White House press secretary Jay Carney defends President Obama's upcoming 10 day trip to Martha's Vineyard. Carney is asked why the President is taking such a vacation when he constantly says he "will not rest" until the jobs issue is resolved. Here is the exchange:
Jake Tapper, ABC News: "You said the President will not rest until the joblessness and the economy are worked out, but the President is obviously going on vacation. But I was wondering, Is there any concern -- I understand that it takes two to tango in Washington. We went over that the other day. You need the Congress to be in Washington. We went over that the other day about whether or not you guys should call Congress to come back. Is there any concern about the impression that the President going to Martha's Vineyard for 9 or 10 days might leave on the American people? And also, if this is such an important issue for Speaker Boehner, for Harry Reid, for President Obama, why the R&R?"
Jay Carney, WH press secretary: "There are a couple of questions embedded in that. Let me go to acknowledge, that, yes, the President does plan to travel with his family at the end of August to Martha's Vineyard as he has in the past. And I don't think Americans out there would begrudge that notion that the President would spend some time with his family. It is also, as I think anyone who has covered in the past, either in this administration or others, there is no such thing as a presidential vacation. The Presidency travels with you. He will be in constant communication and get regular briefings from his national security team as well as his economic team. And he will of course be fully capable, if necessary, of traveling back if that were required. It is not very far."
Home 
