'm probably going to shock the heck out of a lot of people by saying this really isn't a major issue as far as I'm concerned. The one thing I will say is since Bush spent much of his time away from Washington in Crawford, Texas whereas most of his predecessors would have just gone to the much closer Camp David, it probably was more costly to the taxpayers. However, I guess it wouldn't even be a drop in the bucket. Annie

Obviously the best place for Bush (when he was in office) would have been his ranch, way out in the Texas wilderness. He did the greatest amount of damage while at work in his office. It only took him 5 years to bring the world to its financial knees from his office. Suppose he had spent 8 years in his Office. Would there have been anything left at all?

Dang, can we do that? Ainge

That applies to other presidents, too. It's not like he didn't work while he was at Camp David. He even had foreign dignitaries visit him there. Didn't they also bring him there after 9/11? It's just a safer place to be then the obvious target called the White House.

Wow, that is interesting. Did they happen to compare it with previous presidents? I am curious to see now how much of a difference that is. I couldn't imagine having a position where I got a total vacation time of three years over an eight year period. Of course, you could consider that he is on-call of sorts, having the position 24/7. Still interesting though. Thanks!

Do you know that he was on vacation each time he was at Camp David or in Crawford, TX? He might have been working while he was away from Washington DC.

It applies to other presidents as well. They conducted businesses at Camp David or at their home. If you want them to be locked up like the Chinese Emperors were at Peking, well you have no idea that Presidents are allowed to move around. Why did not Roosevelt get on trains and make whistle stops? But I guess whatever Bush does something it is always wrong. And I suppose had he spent all the time in the White House, he would have been perceived as cold-hearted and not sympathetic with the plight of the American people. Sounds like Bush bashing to me.

I think if it were researched, you would find that the same would be true for all other Presidents. I was young at the time, but I seem to remember it seemed like Kennedy was always somewhere besides the White House.