Obama Ditches Press Pool To Take Daughters To Aquatic Park

UPDATES:

More from the Obama press pool:

Dec. 26, 2008 Waimanalo, Hawaii Pool Report No. 5

President-elect Barack Obama arrived at Sea Life Park, a marine amusement
park in Waimanalo, about 12:10 p.m. He is apparently inside the park with
daughters Malia and Sasha. He left their Kailua vacation home without the
protective press pool.

Your pool arrived at the park about 1:10 p.m. and are holding outside the
park to await instructions on whether we will have access to the Obamas.

Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt issued the following statement to your pool:
"With no further scheduled events for the day, a lid was called until
further notice. The President-elect decided to take the girls to a water
park and we assembled the pool as quickly as possible."

The park is nestled along the shoreline in the sparsely populated and
scenic Waimanalo area, with soaring volcanic mountains nearby.

For the first time on his Hawaii vacation, it appears Obama gave the press pool that follows him the slip. From the Obama press pool report:

Dec. 26, 2008 Pool report No. 4 Kailua, Hawaii

President-elect Barack Obama left his vacation home with daughters Malia
and Sasha about 11:45 a.m. His motorcade left without the pool, the first
time he has done so on this Hawaiian vacation. Your pool, which had a lid,
was not informed in time and is now en route to the Kailua home to be swept
by Secret Service. Pool will attempt to meet up with the Obamas shortly.

The Obamas are apparently at Sea Life Park, a marine amusement park near
Waimanalo and Bellows Air Force Station.

Updates to come once the pool is taken to the park.

Comments

[08politicaljunkie]

The New York Times printed this article too. Perhaps this is the reason there is a decline in newspaper sales.

[CeeCee]

To the press pool: What did they have for breakfast?????

[pumped4Obama]

To the press pool - Leave the man alone, for god's sake. Be nice, and maybe he'll give you some photo ops, when he wants!

Geesh!

[NotMcCain]

On CNN they are officially calling themselves "the protective press pool."

Will anyone ever ask these people HOW, exactly, they deserve to be called, "protective"?

Of course not. The press is beyond question (and also get to have privacy on their vacations).

[megacephalus]

next we'll have to know EXCLUSIVE whether OTMN is a 'crumpler' or a 'folder'...

[inluvwkeitholbermann]

the press really should take a day off........

[little]

LOL, even the most mundane tasks are being covered by the press corps. Soon we will be reporting when Obama brushes his teeth!

[markproulx]

Why can't people leave the man and his family alone? Why are people so obsessed with every little thing they do? Stop being so voyeuristic. Get off your asses and do something useful. Shovel some snow. Clean out the garage. Take a brisk walk. Write that letter you've been meaning to get to. Do something constructive for your community. Spend some time with your kid.

[spartanmom]

Just heard this rebroadcast and had to share

http://www.npr.org/programs/waitwait/archrndwn/2005/aug/050806.waitwait.html

Scroll down and listen to the "Not My Job" segment

[myjs]

Love it!

[soupson52]

Thank you! What a treat!

[ByersL]

It is NOT an amusement park. There are no rides, and it's heavily focused on protecting nature.

[linfort]

We all need to follow Obama's example and spend some quality time with our families, friends, etc. Let us all send a message to the Press that we are no longer interested, because we have better things to do than to watch every move a politician or celebrity makes. The paparazzi and press have conditioned us to think that we have a right to see these people do every day tasks and errands in their lives and stalk them mercilessly. But it is up to US to make them stop by getting interested in other things. We need the press to report news, policy, big changes, but let's let the minutia of their lives be their own. This is CHANGE I can live with and will help relieve stress for a lot of "celebrities". We have the power to make this change.

[DedicatedDiva]

Linfort, I could not agree with you more. However, I think your philosophy should be expanded to include not just the Press, although they are a huge component, but we, as a nation have much more important work to do. President Elect Obama won because our nation is sick and tired of being sick and tired! He has inspired us to take control of our destiny individually and collectively. That's why we voted for him. Instead of allowing the "press" to dictate to us, let's dictate to them. Unless we start getting more information that is useful, timely and not just entertaining, then they lose readers, watchers and listeners. I think this should happen from the bottom up - starting with local news. I think my community could benefit greatly from local news that does not magnify what is wrong, but brings to light what is right and/or what can be done to make things right for all of its citizens. Let's remember that what unites us far outweighs our differences and that strength is what creates a world we all want to live in.

[Syncoptic1]

Hear, hear! I'm proud to say I'm doing my part by keeping the resident idiot box dark and cold when I need to know what's happening out there. FOX news sure isn't going to tell us, folks.

[NoNotAgain]

Is there anything sacred anymore ? Who is this protective press ?
I am so sick of these celebrities and the press who have made them
to be gods for us to worship.

I remember when only the young were obsessed with the private lives
of the so-called stars.Now we as a nation have lost it .Are we so unhappy
with our own lives that the only escape is to become consumed with the lives
of others.

More than twenty years ago I blacked- out the news. I became sick and tired
of blood and gut news and chaos. Where is the sunshine ? and we wonder
why so many people are sad and hopeless.

Was it in the Wizard of Oz "don't bring me no bad news.

[JulieSA]

This is one of those swim-with-­the-dolphi­ns places. Another news report said the Obamas saw a dolphin show there. Sounds like fun.

[leatherbunny]

Ok, was great seeing the picture of him in his trunks. Now leave him the F alone!

[Jazzman323]

Obama is soooo cool.

[GravitonX]

Keep security tight.

[marka]

Even the President Elect deserves some privacy and family time. Mr. Obama's efforts as a husband and involved parent is one of the most impressive things about him. He's being a dad--good on him.

[StrongObamaHeart]

The Press should be in the Plumbers Union, all they do is look for leaks and most of their stories should go down the toilet...