(Washington, D.C.)  On Wednesday, 14 Marines deployed to Iraq from Ohio were killed when their armored vehicle hit a roadside bomb.  The attack is one of the deadliest attacks to take place in Iraq.  Days earlier, six Marines from the same unit were killed in a fire-fight near Haditha.  

Meanwhile, Republican President George W. Bush set out yesterday to begin his five-week vacation in Crawford, Texas.  The planned vacation will be the longest presidential getaway in 36 years (Richard Nixon spent over a month at his San Clemente estate in 1969).

While Bush's aides and enablers defend the president's aggressive vacationing, it is simply poor leadership on the part of the Commander in Chief.  While American soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen are disallowed from simply returning to the United States as scheduled and risks their lives in Iraq each day, the President of the United States enjoys the comfort and pleasures of his Crawford ranch.

"As a self-professed 'Wartime President', George W. Bush needs to start taking his job seriously by showing the leadership that our troops deserve," said Shane Cory, director of communications for the Libertarian Party.

Cory continued, "Throughout his presidency, Bush has wrapped himself in patriotic rhetoric by using the troops as the focus of American pride.  It's time for Bush to take a step toward working as hard as they do by simply staying on the job and finding a way to bring our troops home."

Quick Facts:

• American troops reported dead in Iraq: 1822
• Length of the invasion/occupation of Iraq: 869 days 
• Crawford vacation days of the Bush presidency: 319 days (20%)
• Average days of annual paid vacation of the working American: 13
• Days of annual leave for military personnel: 30