With Congress already out of town, Bush was leaving Washington right after the question-and-answer session for a three-night stay at his father's oceanfront compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, where he is attending the wedding of a friend. On Saturday, Bush also will meet over lunch at his parents' home with France's new president, Nicolas Sarkozy. The French leader is vacationing at an estate on Lake Winnipesaukee in Wolfeboro, N.H., about 50 miles away.
The president is to return to the White House on Sunday and then head out the next day to spend most of the rest of the month at his Texas ranch and traveling.