Yesterday, Jay Carney actually attempted to make the case that Barack Obama spends more time on official duties than he does campaigning:

“I still maintain that the president is still spending a vast preponderance of his time on his official duties. As is everyone who works here,” White House press secretary Jay Carney said at Wednesday’s briefing when asked if Obama is officially in campaign mode.

“There is a campaign of course and it is active doing the things that it does in preparation for the time when there is a general election for the other party and there is a debate to be had directly,” he said.

Yeah. Right. Obama doesn’t campaign very much — and Ed Morrissey doesn’t write very many blog posts.

As Eric Bolling said at the start of “The Five” today, “Snookie and The Situation have GTL — gym, tan and laundry — and President Obama has GCF — golf, campaign and fundraise.”

To recap: Obama has golfed at least 92 times as president, used his American Jobs Act and now high gas prices as an excuse to make speeches across the country as part of his “official business” … and attended some 100 fundraisers during his first term in office.

Nobody blames Obama for wanting to win reelection. As just one reason I’d expect him to want to campaign again, he promised that his administration wouldn’t rest “until every American who is able and ready and willing to work can find a job.”That’s certainly not gonna happen in his first term — hence the need for another. (Although … If he promised he wouldn’t rest, why all the golf?)

No, what’s bothersome is that Obama actually thinks he can pass off his reelection efforts as “official business.” Even The Washington Post admits the White House is in full reelection mode:

Thursday seemed to mark a significant shift in approach and intensity, with overtly political speeches by President Obama and Vice President Biden and the release of a 17-minute documentary-style testimonial celebrating what the administration considers its most significant achievements.

The documentary, narrated by Academy Award winner Tom Hanks, is called “The Road We’ve Traveled,” but it has everything to do with what lies ahead.

Although it was produced weeks ago, the documentary’s release comes amid a spate of recent bad news for the president, including some of the lowest approval ratings of his presidency, news that his fundraising efforts have been less robust than expected and some political fallout from rising gasoline prices. …

Senior White House advisers profess not to be concerned about the ratings slump, dismissing the results as not reflective of the nation’s true mood about the president, who has recently overseen an upturn in job creation. …

White House aides declined to declare any of Obama’s or Biden’s appearances campaign events, other than fundraisers at private venues.

Face it: One of Obama’s greatest strengths is his ability to campaign; it’s what won him election when he had no experience. By now, though, Americans should realize that we can do better. Out with the Campaigner-in-Chief; in with a Commander-in-Chief!

Click the image to watch.