Obama marks election anniversary with sabbatical
By: SCOTT OTT
Examiner Columnist
November 3, 2009
News fairly unbalanced. We report. You decipher.
President Obama marked the one-year anniversary of his election by announcing he would take a nine-month sabbatical "to rest and refresh after a grueling year of staggering accomplishment."
The former college professor said fulfilling his campaign promises has been "exhausting, but satisfying," and he needs time to regroup, retool and make plans for his remaining seven years.
"My historic election, followed by my landmark inauguration kicked off an unprecedented burst of accomplishment beyond the wildest dreams of our forefathers," said Obama. "In just 365 days, we've already talked about restoring U.S. moral leadership, we've advanced proposals to transform our economy from the dysfunctional free market model, we've given speeches about reducing our dependence on foreign oil and creating a burgeoning green economy, we've promoted dialogue aimed at bringing quality health care to 47 million uninsured Americans, and we've expressed our intention to end George Bush's futile war in Iraq, and to conquer al Qaeda in Afghanistan."
The president noted that "Rome wasn't built in a day, so if Caesar could see what I've already done, it would rock his world."
During his sabbatical, Obama said he plans to challenge himself intellectually by re-reading his previous memoirs and by writing a much-anticipated third autobiography.
"A president, like a college professor, has to keep his mind sharp," he said. "That's why I'm going to go back and study the works of one of the brightest minds of our generation. I know I still have much to learn from those pages."
Obama said he also plans to travel the world to learn more about the U.S. Constitution and capitalist economics, with planned stops in Europe, Africa, Venezuela, Cuba and several Arab kingdoms.
During the president's sabbatical, Vice President Biden will take over Obama's daunting schedule of daily news conferences, political fundraisers, television interviews, health care rallies, White House visits with important celebrities, and the other presidential duties as outlined in Article 2 of Constitution.
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