“On a golf course in Martha’s Vineyard instead of in Louisiana?”
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Supporters of the president will argue that communications in this day and age make it easy for a Obama to monitor any situation from anywhere, therefore eliminating the need for him in this case to actually survey the damage up close.
Trump arrived in the flood-ravaged area first, interrupting his schedule Friday to fly to Louisiana in an effort to contrast his concern with that of the president.
Next month, Obama will visit Laos – a first for a USA president – in a trip that begins with a G20 summit in China. The President today directed his team to coordinate with Louisiana officials to determine an appropriate time for him to visit, and together they have determined that the President will visit Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Tuesday, August 23rd.
However, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards defended Obama’s decision to stay on vacation, according to ABC News, noting that he is in daily communication with the White House. He brought along running mate Mike Pence, the governor of Indiana.
With Congress still on a seven-week break, Obama and aides will likely spend time this week trying to figure out what they want from lawmakers before they shift focus on campaigning for re-election. Congress returns after Labor Day, and the House and Senate will have just a month to pass a catch-all spending bill by the end of the federal budget year on September 30 to keep the government operating. Lawmakers have been in recess since mid-July and are not expected to return to Washington until after Labor Day.
Clinton, who in the past was quick to tackle community emergencies, such as contaminated water in Flint, Mich., and opioid and heroin addiction in rural communities, is scheduled to be in Los Angeles for celebrity-studded fundraisers Monday and Tuesday, and is expected to campaign in battleground Nevada on Thursday.
In turn, incensed lawmakers have promised to keep the heat on the administration by holding hearings on the $400 million it delivered to Iran in January. Obama denied that, saying earlier this month that “we do not pay ransom”.
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“I thought Bush waited too long also!” He follows with the September 2-9 trip to China and Laos.
