President Barack Obama gave Americans an update on U.S. military strikes in Iraq on Saturday from a podium on the White House lawn with Marine One, the presidential helicopter, parked in the background.
Four hours later, he offered a very different tableau: a golf game with friends at a lush course on Martha's Vineyard, the upscale Massachusetts island where Obama and his family began a two-week vacation.
The contrasting scenes, which quickly sparked some hostile commentary from critics, illustrate the dilemma of taking time off when you are the most powerful leader in the world and, by definition, handling major issues all the time.