Bush being on vacation reminds me of this Iowahawk report, from happier times two years ago (before most people had heard of Al Qaeda) about the tribulations of pampered reporters in Crawford, Texas.

E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post described a common experience of the visiting press. “When I arrived in Crawford, I had a sudden craving for a quick brioche and mineral water, and set out in search of a decent Belgian patisserie,” he recalled. “Two hours later, the horrible truth dawned on me. In Crawford, there are no decent Belgian patisseries.”

Panic stricken, Dionne said he began asking for help from local passers-by.

“I kept asking them, ‘where can I get a brioche? Where can I get a brioche?’, only to see blank stares,” he recalled. “Finally, one man in a pickup truck said he hadn’t heard of that brand of beer, but offered me a Shiner Bock.”

Tragic.