A Peek At The President's Schedule

Should One Really Envy The Post Of President?

(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
©MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Add a Comment See all 19 Comments

by eddiey2 March 4, 2007 9:13 PM PST

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?")
This is a very insulting thing to say, I would have to say to you that you should know where it is.
It is where black slaves were allowed to settle in Africa after slavery.(African Americans, maybe that rings a bell.)
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for your information and that of your listners also happens to be Africa's first elected woman head of state.
I did not find any humour in this commentary, very distasteful.

Reply to this comment

by eddiey2 March 4, 2007 9:19 PM PST

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?")
This is a very insulting thing to say, I would have to say to you that you should know where it is.
It is where black slaves were allowed to settle in Africa after slavery.(African Americans, maybe that rings a bell.)
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for your information and that of your listners also happens to be Africa's first elected woman head of state.
I did not find any humour in this commentary, very distasteful.

Reply to this comment

by fascistusa March 4, 2007 10:13 PM PST

Where is the part of his day spent worshipping Hitler, Moussilini, The Devil, and Stalin while looking in the mirror goosestepping and declaring himself The First American Emporer?

He can hardly fit in time for his alcoholism and gay *** with this type of schedule.

Reply to this comment

by wingnut581 March 4, 2007 10:43 PM PST

Comment by fascistusa: "Where is the part of his day spent worshipping Hitler..."

Ah yes, another Bush hater. What are you clowns going to do in 2009? Go back to hating the U.S. in general, I guess.

You really ought to learn to spell, too.

Reply to this comment

by joanpz March 4, 2007 11:04 PM PST

Sadly, GW Bush is *spreading himself too thin* - if interviews with US reporters are indicative of his meetings with foreign presidents - U.S.A. WOULD BE BETTER OFF IF W STAYED HOME - GW Bush has a HABIT OF MANGLING EACH STATEMENT into *bloopers* - when God passed out Diplomacy and Tact, GW Bush must have been AWOL

Reply to this comment

by d_fentz March 5, 2007 12:32 AM PST

After showing a video snippet, defining President Bush's hectic schedule, Andy Rooney wonders if the president ever gets the time to sit down and wonder if he's ever been wrong; Andy says; %u201CI've only been wrong a few (3 or 4) times in my life.%u201D Yeah, it sure is tough being right all of time, ain't it, Mr. Rooney. You're weekly episode lasts about five minutes... what do you devote the rest of your time to - wondering about how tough it is being right all the time?

Yes, and that was a very poignant episode... maybe next week Mr. Rooney will wonder if bin Laden ever finds time - in between all that prayin' and planin' n' stuff - to wonder if he's ever been wrong.

"If I were to try to read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business. I do the very best I know how - the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what's said against me won't amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference." Abraham Lincoln on wondering about being right or wrong.

Reply to this comment

by hjcesq March 5, 2007 1:15 AM PST

Andy:
Your beautiful desk was too clean and uncluttered for this piece.

Reply to this comment

by karlimhof March 5, 2007 3:58 AM PST

The BUSH WAR is illegal

the resumption of hostilities was only a matter of time since Bush was elected with his neocon sidekicks....

blame barbara bush for iraq......
Posted by lars008

Reply to this comment

by vet_sk March 5, 2007 6:38 AM PST

What a mess our country is in. No longer will we ever be able to call the high moral ground ours.

Treating the troops in this way... To think that the troops I moved the CASH (hospitals) in Iraq were then shipped back the U.S. to live in those conditions. And folks, that%u2019s Walter Reed in Washington D.C. What do you think the hospitals are like in Georgia, Louisiana, snf Colorado are like? Better? No. You should think again.

I am so saddened by the state of our country and what we did to Iraq. I am sure that one of the Bush apologists will write back blaming Clinton, again, for this fiasco.

No we don't hate the United States but I don't worship it either. When you worship your country, that's called fascism.

Reply to this comment

by ddikha March 5, 2007 7:59 AM PST

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

by karlimhof March 5, 2007 9:59 AM PST

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 mbcsmith March 5, 2007 10:14 AM PST

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 tejasdemo March 5, 2007 10:59 AM PST

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 mgpm-2009 March 5, 2007 11:03 AM PST

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 clestes-2009 March 5, 2007 11:25 AM PST

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 scott4261 March 5, 2007 3:04 PM PST

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 d_fentz March 5, 2007 3:04 PM PST

%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 hypnotoad72 March 6, 2007 1:59 PM PST

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 jme271 March 7, 2007 7:00 PM PST

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.

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[eddiey2]

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?")
This is a very insulting thing to say, I would have to say to you that you should know where it is.
It is where black slaves were allowed to settle in Africa after slavery.(African Americans, maybe that rings a bell.)
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for your information and that of your listners also happens to be Africa's first elected woman head of state.
I did not find any humour in this commentary, very distasteful.

[eddiey2]

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?")
This is a very insulting thing to say, I would have to say to you that you should know where it is.
It is where black slaves were allowed to settle in Africa after slavery.(African Americans, maybe that rings a bell.)
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for your information and that of your listners also happens to be Africa's first elected woman head of state.
I did not find any humour in this commentary, very distasteful.

[fascistusa]

Where is the part of his day spent worshipping Hitler, Moussilini, The Devil, and Stalin while looking in the mirror goosestepping and declaring himself The First American Emporer?

He can hardly fit in time for his alcoholism and gay *** with this type of schedule.

[wingnut581]

Comment by fascistusa: "Where is the part of his day spent worshipping Hitler..."

Ah yes, another Bush hater. What are you clowns going to do in 2009? Go back to hating the U.S. in general, I guess.

You really ought to learn to spell, too.

[joanpz]

Sadly, GW Bush is *spreading himself too thin* - if interviews with US reporters are indicative of his meetings with foreign presidents - U.S.A. WOULD BE BETTER OFF IF W STAYED HOME - GW Bush has a HABIT OF MANGLING EACH STATEMENT into *bloopers* - when God passed out Diplomacy and Tact, GW Bush must have been AWOL

[d_fentz]

After showing a video snippet, defining President Bush's hectic schedule, Andy Rooney wonders if the president ever gets the time to sit down and wonder if he's ever been wrong; Andy says; %u201CI've only been wrong a few (3 or 4) times in my life.%u201D Yeah, it sure is tough being right all of time, ain't it, Mr. Rooney. You're weekly episode lasts about five minutes... what do you devote the rest of your time to - wondering about how tough it is being right all the time?

Yes, and that was a very poignant episode... maybe next week Mr. Rooney will wonder if bin Laden ever finds time - in between all that prayin' and planin' n' stuff - to wonder if he's ever been wrong.

"If I were to try to read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business. I do the very best I know how - the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what's said against me won't amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference." Abraham Lincoln on wondering about being right or wrong.

[hjcesq]

Andy:
Your beautiful desk was too clean and uncluttered for this piece.

[karlimhof]

The BUSH WAR is illegal

the resumption of hostilities was only a matter of time since Bush was elected with his neocon sidekicks....

blame barbara bush for iraq......
Posted by lars008

[vet_sk]

What a mess our country is in. No longer will we ever be able to call the high moral ground ours.

Treating the troops in this way... To think that the troops I moved the CASH (hospitals) in Iraq were then shipped back the U.S. to live in those conditions. And folks, that%u2019s Walter Reed in Washington D.C. What do you think the hospitals are like in Georgia, Louisiana, snf Colorado are like? Better? No. You should think again.

I am so saddened by the state of our country and what we did to Iraq. I am sure that one of the Bush apologists will write back blaming Clinton, again, for this fiasco.

No we don't hate the United States but I don't worship it either. When you worship your country, that's called fascism.

[ddikha]

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.

[karlimhof]

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

[mbcsmith]

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.

[tejasdemo]

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.

[mgpm-2009]

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.

[clestes-2009]

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!

[scott4261]

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!

[d_fentz]

%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.

[hypnotoad72]

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

[jme271]

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.