February 11, 2009 5:16 PM

A Peek At The President's Schedule

By
Daniel Schorn
(CBS)  The following is a weekly 60 Minutes commentary by CBS News correspondent Andy Rooney.



I'm at a loss to understand why anyone would ever want to be President of The United States. I know it's a great honor but can you imagine thinking you were smart enough to do the job? You should know something about every country in the world that we deal with and you ought to know everything about our own country so you can deal with that. You go to bed late at night, get up early in the morning and have meetings all day long. Do they give you any time to think when you're the president?

I've read that someone even lays out clothes for the President to put on every morning. I certainly wouldn't even want that. I have several torn undershirts that are no one else's business but my own.

Mark Knoller, one of the correspondents who covers the White House for CBS, sent me a copy of the president's schedule for just a couple of days recently. It includes items like these:

  • The President and Mrs. Bush depart White House for trip to George Washington's tomb, at Mount Vernon.


  • President makes remarks in honor George Washington on occasion of his 275th birthday.


  • I wonder what people will be saying about President Bush on his 275th birthday?

  • President meets with president of Liberia. (If I met the president of Liberia I'd have to start this way. "Madam President, it's an honor to meet you but could I ask you just one question? Where the hell is Liberia, anyway?")

  • President meets with vice president of Sudan.


  • President meets with prime minister of Denmark.

  • President meets with president of Uruguay.

  • President meets with president of El Salvador.

  • President meets with president of Peru.

    How could the president possibly remember everyone's name?

    The list of the President's day goes on:

  • Interviewed by Denver Post.

  • Interviewed by Fox News.

  • Interviewed by Newsweek Magazine.

  • Interviewed by ABC Radio.

  • Noon: President makes remarks concerning global war on terror at Mayflower Hotel.

    I stayed at the Mayflower once myself. The only terrifying thing was the price of a room.

    What I'd like to know is, when does the president get a chance to sit down and think about what he thinks? And when does he get a chance to think about whether he's right or wrong about what he thinks?

    I've only been wrong a few times in my life but I'd hate to be president where everyone could count my mistakes.
    Written By Andy Rooney
  • Copyright 2009 CBS. All rights reserved.
    Add a Comment See all 19 Comments
    by jme271 March 7, 2007 10:00 PM EST
    First, Mr. Rooney is a wise man while many don't believe so. He has a lot more knowledge and wisdom than any of us do.
    Second, I bet you half of the men and women in Congress and even the president don't even know where any of those countries listed above are, but i bet they have their ideas.
    Third, I'm pretty sure that you guys dont know where half of these countries are let alone those people in Congress mentioned above. And if you do, great!
    And Finally, if you dont like President Bush or the U.S. then why are you here. You are going to have your problems and no one in this country is ever going to be satisfied with what they are given. Half of you don't realize how good we have it here in America and yet you want to continue nagging. No matter who is President none of us are going to be happy. And I agree with Mr. Rooney, who would want to be President of the United States with people like you always bickering and nagging on the job he does. If you don't like it, then leave. If you stay think about this; put yourself in the President's shoes and let's see how good of a job you do.
    Reply to this comment
    by hypnotoad72 March 6, 2007 4:59 PM EST
    We have enemies. And many of them we offshore jobs to. There are a million theories out there as to why our corporate and political leaders do so many nonsensical things that don't add up... and some I'd rather not contemplate. Especially when said countries otherwise hate the USA but freely take our jobs anyway. At least until their need for us remains, after which it's probably boom-boom time. But on the plus side, global warming will melt the glaciers and drown them all to death within one hundred years anyway, so I suppose we can all relax and say "It's all good".

    /sarcasm

    Reply to this comment
    by d_fentz March 5, 2007 6:04 PM EST
    %u201CYou obviously haven't heard, even after all these years, that Andy Rooney is a satirist. Look up the word.%u201D Neega

    Satire: A literary work in which, vices, follies, stupidities, abuses, etc. are held up to ridicule and contempt. (NWD)

    Oh, gee, I didn't realize Mr. Rooney is the only satirist on earth and he is right all the time and nobody is supposed to hold Mr. Rooney's folly up to ridicule and contempt, isn't that right, Neega? He's allowed to say %u2013 insinuate - really stupid and hateful things against our president, without criticism, because he's %u201Ca satirist?%u201D We should just blindly follow bin Rooney's enlightened path without satirical criticism of our own.

    The guy uses his high platform to dump on our president, instead of our enemies, and we should all applaud.
    Reply to this comment
    by scott4261 March 5, 2007 6:04 PM EST
    We in Australia love The President George Bush
    and Our Prime Minister John Howard and England Prime Minister Tony Blair.
    We are a proud nation.
    Posted by ddikha at 07:59 AM : Mar 05, 2007


    Many in America feel the same. However, the many LEFTIST posts here would not lead you to belive that. Many are politically motivatated.
    Posted by mbcsmith at 10:14 AM

    Well you are both in a minority. Bush's ratings are in the toilet (as are John Howard's and Tony Blair's). And just because one does not BLINDLY support Bush as you do does not make that person a "leftist." It just means that person isn't a far-right-wing nutcase!
    Reply to this comment
    by clestes-2009 March 5, 2007 2:25 PM EST
    No matter what this boozo does, it is one of two things.

    A complete WASTE OF TIME for the American people

    or worse still

    ACTUALLY DEADLY for the American people.

    Worse president in the history of this country!
    Reply to this comment
    by mgpm-2009 March 5, 2007 2:03 PM EST
    Unfortunately I don't think Mr. Bush spends much of his day "thinking" much beyond this huge mess he created. Perhaps he didn't think enough about that before he started that war.

    And to our Aussie friend...I'm not a "hater." I'm just someone who is very disappointed in what our leaders have done. I am though, proud glad of our countries alliance with England and Australia.
    Reply to this comment
    by tejasdemo March 5, 2007 1:59 PM EST
    Yea, Dumbya has it rough.

    Here's the schedule of some young man today in Iraq.
    1. Wake up

    2. Either get blown up and die or get blown up and live and probably wish you were dead.

    3. Either actually see or hear about somebody getting blown up.

    All compliments of our lovable little hard nosed terrier otherwise know as George Bush.
    Reply to this comment
    by mbcsmith March 5, 2007 1:14 PM EST
    We in Australia love The President George Bush
    and Our Prime Minister John Howard and England Prime Minister Tony Blair.
    We are a proud nation.
    Posted by ddikha at 07:59 AM : Mar 05, 2007


    Many in America feel the same. However, the many LEFTIST posts here would not lead you to belive that. Many are politically motivatated.
    Reply to this comment
    by karlimhof March 5, 2007 12:59 PM EST

    The Bush War :

    The only positive things this mad war has accomplished is showing us our weaknesses;

    - we cannot allow our elected officials to embark us on adventurist wars

    - we have to keep our military strong to protect America, not Israel or to "change the face of the Middle East" or any region of the world

    - we have to pay more attention to our veterans needs and normal citizens health care needs

    - we have to have a credible response prepared for national emergencies (i.e.katrina)

    - we have to become fiscally responsible again

    Amen
    Reply to this comment
    by ddikha March 5, 2007 10:59 AM EST
    We in Australia love The President George Bush
    and Our Prime Minister John Howard and England Prime Minister Tony Blair.
    We are a proud nation.
    Reply to this comment
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