Obama "Date Night" Wrapup

The Daily Kos reports "that [the] Republicans are apoplectic about President Obama's 'date night' in New York is pathetically predictable."

I'm not quite sure what the Republicans are complaining about. Even maximum security prisoners on death row are let out of their cells for an hour a day.

MSNBC's Chris Matthews calls the Republican criticism of the outing a "cheap shot."

Is there anything the Republicans don't complain about?
Obama can't even order a 'burger with mustard without the right-wing nuts getting their panties in a bunch and painting him as "foreign and elitist."

But contrast Obama's night out with the vacation record of George W. Bush.

The Daily Kos breaks it down:

By March 2008, Bush had spent all or part of 879 days at his Crawford, Texas ranch or at Camp David, surpassing Reagan's mark of 866.

By the time he left office, George W. Bush had made 149 trips to and spent 487 days at Camp David, with another 77 getaways to (and 490 days at) Crawford.

Toss in 11 visits and 43 days at his folks' compound in Kennebunkport, Maine and President Bush spent 1020 days - 35% of his presidency - getting away from the White House.

Some restaurant trivia: The Obamas visited the Blue Hill Restaurant in Greenwich Village.

An Internet search reveals that the Blue Hill was inspected in July 2008 but that restaurant personnel interfered with the inspecting officer requiring a follow up visit in August 2008.

All that aside, the New York Times' Frank Bruni rated the Blue Hill "excellent" in an August 2006 review.

Bruni also says the Obama's choice of Blue Hill was a "smart money bet."