It was his 100th round of golf since taking office … Obama’s staff is a little concerned. They’re concerned all this golf is cutting into his fund-raising.

—Jay Leno

*****

At the GOP convention in Tampa, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said the following: “Our problem with President Obama isn’t that he’s a bad person. By all accounts, he too is a good husband and a good father and — thanks to lots of practice — a good golfer. Our problem is not that he’s a bad person. Our problem is that he’s a bad president.”

A few days ago, “We Are Golf,” which is a pro-golf lobby group, wrote a letter urging Senator Marco Rubio (and others) to stop cracking wise about President Obama’s “passion for golf”:

“As we enter the final stretch of campaign season,” the group writes, “we write to make a request we hope you will receive in the same spirit in which it is offered. Please reconsider your political strategy of criticizing President Obama’s passion for golf.” (Emphasis theirs.)

Have you ever heard anybody say “I’m not going to the course today because Marco Rubio made a joke about Obama’s golfing”? Me neither. Besides, if “We Are Golf” wanted to help the industry, they should have sent a letter to President Obama last year after he advised people forced to cut back during this “recovery” to skip going out to dinner and put off taking vacations — which would presumably in many cases include a few rounds of golf. If anything’s a detriment to the golfing industry, it’s the Obama economy. Before too long the only way golf courses will be able to make money will be if they start accepting food stamps.

But this might help explain the real motivation behind the laughable effort to put the kibosh on more “Obama golfing while the world burns” mockery:

The Daily Caller has learned that Tony Podesta, a well-known Democratic lobbyist with strong ties to the Obama White House, is behind the We Are Golf coalition of golfing organizations that has sent letters to Republicans such as Florida Sen. Marco Rubio asking them to cut out the criticism of Obama’s golfing habits. Melissa Low, a spokeswoman for the Club Managers Association of America, confirmed to TheDC on Thursday that Podesta was hired to help with the coalition. Other groups supporting the coalition include the PGA of America, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and the National Golf Course Association of America. “The Podesta Group was retained to assist with advocacy and public relations for the coalition in early 2010,” Low said in response to an email from TheDC. Tony Podesta formed the Podesta Group in 1988 with his brother, John Podesta, who led Obama’s transition effort.

I’m thinking about starting an organization that would more effectively help the industry: “The Coalition of People Seeking to Defeat Obama and Improve the Economy so More People Can Afford to Play Golf.” On November 6th, join the CPSDOIESMPCAPG in making a real change that will be beneficial to all industries, including golf. That’s no joke.

Podesta can rest easy, because there will be no “Obama is golfing again” jokes to be made today. Instead, cue the “Obama’s got more fundraisers today” jokes.

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