Of course, Nero didn't sit idly by while Rome burned. There is ample evidence that he did as most chief executives are supposed to do: he directed, marshaled resources, etc. But, at some point, the rumor started that he was seen playing his lyre (a stringed instrument), and a rumor was all that was needed to condemn Nero to history's waste bin as the leader who created the cliche. The same cliche, I might add, that was applied to President Bush when the photo was released of him peering out his Air Force One window looking down at New Orleans after Katrina had hit.
But in that case, President Bush was there, on scene - albeit, above the scene.
This is one of those pictures, and one of those moments, that will go down in Presidential history as one that should not have happened. Certainly I don't begrudge a guy making picks for March Madness, and there's certainly nothing wrong with taking advantage of the perks of the Presidency to get onto ESPN and talk about something non-work related and fun.
But, juxtaposed to Afghanistan, Libya, Japan, staggering annual budget deficits, the economy, a stubbornly high unemployment rate, high fuel prices raising the cost of living, etc, etc, etc., I'm sure some of his staffers have their palms planted firmly on their foreheads thinking, "this is not the picture we wanted out there."
