Obama and Golfing

"I go to work a little before 7 a.m., and I expect everybody to show up on time when I have a meeting. I make time to run or exercise every day. There's never a question in my mind that I'll exercise. Even when I travel, there's always a treadmill in my room. I have a treadmill on Air Force One. On long trips-for example, when I went to Europe recently-I ran for 90 minutes on the flight over there. When I came back from China, I ran on the flight.

"Usually I run 6 days a week. When I don't run, I use an elliptical trainer, lift weights, and stretch. But when I run, I run hard. On Sundays, if I'm at Camp David, I'll go for a hard, morning run-these days about 20:30 to 20:45 for 3 miles on a tough course-and then I'll go walk 2 to 4 miles with Laura [the First Lady] afterward.

"I try to go for longer runs, but it's tough around here at the White House on the outdoor track. When I'm at my ranch in Crawford [Tex.], I can do longer runs. It's sad that I can't run longer. It's one of the saddest things about the presidency. There would be nothing better than to take off on a long run around the Mall, but I just can't. I really miss those long ones.

"I believe anyone can make the time. As a matter of fact, I don't believe it-I know it. If the President of the United States can make the time, anyone can.

"Exercise is so important that corporate America should help its employees make time. There should be flextime for families, and there should be flextime for exercise. A healthy work force is a more productive work force. We have got to do a better job of encouraging exercise in America."

This is not Obama--this is George Bush--who also played a lot of golf. Click here for the link to the entire article.

So Obama golfs. George Bush ran. Sometimes he ran for a long period of time. He golfed too. Do presidents not need downtime? Are we as Americans so selfish we can have our leisure time, but we can't give that same right to the president?

Bush played golf and he ran.

Obama plays golf and basketball.

I admire Bush for his running regimen--surprised, aren't you?--and I admire Obama for his skill at basketball.