Obama Takes the Week Off

President
Obama appears to be mostly taking the week off, making a rare sojourn
at Camp David through Tuesday before celebrating the Fourth of July and
then heading out on the campaign trail.

Obama presumably also has
his usual August vacation lined up as well, though it’s not been
announced where he will be headed. It is known, though, that with an
election coming up, Obama will not be restoring himself at his customary
location, the super-rich enclave of Martha’s Vineyard.

The
president has grumbled that Mitt Romney can campaign full time while he
continues to have to perform his day job, but it’s questionable how
many hours he’s putting in at the office. Obama found time for 33 fundraisers in June and campaigned widely, sometimes returning to the White House after Midnight and then sleeping in the next day.

Obama
will return to the the White House from Camp David Tuesday and then
preside over the White House Fourth of July festivities Wednesday. He
will be campaigning in the critical battleground states of Ohio and
Pennsylvania Thursday and Friday.

The White House often argues
that Obama can perform his duties as president anywhere and suggests
that’s exactly what he’s doing when he appears to be obviously resting
or campaigning.

But it’s hard to see why he would head to Camp
David for a long weekend – he’s been there since Saturday – if his goal
was to focus on matters of State. And the Thursday and Friday campaign
romp will be of the type from which it’s the least easy for him to
conduct business – a barnstorming bus tour.