As former Marty Meehan Legislative Director and current DC consultant Bill McCann noted on his Facebook page this morning ~ “You can criticize the President for many things, but this is as bad as talking during his back swing.” This was in reference to yet another media slam at President Obama’s “stress-relieving” penchant for playing golf. Today it was Dana Milbank of the Washington Post, a WP site-described writer of “political theater in the nation’s capital” – expressing his pique about Obama’s golf-play while mouthing the tired GOP whacks that “terrorists take control” while he plays. It continues to seem more about being miffed at the distance the press must keep from the Presidential play. Come on Dana – golf is the “sport of Presidents”… so I thought a trip to the archive was appropriate for a reminder about some former Presidents and their golf habits…

President Taft tees off…

From the Archive ~

Presidents Play Golf!

There seems to be lots of hoo-hah about President Obama’s quick trip to Florida to play golf on this Presidents’ Day weekend. The press didn’t like its photo access being cut-off, others harrumphed  that the First Lady and the girls are out West skiing and some just think this President shouldn’t be golfing at all. Some need reminding that all our Presidents since Eisenhower – except for Jimmy Carter – have played golf as a means of exercising, relaxing, socializing and with some for honing their competitive skills. In fact, back long before this crop of presidents, we could find Presidents Taft, Harding and Wilson on the links. Some even refer to golf as “the sport of Presidents.” Makes you wonder about this current criticism.

Here are some photos:

JFK from Time Magazine

       Bush 43  from CNN Opinion

 Golf great Arnold Palmer with President Eisenhower

 President G. H. W. Bush, President Gerry Ford and President Bill Clinton