President spends first day of Hawaii vacation golfing in Kaneohe
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
President Barack Obama walks with daughter Sasha, left, as First Lady Michelle Obama walks with daughter Malia at right after arriving aboard Air Force One this morning.
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
President Barack Obama walks with daughter Sasha, left, as First Lady Michelle Obama walks with daughter Malia at right after arriving aboard Air Force One this morning.
President Barack Obama is spending his first day of vacation in Hawaii at the golf course after arriving early this morning on Air Force 1.
The president left his Kailua vacation home at 12:22 p.m. and arrived at Marine Corps Base Hawaii a few minutes later.
Obama is golfing with White House travel aides Joe Paulsen and Mike Brush; and high school friend Bobby Titcomb.
The president and his family landed at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam shortly after 2 a.m., more than an hour after originally scheduled.
The late hour precluded the president’s usual routine of exchanging greetings with state officials and shaking hands with soldiers and their families.
Admiral Harry B. Harris, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command and his wife greeted the president, who offered just a quick wave as he deplaned side by side with daughter Sasha, followed closely by wife Michelle and elder daughter Malia, on his way to the awaiting motorcade.
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The Obamas stopped in California en route from Washington, D.C. to meet with the families of 14 people slain in the Dec. 2 shootings in San Bernardino.
The carnage here took place when Syed Rizwan Farook, an American citizen, and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, a Pakistani national who came to the United States on a fiancée visa, entered a training session and holiday party for county workers and opened fire. The couple later died in a shootout with the police.
Before the attack, Malik had declared her allegiance to the Islamic State, investigators have said. The massacre, coming after an Islamic State attack in Paris last month that killed 130 people, has helped drag down Mr. Obama’s approval ratings on handling terrorism.
Obama said the meetings in a high school library were “so moving” because the families were so representative of the country.
“You had people from every background, every faith. Some described loved ones who had come to this country as immigrants, others who had lived in the area all their lives, all of them extraordinarily proud of the work they were doing to keep people healthy and safe” as employees of the San Bernardino County health department, he said. “As difficult as this time is for them and for the entire community, they’re also representative of the strength and the unity and the love that exists in this community and in this country.”
Before leaving Washington, D.C. on Friday, the president reflected on the events of the past year and sounded nothing like a lame duck as he heads into his final year in office.
“Since taking this office, I have never been more optimistic about a year ahead than I am right now,” Obama said.“In 2016, I am going to leave it all on the field.”
As usual, the president has no public appearances scheduled for his 16-day stay. However, if he keeps to his holiday habits, it is likely that he will bide his time in the islands golfing with his old Punahou friends at the Kaneohe Klipper golf course, working out at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, dining at Nobu and other restaurants, and spending Christmas Day with service members and their families.
The Obamas typicaly keep a low profile on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, often staying in at their rented Kailua compound.
For Michelle Obama, the Hawaii holiday is something of a working vacation as she spends part of Christmas Eve fielding calls about Santa Claus’ trip around the world as tracked by NORAD.
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The Associated Press and the New York Times contributed to this story.
98 responses to “President spends first day of Hawaii vacation golfing in Kaneohe”
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Who is up at 2am?……go back to sleep and wake me in the morning.
“I’m certain Trump will question what happened to the almost billion dollars given in a rigged no-bid contract to college friends of Michelle Obama at foreign companies to build the defective Obamacare website. By the way, that tab is now up to $5 billion. Trump will ask if Obamacare’s architects can be charged with fraud for selling it by lying. Trump will investigate Obama’s widespread IRS conspiracy, not to mention Obama’s college records. Trump will prosecute Clinton and Obama for fraud committed to cover up Benghazi before the election. How about the fraud committed by employees of the Labor Department when they made up dramatic job numbers in the last jobs report before the 2012 election?” AUTHOR : DICK ALLGIRE
and Thump will not be constipated if he eats plenty of fiber but he’s not going to be president of anything but Trump Inc. and he can thank his daddy’s $100 million for that.
Nicely said.
Diarrhea of the mouth?
Such anger!
Trump would make an excellent President as long as no one questions his authority.
Hasn’t he bankrupted a couple of companies? Bankrupting a country would be a significantly larger problem. He should stay on reality tv, where his many shortcomings are for entertainment value only.
Hell, man we are already bankrupt. At least Trump knows how to deal with it.
Like Waterman said, Trump has been there, he knows how to deal with it. He has my vote!
Wake me up in September?
This is so good for Hawaii’s tourism image. Thank you Mr President. BTW, photo shows the Prez and his family are looking good in spite of the stress. Keeping this enormous nation lumbering along without disintegrating is a formidable task, indeed.
I’m not a fan of Obama but I love what he has done for Hawaii and Kailua Tourism. Merry Christmas First family.
Yeah Kailua is one big gridlock mess because of your comment.
agree. President Obama has done a very decent job. People quickly forget the mess Bush left with high unemployment, economic fiasco engineered by Republicans who ripped American families off and two losing wars.
Uneducated post. Did not the democrats control congress during the Bush administration? Dude – everyone is to blame, not just one party.
Agreed. I think there is enough blame to go around to all politicians. I’m not fond of professional politicians of any stripe. The founders did not really envision a permanent political caste in America. Their idea was one of giving back to the nation by service for a few years.
That said, I wish the President and his family a joyous holiday season as I wish everyone else the same.
some more than others
Contact UH and get a refund on your tuition. They are certainly not educating you in manner that will help you in later life.
Unfortunately, yes as critical thinking skills are not taught. Politically correct thinking is a poor substitute.
Can always count on Allie to spew a good rant about Bush and conservatives. Blame, blame, blame. Spoken like a true liberal where the anointed one is never to blame for anything. “Who, me?”
allie is too young to vote?
Wrong. Allie can’t vote.
Decent job? Obamacare is a complete failure. His reluctance to fight terrorism is putting Americans at risk. And he wastes time golfing is not acceptable.
you are wrong because you are misinformed. Bush slept before 9-11. Obama has been on the job.
No, my dear, Clinton’s refusal to deal with Al Queda is directly responsible for 9/11.
His methods were much like Obummers…..nothing good going to come out of it. Even Hillary is doing all she can to distance herself from both.
Hey Dunce, you do realize that George W. took almost 5 times the amount of vacation daud during his two terms for a total of almost 850 documented vacation days, compared to Obama.
You don’t have to mention about the GOP ripping us off. It’s already understood by default. It’s like saying that the sun will set in the West this evening.
Glad that he choose Hawaii to vacation. It gets our minds away from grumbling about the pothole for a while.
“hearing from the loved ones”
I suspect they talked to family, etc without first finding out if they were “loved” .
Michelle working vacation? One evening out of a 2 week vacation.
Same with the Republicans. Now they also can stop the full time bashing for two weeks, too.
She will have plenty of free time to fatten up while hubby hacks up a beautiful course.
While I respect the Office of the President of the United States, Barack Obama does not command the same.
Every President is a human being worthy of a decent vacation in Hawaii.
And yet Barack Obama occupies the office you supposedly respect. Did you take algebra?
I don’t touch any ones bra.
Thank you for your insightful comment. Now, why don’t you respect us by sharing who you are…or do you prefer to launch Presidential insults hiding behind a pen name?
Share who you are and the IRS will be at your door. C’mon man get serious. Respect is earned.
IRS? I Respect Sir(Obama).
This a holiday vacation for the 1st Family, yet there are individuals who will politicize every issue as between their party and the opposing? Tis the season to be jolly, ho ho and a Merry X-mas to you. Avoided using the usual term for this season lest someone be offended.
I’m offended that you didn’t use the usual term!
You could never offend my puppies. They will just stare right into your eyes and wag their tail.
Bah! Humbug! So there.
Better than Bah, bedbugs?
OK Newman. Just deliver your mail.
Aloha and Welcome numba 1 family. Gosh the girls are so grown, tall and beautiful. Good genes. Hope you continue visit or even live here after your presidency. I pray the weather will be bright and sunny for beaching and golfing.
Is that you doc?
My doc has a flashlight. It can get mighty dark in there.
Beauty is only in the eyes of the beholder.
Always is for overt racist…their favorite slogan is, “everything looks better with a cowardly plllow case on my head”.
Focus on the President, only.
I wonder where he will be vacationing annually when he has to pay for it himself.
Kekelaward:
Hawaii
Probably they will continue their holiday tradition since they have been visiting for 20 yrs. or so. They do pay for their own lodging and meals. So, it’s not as if everything is on the taxpayer’s dime. But, if I owned that shaved-ice stand I would give the shaved ice away to Barry and his ohana just for the publicity and photos. Get their autograph and sell it on e-Bay while I’m at it.
The big cost of the vacation is not the lodging and meals, but the use of Air Force One, the presidential jet which is the transport of the President of the United States as well as Secret Service and local law enforcement…….
It’s costing American tax payers 3.7 million dollars for Obama’s Hawaiian vacation.
Chicago… his CHOSEN home.
Keep on wondering, while I buy the Wonder bread.
Jeez do you respect anyone?
Jeez is always better than jizz?
“Admiral Harry B. Harris, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command and his wife greeted the president, who offered just a quick wave “…didn’t even have the decency to stop and at least say “Hello” to the Admiral, who came out at 0200 to greet him? What about the other folks there? Shows you this person’s character as a ‘leader’.
We all know is rating: Class rating ‘0’. Why would he pay any kind of respect to a U.S. General, he’s not muslim.
I was there, and the President stopped and chatted for a few minutes with Adm. and Mrs. Harris and a small group that was there to welcome him. The “quick wave” was for the press corps.
But, but, but… that doesn’t fit the GOP – Obama is anti-military – party line. Don’t mess them up with reasonableness or facts.
You can continue to call the future Presidents, anti-American as well.
Doesn’t fit the article.
I was not been there…
There are only five billion people on the planet. You want him to stop and shake hands with each one of them?
I guess it’s that time again, hide the homeless from the King. Clear the streets, jam the traffic, the King is back home. It’s a good thing that nothing important is happening in the world right now. Fore …… make mine a rainbow.
Actually, the worst Presidential traffic jam I ever saw on the H-1 was when Ronald Reagan’s motorcade blasted through the middle of Oahu.
Make mind, over the rainbow… by Brother, Iz.
Too many pothole on King Street in Honolulu.
One more year and it’s the final aloha,seven years of mediocrity.
Ha! I WISH for mediocrity at this point.
For 15 years we’ve been begging for an upgrade to mediocrity. Do we have any solid proof that Bush 43 and Obama are not the same guy?
One more year of what? You still have 153 more years to live.
Aloha and Merry Christmas everyone. It would be taking the high road for us all to unite ourselves as one big Ohana to wish the President and his family a pleasant and enjoyable vacation. Like him or not, He is the President of the USA and should be treated with respect as head of our great nation. To behave otherwise would give our enemies what they want – a nation of dissension within our ranks . The perfect means to disable us from being the UNITED States of America!
You mean just like all the liberals did when George Bush was president?? Gotcha, you guys can lead by example, right?
Bet you said the same generic statement when Hitler was in office. Like hime or not…
I hope our president enjoys a good, peaceful vacation with his family. He has been out here for some wet miserable weeks and embarrassing HECO power failures. I wish him good weather and good times.
I do get frustrated that whoever is in office, members of the opposing party always feign outrage that our president should take a vacation. It’s happened with every president in recent memory and it just rings hollow. I wish both parties would stop doing this.
Welcome Mr President! Relax as best you can.
Yep. If you can’t relax in Hawaii, then you can’t relax at all.
Can I still shop at that Marine base while our President is there?
What’s a vaction?
Something that a union fights very hard for you to have.
“For Michelle Obama, the Hawaii holiday is something of a working vacation as she spends part of Christmas Eve fielding calls about Santa Claus’ trip around the world as tracked by NORAD.”
I was hoping for the first lady to visit a homeless shelter, senior facility to spread cheer, a hospital visiting sick children. Instead she’s fielding calls about Santas’ trip around the world?
Good vacation. Take the rest of the year off.
I’m retired and now working for the puppies .
I hope no golf balls come flying out and hit my car while at the Marine base. Obama has a lot of strength from being taken very well care of.
Hey, OBummer is entitled to a few mulligans even on vacation.
You aren’t allowed on the Marine Base so don’t worry about it.
There is no place like home for the holidays; no matter how far away you roam. Give the Man a break. Let him enjoy time off from the most demanding job. It will still be there when he goes back.
Nice comment!
Should’ve brought Hillary with him. Her debate was completely boring and uninspiring. She’s the one that needs a vacation not Obama.
Boring is always better than the Republican’s drama anytime of the year.
Clinton-Sanders Democratic ticket is horrifying. Zero chance in the general election.
Golf, golf, golf! If he spent more time on the war, terrorism, the economy and other major problems, perhaps he would have a better handle on them. But he just ignores the problems until they want him as a mouth piece and wastes time on golf and other pursuits at the taxpayers’ dime.