The real story

If there is any larceny in a man, golf will bring it out.

Paul Gallico

President Obama went back to his vacation on Martha’s Vineyard Tuesday evening after spending less than 48 hours in Washington, leaving people puzzled over why he came back in the first place.

Obama’s two days in Washington were mostly quiet, and concluded with the president receiving his daily national security briefing in the morning and joining Vice President Biden to huddle with members of his economic team in the afternoon.

Administration officials have insisted for weeks that the president just wanted to return to the White House for a series of meetings, but the explanation was met with a healthy dose of skepticism, because Obama rarely interrupts his vacations.

Judicial Watch estimates the extra trip cost $1.1 million. Only daughter Malia accompanied Obama back to Washington.

Speculation for why Obama returned focused around the possibility of a secret foreign leader meeting or the rollout of a new administration initiative on immigration or corporate taxes.

But no such explanation materialized.

Read more: The Hill

Golf combines two favorite American pastimes: taking long walks and hitting things with a stick.

P.J. O'Rourke

Ramirez

Golf is so popular simply because it is the best game in the world at which to be bad.

A.A. Milne