Opinion: While Barack Obama’s away, White House workers can, well, work

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Many presidents in recent times have stayed at the White House or Camp David during year-end holidays to minimize costs and disruptions to staff and Secret Service and their long-suffering families.

Barack and Michelle Obama chose to spend the holidays almost as far away from the harsh political-toned place he vowed to change as possible and still be in the United States -- Hawaii.

As The Ticket dutifully reported the other day, Democrat Vice President Joe Biden is also offshore -- in the Virgin Islands.

And so, it turns out, is the No. 3 person in line to the presidency, Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who’s also ensconced in Hawaii. (Where, btw, Republican author Sarah Palin was with her family last week, as her favorable poll ratings climbed into the 40’s).

So who’s in charge back home?

Well, the good news is the big shots’ vacation absence from the big house not only cuts down on the number of officious motorcades, but allows regular humans an opportunity for cleaning.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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