Right after 9/11 I was thinking of Bush's August vacation that year. He was down at the ranch, noodling around, who knows what. They sent him out once in a while just to make it look good, but for the most part he was taking it easy. Lots of R & R. From Al Franken's latest book Liars, of which at least one chapter is on the internet: As he told a $1,000-a-plate crowd at a fund-raiser in June [2001], "Washington, D.C., is a great place to work, but Texas is a great place to relax."
But leave it to Osama bin Laden to have a work ethic! While George the Jolly Rancher frolicked with his dog, OBL was actively working in the shadows. First we have George, from the Franken book: On August 25, still on the ranch, Bush discussed with reporters the differences between his two dogs. "Spot's a good runner. You know, Barney-terriers are bred to go into holes and pull out varmint. And Spotty chases birds. Spotty's a great water dog." Then we have OBL: 'Wire the money! Get the flight training! Are the tickets bought yet? There's no one on your trail, right?' [That's our characterization, not actual OBL quotes, insofar as we know.]