Jimmy Higgins

House, Senate Reach $350 Billion Tax Cut Deal

What do they mean, he will "travel" to the Capitol? Doesn't he work a couple of miles to it? Wouldn't he just go over? Travel seems to indicate a great distance. Where is the President?

Jesus Tap-Dancin' Christ

I love their reasoning:

Deficits are occuring: solution? REDUCE REVENUE.

paul30

It's hard for the Prez to take time off from his vacations.

Jat

Or actually stop his campaigning to actually do his job.

johngalt

He likes his ranch in Texas, give the guy a break, geez. He's been chasing "terrorists" for a long time, and all this lying to the public has made him tired.

leonarde

I don't know where he is/was when he made the statement but:

1) the President physically going to the Capitol is a rare event.

2) Aside from the State of the Union address (when he is addressing both houses and the nation at large) a sitting president can go a whole year, four entire years without once setting foot in the place.

3) 1) and 2) are largely due to:

a) the president's role as head of state (how frequently does Queen Elizabeth address Parliament?).

b) the president's role as head of the government COMBINED with
the principle of the separation of powers.

c) just the overall concept of the dignity of the office of president (that's why House and Senate committees don't generally try to subpoena the president to appear and "explain" things).

4) Generally when he has a policy to "sell" on Capitol Hill he sends an emissary (Cabinet member or staffer) to make that sale.

So the "travelling" refers to the unusual nature of the (quite short) journey, not its length.

Cheers!

lunachick

errr...shouldn't you be comparing the President with the Prime Minister - not the Queen?

Zar

leonarde,

Ha. haha! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

The President of the United States is not a king, and certainly not a totally empty figurehead like the decrepit monarchy in the U.K., much as I'm sure you'd like him to be.

Monkeybot

Where's the President?

<insert obligatory "Al Gore teaches at Columbia" remark here>

leonarde

But that's just it: the US Presidency combines the role of head of state (the monarch in some systems) with that of the head of the government (the prime minister in most systems).

Cheers!