CNN – Obama vacation brings rest, relaxation and rebuke

From the story -

Scott Stanzel, Bush’s deputy press secretary who often traveled with the president when he was away from the White House, said that changing locations provided a good opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle of Washington.

“President Bush, on the weekends, would often go to Camp David because the size of the bubble you are in expands, so you can go out for a walk or bike ride without having to arrange security detail,” he said.

Stanzel was in Crawford with Bush for a number of crises that could not have been planned for, like the conviction of Saddam Hussein, the death of President Ford and the assassination of Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto.

Bush was notified of Bhutto’s death immediately and delivered a statement to the press pool. “It would have almost been like we were at the White House in terms of the teams that would convene and talk about the issues surrounding that assassination,” Stanzel said.

The problem for Obama, Stanzel said, is the visuals that could come out of his trip. A picture of Obama playing golf alongside images from the Gulf could send a negative message.

Fox News – Obama Wraps Up Relaxing Vacation Amid GOP Criticisms

From the story –

Scott Stanzel, former deputy press secretary for President George W. Bush, told Fox News, “at a time he could be setting an example…he has chosen not to do that.”
…
Bush was often criticized for the length of time downtime he spent at his ranch, but as Stanzel points out, presidents aren’t really afforded vacation time.

“We had an infrastructure in Crawford where the president continued to perform the duties much the way he might when he was at the White House,” Stanzel told Fox News.

Washington Post – An active first family is on the move in Maine

From the story –

And Scott Stanzel, a deputy press secretary during the administration of George W. Bush, said on Fox News that the president could be “setting an example” but “has chosen not to do that.”