It used to be the president announces he is going on vacation and that was that. The president goes on vacation to Texas or California and the issue is pau.

Now President Barack Obama either is or isn’t coming here on Dec. 17 for his traditional Christmas in Hawaii visit. To further complicate the trip, GOP candidate Mitt Romney is griping about Obama getting any golf time, period.

George W. Bush went to Crawford, Texas, 77 times totaling 490 days during his term, according to figures compiled by CBS News. I don’t care who is counting: Unless you are an armadillo, 490 days in Crawford is punishment, not vacation.

For Obama, the curse may be not that people don’t believe he was born in Hono-lulu, but that "coming home" translates into "Hawaiian vacation" and that means fun in the sun, shorts on the golf course and beach barbecue.

Even Ronald Reagan was able to pass off his 349 days staying at his California ranch as "brush cutting," although Reagan was also a semi-good actor.

The Obama vacation at press time was back up in the air because the president said he wouldn’t leave Washington until Congress gets back on track with a payroll tax holiday, changes to unemployment benefits and other pending issues.

"Michelle and the girls are going to have a great time in Hawaii. They don’t need me there," Obama was quoted as telling Senate Democratic leaders.

Earlier in the week, Romney told potential caucus voters in Iowa in a video message that Obama was abandoning his job for "17 days and for golf in the sun."

Obama had previously warned that if the congressional action was not completed, he would spent Christmas on the Potomac with Congress — so Romney’s cheap shot was just that.

If the GOP was jumping on the president, the Democrats pounced back, saying that Obama would call the House back into session if it adjourned without the payroll tax cut extension.

"They will face the embarrassment of trying to explain why they’re taking the holiday off while working families across America are going to see their taxes increase, said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

Of course, the term "congressional vacation" is not an unknown phrase. Last year Congress was not in session, as in not working, for 23.5 weeks. Because it is Congress, the days when Congress is not in session are called "work days." During the weeks that it is actually working, rarely is business scheduled for Monday or Friday, because those are travel days. Not everyone needs a union to get better job benefits.

Although not a strict comparison, the Democratic National Committee responded to Romney’s blast by noting that the former Massachusetts governor had spent 212 days out of state during his last year in office, although not all was tabbed vacation time.

For Obama, coming to Hawaii is coming home; it is time for him to revisit friends, get some Hawaii sand between his toes and maybe hoops at Punahou. It isn’t flag football with Kennedy at Hyannis Port or Nixon’s dinners with Bebe Rebozo in Key Biscayne, but it is the place we share with him and he should be able to visit.

Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Reach him at rborreca@staradvertiser.com