Malia and Sasha Obama’s Summer Vacation – It’s not all about Disney and Ice cream
by MikeScholtes on Aug.05, 2009, under Obama
Malia and Sasha’s Summer Vacation – It’s not all about Disney and Ice cream
Two of the most famous tweens in the world – Malia and Sasha Obama – are enjoying the long summer break from school just like millions of their peers across the country.
As the children of the President of the United States of America it is perhaps inevitable that their summer activities will be just a little more exciting than the average kid’s summer holiday. They have indeed spent long summer afternoons lounging around at Camp David, swooned over the Jonas Brothers, and spent time taking in the splendors of the Eiffel Tower. But typical of the style of parenting First Lady Michelle Obama prefers their long vacation is not all about fun and games.
On a recent trip to Ghana the Obamas took their daughters to see an old slave port and according to the President used the opportunity to educate their girls about both sides of the slave trade. He said that he asked them to imagine how they might feel if they were suddenly snatched away from Mom and Dad to be sent to a strange land, but he also encouraged them to imagine the life and motives of the slave traders as well. The exercise Mr. Obama said was to “make sure that they are constantly asking themselves questions about whether they are treating people fairly and — and whether they are examining their own behavior and how it affects others.”
Other learning opportunities for the girls have included a meeting with the Pope and a visit to Moscow.
Not everybody is cheering the Obamas on in their efforts to provide a meaningful first summer in the White House though.
Last month a Republican Senator, Charles E. Grassley suggested that President Obama had “some nerve” taking his family on a sightseeing tour of Paris when he should be at home focusing on health care reform issues. A Philadelphia Daily News columnist John Baer was similarly disapproving, writing a piece in which he pondered how families forced to cancel their summer vacations because they had lost their jobs felt about the Obama’s plans to vacation in the tony Martha’s Vineyard area at the end of August.
White House officials are quick to point out that the Obama’s cover the costs of all personal travel out of their own pocket and that the everyday stress of Presidential life makes such breaks almost a necessity.
August 5th, 2009 on 3:58 pm
I heard the agreement for the release of the 2 journalists in North Korea requires an exchange of the 2 Obama children’s imprisonment under hard labor in North Korea.
August 5th, 2009 on 4:27 pm
DID YOU ANY ONE QUESTION OTHER WHITE PRESIDENT WHERE AND WHY THEY TOOK VACATIONS?RACISM IS SHOWING UP ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. I HAVE CHILDREN OLDER THAN OBAMA AND I REMEMBER WHEN I COULD NOT EAT IN ANY RESTERANT IN NC .COULD YOU CORRECT THE SPELLING MR. JOURANLIST I AM JUST A POOR BLACK WOMEN THAT NEVER WAS TAUGHT CHEMISTY OR SCIENCE CLASSES DUE TO RACE, I WALKED PASS A WHITE SCHOOL EVERYDAY 2 MILES IN THE WINTER NO SCHOOL BUS FOR BLACKS.I HAVE BECOME SOMETHING IN SPITE OF ALL THE THING THAT WAS DONE TO ME BY WHITES NOW YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT MR PRESIDENT TAKING A VACATION. ARE YOU PAYING FOR IT.GOD BLESS EVERYONE OF OUR WHITE CITIZEN AND I LOVE EACH OF YOU BUT LET THE TRUTH BE TOLD. TO GOD BE THE GLORY.
August 5th, 2009 on 5:03 pm
How wonderful for the Obama girls to enjoy such travels-but wouldn’t it have been nice if their parents had suggested to their daughters to take just a couple of days out of their summer break to do a little charitable work? After all, Obama is encouraging America’s youth to step up & do charity work, I think his idea should apply to his own kids as well.
August 5th, 2009 on 5:18 pm
Leave the family alone. Imagine how hard they worked to get where they are today. We as americans should be so proud to have overcome diversity. You abviously have a way to go.
August 5th, 2009 on 5:30 pm
These petty Republicans need to get a life. Perhaps they too should a vacation, and even consider taking a permanent one from public service, if all they can continue to do is to put roadblocks in the way of much-needed progress by wasting time with their ridiculous bickering and false accusations.
August 5th, 2009 on 7:06 pm
Enough already. Give the man a break he only inherited the biggest mess ever in the US.
August 5th, 2009 on 8:43 pm
As for senator Grasley, go get a life..you are so caught up with special interest groups that I would not want the president to sit around waiting for you to do something about Health care..you are the party of No, anyway and won’t vote yes on the final bill anyhow. Go get a life, or don’t run for re election and do the country a favor. as for the reporter in Philly..be thankful you still have a job, the stuff you write the public is tired of , that’s why papers are shutting down..
August 5th, 2009 on 10:02 pm
Maybe the Obamas should give Martha’s Vineyard a miss, it is a bit like a slap in the face for all the people who will not get a vacation this year.
August 5th, 2009 on 10:21 pm
I adore watching this elegant family…their dedication to their children is an awsome roll model for America…I hope we have the joy of welcoming a 3rd little Obama into the White House…it would be heartwarming…
August 6th, 2009 on 12:59 am
How convenient that those trash-talking Republicans have already forgotten that their boy Bushie spent nearly his entire two terms at his Texas ranch. Oh yeah, that’s right, Republicans have no accountability I forgot sorry.
August 6th, 2009 on 1:16 am
If President Obama was being remiss with his duties to the American people then it would be fair to criticize him. But every hard working individual that contributes fairly should have the right to take a vacation when deemed necessary…
I personally do not see anything wrong with our President and his family taking a vacation. While I understand there’s a struggle going on it doesn’t mean he should be prohibited from vacationing, especially if they can afford to indulge in some time away… We all need or could use a break from work and other things that keeps us from spending time with our family.
August 6th, 2009 on 4:09 am
It’s funny that the republicans are so critical of all that Obama does but aren’t really offering any alternatives. Nobody works 24/7, even though as President he is basically on call all the time. Those same Republicans were not complaining when this mess was bein created and Bush was at the ranch. I think they are afraid that they are about to be dogged the same way that they’ve been dogging people for years.
August 6th, 2009 on 12:59 pm
I would like to know why these 2 women got picked up the the NKoren police in the first place. they looked like all the ppl on the street so what made them stand out..who turned them in?
August 7th, 2009 on 4:23 am
To put a little perspective on President Obama’s “vacation” in Martha’s Vineyard consider these presidents’ “holidays.” Ronald Reagan and GW Bush took more vacation days than any other presidents to date. GW Bush “spent 466 days presidency on his ranch in Crawford, TX; 142 at Camp David. Bush beat the presidential vacation-time record holder,the late Ronald Reagan, who tallied 436 days in his two terms. By comparison, Carter took the least-just 79 days and all of them at his farm in Georgia. Clinton totaled 179 vacation days during his two terms.
August 8th, 2009 on 6:45 am
For President Obama, trying to get any cooperation from the GOP must be like pulling gnats teeth …
If any one person deserves a bit of time away from the stress of office, he does !
August 9th, 2009 on 3:09 am
Here’s the difference between Bush/Reagan and Obama.
Bush and Reagan didnt use Crisis and Catastrophe as every other word when discussing the economy and the envirnoment the way Obama does. Yet he see’s fit to spend over 15 million taxpayer dollars on a vacation to France. Thats money out of my pocket. In addition that vacation required the movement of at least 6 large jets and an entire MArine Helo detachment plus all the Secret Service vehicles. Nice little Carbon footprint.
August 9th, 2009 on 12:36 pm
That’s right! I’m marching right into my boss’s office on Monday morning to tell him that I don’t think it’s right for me to take vacation this year. Lighten up people. It’s a job. Now everyone has to have an opinion about where he takes his kids on vacation? Get a life. Better yet – take a little time off!
August 10th, 2009 on 9:22 am
REPUBLICAN’S ARE MAD BECAUSE THINGS THAT, THEY HAVE BEEN GETTING AWAY WITH FOR YEARS,HAVE BEEN EXPOSE,EXAMPLE-SOME OF THEIR $10,000 OR $20,000 BOOTIE CALL BILL A WEEK!!!,IT’S SOME RICH CALL-GIRL’S AND THEY ARE RICH WITH OUR TAX MONEY. LOOK AT HOW THAT
BOOTIE-MONEY COULD HAVE HELPED OUR HEALTH-CARE!.BUSH WAS ON VACATION WHEN (KATERNIA) HIT NEW-ORLEAN HE
DIDN’T CUT HIS FAMILY VACATION SHORT,AND IT WAS THOUSAND’S OF PEOPLES SUFFERING,I FORGOT THEY WERE
MOSTLY BLACK PEOPLES.LET’S KEEP THE TRUTH GOINGING NOW
THE BIBLE TELL US “THE TRUTH WILL SET US FREE”. LET’S NOT FORGET ALSO “ALL THOSES WHO AGAIN’T OBAMA HEALTH-
PLAN,”THEY AND THEIR FAMILIES HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE” WAKE- UP PEOPLES THE”REPUBLICAN’S DON’T CARE ABOUT YOU!.THEY DON’T LIKE HOW THEY ARE BEENING “EXPOSE”. LOOK AT THEIR SPENTING IN THE PAST,I BELIEVE IT’S MORE PEOPLES HAVE TOOK MORE”MILLIONS” THAN THAT MAN BUT HAVEN’T GOT EXPOSE YET!. THE REPUBLICAN’S ARE AGAIN’T ANY THING “MR. OBAMA BOTTOM-LINE HE IS A BLACK
MAN,AND THAT’S THE REAL!”. PEOPLE’S WE BETTER GET ALL
THOSES REPUBLICAN’S OUT OF OFFICE,THAT ONLY SMILES WITH US WHEN THEY “NEED OUR VOTE” THEY ARE THE ONE’S THAT’S “EVIL”. THE MORE MONEY MR. OBAMA SPENT FOR ALL
THE PEOPLES,WHITE’S,BLACK’S,RED,YELLOW. IT CUT THEIR
SPENTING,BIG-BONUS MILLIONS EVERY-YEAR,LET DO CHECK ON
SOME OF THE “REPUBLICAN’S SPENTING” YOU WOULD BE SHOCK! WHAT THEY PAY FOR WITH OUR TAX- DOLLAR!!!!
August 10th, 2009 on 4:55 pm
Bush or rudely called Bushie used his ranch for working not for vacation. Get your facts straight. As for Mary who just had to bring race into the conversation shut your racist mouth and just accept Obama for who he is a person just like every other person on this planet.
August 10th, 2009 on 6:06 pm
Amended Comment: With all the chaos in the world today, there are many issues that President Obama must deal with. To bicker about the President and family taking a vacation is nonsense. First of all, the man is called to make very serious decisions for the well-being of the United States. I think the President deserves some time in which to relax in order to refresh himself for the many trials and tribulations he is required to face. I can’t imagine being in the President’s shoes. In conclusion, instead of criticizing President Obama, let us continue to keep him and his family in prayer, and may God continue to bless them in every area of their lives.
August 11th, 2009 on 3:45 am
I think it is a crying shame, everything this family does is commented on and usually in a negative manner. He has inherited a big mess, he and his family deserve a vacation just like everyone else that works for it. HIs predessors went on vacations and ski trips and nothing was ever said, please leave them alone. I take several vacations every year and me nor my husband work nearly as hard as the President and Mrs. Obama.