Obama Maine Vacation

It's summer vacation time for Obama and his family.

Last year, Obama opted for Martha's Vineyard, staying at Blue Heron Farm, a $20 million compound.

This year, the Obamas are heading up to Bar Harbor, Maine.

From CNN:

President Obama and his family leave Friday for a weekend getaway to Maine, but along with a little rest and relaxation comes criticism that the president is taking it easy with the Gulf of Mexico oil crisis in a critical phase.

The Obamas plan to spend the weekend on Mount Desert Island, home of Acadia National Park. The trip marks the president's third vacation since the oil disaster began in April.

The Republican National Convention launched a website blasting what it considers Obama's "leisure activities or missteps" during the oil disaster, like playing golf, attending concerts and vacationing in Asheville, North Carolina; Chicago, Illinois; and now Maine.

Obama has also faced criticism for scheduling a trip up north, instead of vacationing in the Gulf, as he advised other Americans to do.

"Presidents are certainly entitled to vacation, just like everybody else, but there is a fine line as to when presidents should do it, what they should and where they should do it," said Brad Blakeman, a former member of President George W. Bush's senior staff and the deputy assistant for appointments and scheduling.

"Presidents have to be cognizant of the fact that everything they do is going to be scrutinized," said Blakeman, who also is a professor for Georgetown University's Semester in Washington program.

God knows President Bush was "scrutinized" for the time he spent at his ranch in Crawford, Texas.

...CBS's Mark Knoller, who keeps track of presidents' comings and goings, calculated that Bush spent all or part of 977 days at Camp David or in Texas during his two terms.

Even though as Paul Begala says, "The president is the president wherever he is," Bush was, and continues to be, mercilessly slammed by the Left for his "vacation" time away from Washington.

Naturally, the lib media aren't critical of Obama and family for having a weekend getaway in Bar Harbor, Maine. They prefer to direct their criticism at the Republicans for criticizing Obama.

A little about Bar Harbor:

Residents of this Down East retreat of granite mountains, fragrant forests, and fog-veiled ocean inlets prefer to respect the privacy of its many well-heeled residents and visitors. And they take pride in not losing their heads over the A-list celebrities who shop their stores, dine in their restaurants, and hike their trails.

So when President Obama arrives on Mount Desert Island today for a weekend family vacation, he can expect a reception as cool as the light salt breeze that wafts over Frenchman’s Bay. And that should suit Obama just fine. The president guards his family’s privacy jealously during personal down time. No public events are scheduled; the White House has said only that the Obamas will be spending a lot of time outdoors and doing some hiking.

Local residents and business owners are reacting to the visit with the reserve Mainers are famous for. No Obama banners will festoon the streets of Bar Harbor, the largest of the island’s four towns. Restaurants on Main Street are not selling Obama burgers. Gift shops are not flogging Obama bobblehead dolls. Yesterday, only a few storefronts advertised the president’s visit in any way. One, Cool as a Moose, had a small display that featured a few “Yes We Can’’ refrigerator magnets framing pictures of the First Couple dressed in the kind of summer wear on sale in the store.

Restaurants on Main Street may not be selling Obama burgers, but there is an Obama Bar Harbor ice cream flavor created in honor of the presidential visit.

The First Family will fly into Maine on Friday to spend the weekend in Bar Harbor.

Merchants in Bar Harbor see the president's visit as free advertising for the next few days.

Ben and Bill's Chocolate Emporium has created a special flavor of ice cream -- Commander-In-Chief Chip. It has red and blue stripes, complete with chocolate chips.

Some residents are concerned about the traffic congestion and delays. Acadia National Park will remain open during President Obama's visit, but there could be delays and detours for other visitors.

Not that "Commander-In-Chief Chip" is an indication of locals "losing their heads," but it's not as if residents are ignoring the Obama vacation.

This little 48-hour weekend trip is not to be confused with Obama's summer vacation. More rest and relaxation for the guy who promises he will not rest is rumored to be in the works.

From the Cape Cod Times:

Obamas likely to return to Vineyard

Obama is coming, Obama is coming! Maybe.

President Barack Obama and family — wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia — are rumored to be making a return 10-day visit to Martha's Vineyard one month from now, according to the Boston Herald.

A White House official did not return several e-mail messages yesterday seeking confirmation.

The first family will reportedly vacation at Blue Heron Farm in Chilmark, the same spot as last year, arriving on or about Aug. 19, anonymous Island sources told the Herald's Inside Track.

The 28-acre farm is owned by William and Mollie Van Devender, who bought the property for $20 million in 2005. It overlooks Tisbury Great Pond and boasts views of surrounding pasture and Pond View Farm, which is an active horse farm.

Although residents and business owners on Martha's Vineyard have been aware of the rumors for months, no one the Times contacted yesterday knew whether the Obama family was coming back for sure.

Just remember that Obama's leisure time "does us all good."



Transcript

Q Some Republicans are equating the President’s weekend golf games with Tony Hayward’s yacht. I wonder first, is that fair? And if it’s not fair, is it really fair to take off after Tony Hayward’s yachting?

BILL BURTON, DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY: Well, for starters, I welcomed his yacht to the Gulf. So I don't know if that's taking off on it. But secondly, I don't think that there’s a person in this country that doesn’t think that their President ought to have a little time to clear his mind. And so after a week where the President was taking on the oil spill, got an historic agreement with BP to put aside $20 billion to pay claims; after a day on Friday when he strengthened lobbying ethics rules in the White House; after going to Ohio to talk about the economy and see the progress that's being made in some of those stimulus projects that are happening around the country -- all the different issues that the President is dealing with, I think that a little bit of time to himself on Father’s Day weekend probably does us all good as American citizens that our President is taking that time.

As an American citizen, do you feel the benefits from Obama's time off? It's supposed to do you good.

Actually, any time Obama spends not pushing his radical agenda down my throat is OK with me.

I wish he'd spend even more hours out on the golf course, in Maine, on Martha's Vineyard, in Hawaii, Europe, wherever -- and less time enacting his Leftist policies.