Obama returning to Martha's Vineyard for vacation

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

WASHINGTON (AP) - The first summer vacation of President Barack Obama's second term is taking him back to Martha's Vineyard, resuming his White House tradition of an August break on the well-heeled Massachusetts island he avoided during last year's re-election campaign.

But his return is causing a bit of an uproar among residents because the Secret Service plans to close part of a public road near the six-bedroom home Obama is renting in Chilmark, a move that would be a first for presidential vacations on the island known as a refuge for the wealthy and the well-connected.

Obama is scheduled to arrive Saturday afternoon for a nine-day stay after a stop in Orlando, Fla., to address the Disabled American Veterans national convention. He plans no official public appearances while on vacation and is due back in Washington on Aug. 18.

Since a president is never truly on vacation - just the scenery around him changes - Obama will be briefed regularly on the full range of issues, including the al-Qaida terror threat that led the government to shutter nearly two dozen embassies and consulates in the Middle East and North Africa, said White House press secretary Jay Carney.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20130810/DA82UJN80.html

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Passers-by walk past a souvenir tee shirt with President Barack Obama's name, right, at a shop in Oak Bluffs, Mass., on the island of Martha's Vineyard, Friday, Aug. 9, 2013. The first summer vacation of President Obama's second term is bringing him back to Martha's Vineyard, the well-heeled Massachusetts island. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

[CTyankee]

1. I love the Vineyard...was there during Obama's 2011 vacation. We were hoping to see Michelle and

the girls in Edgartown, shopping at Vineyard Vines or eating ice cream at Mad Martha's, but no luck!

[Divernan]

2. Nice digs: Infinity pool, 1/2 basketball court, tennis court & gym

Still, the Obamas are really roughing it this year. Downsizing from a $22.4 million house with its own private golf course to a 5,000 sq. ft., $7.6 million house. Can you say One Percenters, boys and girls?

Obamas downsize Martha's Vineyard vacation rental

President Obama is once again headed to Martha's Vineyard for a family vacation. But this time around, the Obamas are downsizing to a contemporary 5,000-square-foot property, Bloomberg's Julianna Goldman reported on Friday.

The rental house stands on 9.5 acres and has floor-to-ceiling windows, four bedrooms, and views of the Atlantic Ocean, according to Goldman. There is an attached two-bedroom guest house. It was designed by architect Rick Sundberg and completed in 2006.

"While the first family is there they can swim in the infinity pool, they could shoot hoops on a half basketball court, even hit the gym," she said in the report. "They could also play tennis on the tennis court there." The property has an estimated value of $7.6 million, and is located in the town of Chilmark, Mass.

The first family's previous vacation house was sold to British architect Norman Foster in 2011 for $22.4 million, according to Goldman. Known as the Blue Heron Farm, that 28.5-acre property featured a golf course, horse barn, and a swimming pool. The main house at that property is 5,118 square feet, while total living space covers 13,327 square feet.


http://money.msn.com/now/post--obamas-downsize-marthas-vineyard-vacation-rental

[IncessantPerfidy]

3. The well-heeled Massachusetts island?

Apparently the writers never really have been to the Vineyard. Yes there are very wealthy people who own homes and vacation there but the majority who live there make all their money for the year during the summer off of tourists and supporting the wealthy. In the off season the majority collect unemployment. The majority of the full time residents are not nor close to being well heeled. Nobody gets rich renting mopeds, driving tour busses, fishing, scooping ice cream, cleaning hotel rooms......

[Ash_F]

10. Haha...only the moneyed residents matter.

The people who make the machine work aren't people, but cogs.

[Atman]

4. "Wealthy and well-connected?"

We go to the vineyard all the time. There is a great nude beach there. The "wealthy and well-connected" all look pretty much the same when naked.

[W T F]

5. Won't be long before the right wing get their panties in a bunch because.........

Just like his white predecessors, "he's taking a vacation and spending our money" Nope, nothing racist about that.

[ctsnowman]

6. Has Fox

released the cost yet? Must be close to 200 million.

[Thor_MN]

7. $200 million? per what? Is that a daily or hourly cost?

[ctsnowman]

8. Per hour I'm sure

but we'll need an expert on such things... is sister Sarah available for comment.

[LittleGirl]

9. wow, the comments on that thread

are some of the stupidest and most racist things I've ever read. sheesh.

[alp227]

12. Excite.com doesnt have comments sections. nt

[LittleGirl]

13. oops, I meant to respond to post #2. nt

[alp227]

14. MSN and Yahoo comments sections = dirtier than a compost bin. nt

[Aristus]

11. Oh God; this will bring the repuke maggots festering out of the rotting corpse of the GOP.

"See? he'z on vacashun agin! This is like th' forty-eleventh time he'z bin! An' it costs me a million-billion-trillion-bzillion dolers ever time he goes!"