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Cutouts of U.S. President Barack Obama (L), former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (C) and First Lady Michelle Obama wear T-shirts in a shop window display in Edgartown, Massachusetts August 23, 2010. The first family is spending their summer vacation on the island of Martha's Vineyard. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

VINEYARD HAVEN — The first family had an answer yesterday to those who said they were perhaps a little too reclusive while on the island. On the first full day of their Martha's Vineyard vacation, the Obamas were almost Clintonesque, first traveling to a Vineyard Haven bookstore before the president took in a round of golf in the early afternoon, followed by the first appearance of first lady Michelle Obama, who took the girls for ice cream in Oak Bluffs. At a press conference yesterday, White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton said President Barack Obama has a relatively spontaneous...

As President Obama is now in Martha's Vineyard for his 6th apparent vacation of the year here is a headline from The Drudge Report: Martha's Vineyard waters contaminated with fecal bacteria .......still no word if he'll be a man and fess up to it. (It's Bush's fault) By the way, while this is going on Drudge leads with... Well, I hope his vacation is as happy as our enemies are about to be. The Looking Spoon is a conservative humor/satire/art/commentary blog, visit www.thelookingspoon.com to see more posts and art

Today we learn that upon Obama's arrival in Martha's Vineyard, the waters are discovered contaminated with fecal bacteria. There's Obama's problem in a nutshell: Everything he touches turns to fecal bacteria. Here's America's problem: Obama touches everything.

US President Barack Obama, seen here in Miami on August 18, on Thursday slammed his Republican foes for stalling a bill to spur job creation, as he left for a 10-day vacation amid more grim US unemployment figures. (AFP/File/Jewel Samad)

Obamas to begin sixth holiday of the year The Obama family will begin their sixth holiday of the year today, an 11-day sojourn in Martha’s Vineyard, the island destination of the wealthy and well-connected American elite. By Toby Harnden, Washington Published: 8:18PM BST 18 Aug 2010 President Barack Obama will be accompanied by his wife Michelle and daughters Malia, 12, and Sasha, nine, and are expected to stay at the historic Blue Heron Farm in Chilmark. Bill Burton, the deputy White House press secretary, said that the US president was “going to spend a little time recharging his batteries” at...

The White House today confirmed what many islanders have been anticipating for weeks: The first family will return to Martha's Vineyard for vacation next month. President Obama and his family are scheduled to vacation on the island from Aug. 19 to Aug. 29.

The conventional wisdom these days is that the best shot for Democrats heading into the November elections in marginal districts is for the president to raise money and lower his profile. Just send checks. Events after 7 p.m. Closed to the press. This is not an election Democrats want to "nationalize." Better to keep it local. Better to run as your own man or woman, not as the president's best friend. Republicans, by contrast, will spend as much time as they can running against the president. If his popularity is down to his base (low 40s), that means voters in...

The White House today confirmed what many islanders have been anticipating for weeks: The first family will return to Martha's Vineyard for vacation next month. President Obama and his family are scheduled to vacation on the island from Aug. 19 to Aug. 29. The White House did not provide details on the getaway, but the Globe reported earlier this month that a reservation company has been holding rooms across the Vineyard for the contingent of staff who travel with the president.

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama is taking his family back to Martha's Vineyard, Mass., for summer vacation next month. The White House announced the vacation plans on Friday, one day after disclosing that the Obamas would overnight somewhere along Florida's oil-threatened Gulf Coast on the weekend of Aug. 14.

Waiting for Superman is the new documentary by the same people who made An Inconvenient Truth, and this film sets out to do with regard to public education in America what its predecessor did with regard to climate and energy policy. That is, to expose the manifest failings of the system, point to the culprits for those failings and, finally, to suggest remedies. Making the case that the American education system is failing is probably the least contentious part of that process. The statistics on American educational underachievement are far less disputed than those on global warming. And the movie...

Cindy Sheehan brings Camp Casey to Martha’s Vineyard. Meanwhile, the mainstream media is as apathetic about her new protest as they are about an Afghan body count. As the President’s strategy in Afghanistan appears to be failing worse than his economic policies, and his promise to end American military involvements overseas is withering alongside health care reform, recalling those lofty promises from last year’s campaign is like looking at a marriage proposal from the other side of a Las Vegas hangover. Outside a short article by the AP there is very little coverage of Cindy Sheehan. The woman who once...

President Barack Obama and his family returned to the White House today from a weeklong vacation on Martha's Vineyard interrupted by some big national stories. But the president is planning to take the rest of the week off. "The president will continue his vacation through the end of the week,'' the White House press secretary announced this evening -- with a note that the media will be informed "if any public events are added to the schedule.''

THOSE rumors of an imminent Chelsea Clinton wedding have picked up steam. A Post reporter yesterday spotted preparations in full gear for a very large gathering on Chappaquiddick island.

WEST TISBURY, Mass. — President Barack Obama spent his last day on a Martha's Vineyard vacation buying ice cream treats at a general store and a cookie at a nearby deli. Obama and his daughters took a quick Sunday morning trip to Alley's General Store. Wearing a White Sox cap and jeans, the president made an unscheduled stop at the small village just up the street from his rented Chilmark farm. The jaunt was one of the few times reporters have seen the president in public with his daughters.

RUSH: President Obama has arrived at Marxist Vineyard, has told the press no coverage, just leave us alone, we don't want any coverage here, just leave us alone. I feel like waiting for the next headline on Drudge to be: "People to President: Leave Us Alone! Keep your hands off our health care; keep your hands off our Social Security; keep your hands off everything, just stay up there in Marxist Vineyard with your buddy skip Gates and go play a couple rounds of golf." In fact, I have a very good friend -- I wonder if I should say...

First Lady Michelle Obama hits her head while boarding a smaller version of Air Force One.

Beneath its idyllic exterior, Martha's Vineyard – beloved holiday destination of America's well-heeled – is rife with depression, alcoholism, drug abuse and domestic violence. America's First Family will wave goodbye to Martha's Vineyard tomorrow after a week's holiday on an island whose name is rarely uttered without the epithet "idyllic". As President Obama flies his family back home to Washington, they will rapidly be followed by an armada of private jets from the tiny local airport. After next weekend's Labour Day holiday, the exodus of billionaire businessmen, media tycoons and Hollywood stars who summer on the island will be complete....

Perhaps President Obama didn't want to look uncool on his bike ride Thursday, but his decision to skip the helmet had safety experts banging their heads. Obama, on vacation with his family in Martha's Vineyard, joined the First Lady and his daughters yesterday for a ride in Aquinnah, a town at the western, most rural end of the island. The President appeared to be the only one with no helmet. Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, an advocacy group in New York, speculated the President might have been concerned about his image. "Helmets look goofy - you look...

Bill Clinton was famous for the creative way he kept score. Both George Bushes would speed-golf through 18 holes as if they had to beat the clock, not the course. And President Obama? Long, slow rounds. A lot of time hunting for balls in the woods. All dished up with a dollop of trash-talking. The First Golfer brought his duffer’s game to Martha’s Vineyard this week. By Thursday, Mr. Obama had logged three golf games in four days, appearing at one island course after another. He spent five hours on Monday afternoon playing 18 holes at the Farm Neck Golf...