( CNN ) -- President Obama and his family arrived Friday for a weekend getaway in Maine , but along with a little rest and relaxation comes criticism that the president is taking it easy with the Gulf of Mexico oil crisis in a critical phase . The Obamas plan to spend the weekend on Mount Desert Island , home of Acadia National Park . The trip marks the president 's third weekend vacation since the oil disaster began in April . The Republican National Committee launched a website blasting what it considers Obama 's `` leisure activities or missteps '' during the oil disaster , like playing golf , attending concerts and vacationing in Asheville , North Carolina ; Chicago , Illinois ; and now Maine . Obama has also faced criticism for scheduling a trip up north , instead of vacationing in the Gulf , as he advised other Americans to do . `` Presidents are certainly entitled to vacation , just like everybody else , but there is a fine line as to when presidents should do it , what they should and where they should do it , '' said Brad Blakeman , a former member of President George W. Bush 's senior staff and the deputy assistant for appointments and scheduling . `` Presidents have to be cognizant of the fact that everything they do is going to be scrutinized , '' said Blakeman , who also is a professor for Georgetown University 's Semester in Washington program . Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons said the Republican criticism is `` galling , '' considering Bush 's frequent trips to Camp David and his home in Crawford , Texas . `` Barack Obama is working as hard as any president that we 've had in recent history and certainly harder than the most immediate previous president , '' he said . CBS 's Mark Knoller , who keeps track of presidents ' comings and goings , calculated that Bush spent all or part of 977 days at Camp David or in Texas during his two terms . Blakeman noted that visits to those locations were working trips and not getaways . Bush 's staff would travel with him , and work would continue as usual . The Crawford ranch was known as the `` Western White House '' because of the infrastructure there . As for calls that Obama should vacation in the Gulf , Simmons said , `` Where he chooses to take his days off should really be up to him . We do n't want to get into a situation where the president is making familial vacation decisions based upon polling or political maneuvers . '' Scott Stanzel , Bush 's deputy press secretary who often traveled with the president when he was away from the White House , said that changing locations provided a good opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle of Washington . `` President Bush , on the weekends , would often go to Camp David because the size of the bubble you are in expands , so you can go out for a walk or bike ride without having to arrange security detail , '' he said . Stanzel was in Crawford with Bush for a number of crises that could not have been planned for , like the conviction of Saddam Hussein , the death of President Ford and the assassination of Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto . Bush was notified of Bhutto 's death immediately and delivered a statement to the press pool . `` It would have almost been like we were at the White House in terms of the teams that would convene and talk about the issues surrounding that assassination , '' Stanzel said . The problem for Obama , Stanzel said , is the visuals that could come out of his trip . A picture of Obama playing golf alongside images from the Gulf could send a negative message . Paul Begala , a CNN contributor and former adviser to President Clinton , said that vacationing or not , `` The president is the president wherever he is . `` I thought it was silly when people attacked Bush for going on vacation , so I 'll be consistent and say it 's silly when people attack President Obama for going on vacation , '' he said . `` Of all of the concerns that Americans may have , they do not need to worry whether President Obama is a hard-working man . They may agree or disagree with his policies , but there is just no doubt that the guy is busting his rear end . ''
Obama and family at Mount Desert Island , Maine , for the weekend . GOP criticizing Obama for vacationing during environmental disaster . Comment: `` The president is the president wherever he is , '' Paul Begala says .