Afive week vacation. A recent survey by the travel site Expedia.com shows that's a lot of vacation time. The survey shows that most Americans get about 12 vacation days a year but only use 9 of those days. As for "working" vacations, technology "forces" most people to work on their vacation rendering claims of George Bush actually working during that time meaningless as a distinction.

The survey also found that Bush's vacation time is much more in line with citizens of France. The French, who we're supposed to dislike for not supporting the Administration's "Adventure in Iraq" and who, we are often told, are crushing their economy through liberal social policies (like long paid vacations), get 39 days off each year.

His staff, after the "working vacation" canard, often states that the vacations allow him get in touch with the "average American". Unfortunately, no sightings of "average Americans" at the Camp David retreat, his family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, or his 1,600-acre ranch in Crawford, Texas have been documented to back up that assertion (hired help and photo-ops excluded).

To be fair, he does occasionally leave the ranch grounds for visits with "average" neighbors while vacationing there. During this vacation he visited the Broken Spoke Ranch, owned by Stan and Kathy Hickey of Crawford. They hosted a fundraiser in his honor which, according to the Republican National Committee, raised about $2 million in political contributions. Just an average visit to an average family for an average fundraiser that raised an average amount of $2 million.

On the way to the fundraiser, Bush's motorcade left his Prairie Chapel (sounds "quaint" - just like the Geneva Convention[s]) Ranch and passed directly by Camp Casey. It's highly unlikely that the camp could, or would, raise anywhere near the $2 million raised at the Broken Spoke Ranch. Then again, raising money doesn't seem to be the purpose of the camp. Raising questions does.

One of the individuals at Camp Casey is Cindy Sheehan. She's a mom whose son- Casey, after whom the camp is named, was killed in Iraq. She's described as an activist and, according to certain Administration - backing pundits, a "crackpot" prone to making "crazy accusations" whose "behavior borders on treasonous", is part of a group that "hates this government, hates their country", and is shaming her son's "sacrifice" (AKA, death).

Generally, an expression of concern (whatever non-violent form it takes) for a child by a mother is not denigrated publicly. That's because our culture respects the bond between a mother and her children (t. v. commercials touting "instant" food and politicians mouthing "family values" tell us so) and such attacks can carry with them the risk of triggering a swift verbal or even physical response from the offspring in question. But not in this case. Since Casey is dead, he doesn't have the option of responding to those attacking his mother. That option, as well as his chance to enjoy an extended Bush/Frenchman's vacation or the truncated American version of a vacation, were taken away in Iraq.