Never fear. He seems to be takin' it nice and easy. I wish I had half as much vacation as the leader of the shrinking free world.

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Dec 28, 4:10 PM EST

Bush Biking, Relaxing at Texas Ranch

By DEB RIECHMANN
Associated Press Writer

CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) -- Besides monitoring the devastating earthquake in Southeast Asia, President Bush is biking and strolling around his ranch here and pondering tax reform and other goals in his second term.

"He's clearing some brush this morning," deputy White House press secretary Trent Duffy said Tuesday, adding that the president and first lady also planned to host friends at the ranch.

"He's doing some biking and exercising as he normally does, taking walks with the first lady, and thinking about what he wants to accomplish in the second term."

Simplifying the tax code is among Bush's second-term goals.

Duffy said Bush would name members to a bipartisan advisory panel on tax reform in coming days. He said no decisions have been made on details of a tax overhaul. "No options are off the table or on," Duffy said.

Tax experts say Bush's plans to reform taxes likely will involve small changes to the current system rather than a sweeping effort to scrap the income tax for a radically new approach, such as a national sales tax.

The changes Bush is expected to propose still are expected to generate opposition, especially if he suggests eliminating favored tax breaks, such as the deduction for state income tax payments.

Tax experts in close contact with the administration say signs are pointing toward a plan that will seek to improve the income tax code, rather than replace it with a single-rate flat tax with no deductions, a national sales tax or Value Added Tax - ideas that gained prominence among conservative Republicans in the 1990s.

"Americans spend too much time sitting at the dinner table doing their taxes," Duffy said. "So the first step is to create a bipartisan advisory panel.

"They will report back with some recommendations, and we'll move forward."

I just think it's amazing that we're living in a giant shit storm right now, with precious little in the world really going great, and all our prez can do is "think" and "ponder" and vacation. I'm fairly certain that the amount of time americans spend at the dinner table is not the most immediate problem facing this country.

maybe he and Dick can make up for past mistakes....

And did I REALLY see a fucking PRESS CONFERENCE from Crawford, Tex-ass the other day which featured the "official" emblem of the "WESTERN WHITE HOUSE"?!

Jesus Christ.
Yes, I did.

http://www.westernwhitehouse.org/

This is more amazing than rabbits with pancakes on their heads.*


* I'm just glad it's a joke.