Karl: Has There Been Any Discussion About Obama Taking A Day Off From Golfing?

Karl: Has There Been Any Discussion About Obama Maybe Taking A Day Off From Golfing? (RealClearPolitics)

JON KARL, ABC NEWS: Given that the gravity of the events that he has struggled with while we've been up here, has there been any consideration, any discussion of saying, 'Hey, maybe taking a day off of golf may not be a bad idea.' Particularly yesterday -- particularly dealing with the wake of what happened to James Foley and the president comes out and gives a very powerful statement on that murder and he goes right from here to the golf course. Was there any discussion of maybe with things like that it's best to stay off the links for a while?

ERIC SCHULTZ, DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY: Jon, you're right, the president did give a powerful statement in this auditorium Wednesday afternoon. I think that anyone wondering his views on both the situation with ISIL, that video or his concern for the Foley family should go back and review that statement. It was delivered from the heart, it was candid, it was honest, and it was open. And I think anyone trying to assess how seriously he takes the gravity of that situation should go back and read it or listen to it again.

KARL: I have no doubt about that but what I'm asking is the optics of what people see, and you saw the kind of split-screen photos in newspapers yesterday of the president making that statement about the terrible tragedy the Foley family is dealing with and then, you know, the shots of the president laughing it up at the golf course right afterwards.

SCHULTZ: I understand you're asking about the optics. But let me just take a minute to explain how we approach this. First and foremost the president is focused on doing his job and to us that's paramount. And what I think you see, just because the president is in a different location doesn't mean he's not doing his job. And I don't think anyone in this room who's been covering this or following the president for the past few weeks could deny that the president's been deeply engaged on issues both domestic and abroad. It's important for us to understand, and I think that's been evident, is that the issues the country's facing both on the international stage and back here at home have absolutely captured the president's attention while we have been here.