Obama Family Christmas Services: President Attends Church At Marine Base In Hawaii

HONOLULU — President Barack Obama blended his roles as a father and commander-in-chief this Christmas, exchanging presents and singing carols with his family, then greeting U.S. service members stationed at a Marine base in Hawaii.

The president and his family woke up early Sunday to open gifts, the White House said, then had breakfast and sang Christmas carols at the multimillion-dollar house they rent in Kailua Beach, near Honolulu.

Obama made two trips on Christmas to nearby Marine Corps Base Hawaii, first to attend church services at the base chapel. The president dressed casually in dark khaki pants and a short-sleeve blue shirt, and his wife and daughters donned sundresses for Christmas services on a bright, breezy day on the island of Oahu.

After spending a few hours at their rental home, the president and Michelle Obama returned to the base to visit with several hundred service members and their families, as they have done in past years.

The Obamas posed for photos, signed autographs and stopped to chat with the military families gathered in the dining hall, where roast beef, salad and apple pie were on the Christmas Day menu.

Eight-month-old Cooper Wall Wagner, son of Capt. Greg Wagner, got up close and personal with the president, grabbing his face, then sticking his fingers in Obama's mouth.

An amused Obama said he thought the baby just liked his "big nose" – a comment that drew laughter from several of the Marines.

Many of the service members stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii have deployed to Afghanistan, as well as Iraq, where the last American troops were withdrawn earlier this month.

Back in the Washington area, Vice President Joe Biden and wife Jill Biden spent Christmas visiting wounded service members and their families at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Obama also called 10 service members stationed around the world – two from each branch of the military – on Christmas Eve. The White House said he thanked them for their service and the sacrifice of being away from their families at the holidays.

The Obamas were wrapping up their Christmas festivities with dinner at the rental home with friends and family. Among those joining the first family in Hawaii are the president's sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, who lives on Oahu, and several friends Obama has known since high school.

The president has kept a low profile since arriving in Hawaii on Friday evening to start a vacation delayed by the stalemate in Washington over extending payroll tax cuts. He has no public events planned, and his only outings are expected to be to the golf course or to take his daughters for shave ice, a Hawaiian snow cone.

The Obamas are expected to return to Washington shortly after New Year's Day.

___

Associated Press writer Jaymes Song in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, contributed to this report.

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Comments

[springsm]

11:45 PM on 12/29/2011

What a very sad envious, jealous and spiteful person you are. Merry Christmas

[Helen Hughes]

01:27 PM on 12/29/2011

Another vacation. Must be nice.

[oldpreacherman]

09:49 PM on 12/28/2011

I find it peculiar that the atheists who attack believers regularly on the HP religion sight, slamming anything or anyone religious, are nearly silent about Obama going to church.

[Sparhawk]

08:25 AM on 12/29/2011

I don't.

[GretchenMann]

03:07 PM on 12/30/2011

I think it's rather ignorant to stereotype all non-believers, all atheists. I, an atheist, am not angered by religious belief as it seems you are angered by atheism. Fundamentalist religious beliefs are immoral, unethical, dangerous and intrusive; and "progressive" religionists are to blame by being the fundamentalists' fellow travelers and apologists. However, Obama's religious beliefs (or complete lack of them as I hope and strongly suspect) are only one facet of his whole and his presidency. I support him as a president even if he is an actual believer. I admire his policies, I admire him, and I think he's performing marvelously in spite of tremendous opposition.

Look at the converse situation....if a fundamentalist Christian (a group most likely to dislike Obama and his policies) saw that he was going to Church with his family, would that make him/her less likely to attack Obama for being a "bad president" a "socialist", a "Kenyan", a "Muslim", a "communist", or other terms that simply mean "a black man"? .....Sorry, that last part was a little snarky, but I think it needed to be said.

[oldpreacherman]

04:08 PM on 12/30/2011

Once again responders on this site feel the need to mischaracterize my simple statement to try and make a counterpoint. I did not say all atheists. I was merely refering to the self-identified atheists who respond to posts and seem so insecure in their non-belief that they must resort to name calling and ad hominem attacks on believers. You state that you are not angered by religious belief and then launch into a long list of name calling. It is you who is stereotyping. The simple point, again, I was making was that I found it interesting that the self-proclaimed atheists who regularly assault believers have never done so to Obama who is a self-avowed Christian.
If you would like to address my original post please do so. By the way I am not angered by atheists at all, I find them amusing. A good example of this is that you say you support Obama, (a self defined Christian), who you would have to include in your definition of a fundamentalist believer who you define as immoral, unethical, dangerous and intrusive. That's a hoot. By the way the racial implications are getting a little old and you might be shocked to find that not all of us believers are white.

[LittleRedHenSez]

06:09 PM on 12/27/2011

Some of these posters need to join Haters Anonymous. Bet they all consider themselves most excellent Christians, too.

[compaqdrvr]

05:11 PM on 12/27/2011

Merry Christmas and Happy 2012 to the First Family....and to all of the other families whether or not you celebrate...celebrate life and the positives that have come about this year in spite of worldwide stresses. Count your blessings and fortunate moments inste
instead of trying to articulate "ugly"

[SoapboxKing]

05:01 PM on 12/27/2011

since the righties have forgotten that bush spent over 20 million in all his trips to his ranch, I guess its time to remind them.

[millfarm]

12:57 PM on 01/02/2012

Amen! Gets very old does it not. Very convenient and short memories still hanging around after. Eight long years of the BUSH clan, running back and forth to Crawford on the poor taxpayers frequent flyers tickets.

[Mac1000]

01:04 PM on 12/27/2011

I should have heeded my first instinct and not looked at the comments on this thread. Some of the pettiest, nastiest, STUPIDEST drivel I've ever seen posted. Why an innocuous story about the Obamas celebrating Christmas has to turn into a hatefest is beyond me. Some of you need to get a life.

[OmniDude]

01:13 PM on 12/27/2011

Consider it a teachable moment about how wingnuts feel about a successful man of color , running this counrtry and lucky enough to grow up in Hawaii.

[Ghostrider2012]

12:49 PM on 12/29/2011

Yep he is "running" this country alright ------ RIGHT INTO THE GROUND. God help us to get him out in 2012.

[RMIrby672]

01:14 PM on 12/27/2011

Let them have them this. I know that it's stupid, nasty and petty, but this is all they got to live for.

[Theseventy]

10:54 AM on 12/27/2011

4 million grrrrr...bah humbug I'm so angry rrrrr. Where's my next talking point I need to make my quota for the day.

[girlking]

11:45 AM on 12/27/2011

Did miss something in the article that said it cost 4 million? Please point to the reference.

[umkcmoneyman]

04:21 PM on 12/27/2011

Research it...its all over the news...google 4 million vacation obama

[Theseventy]

09:35 PM on 12/27/2011

Sarcasm sarcasm sarcasm. I made it extremely obvious.

[RMIrby672]

02:50 PM on 12/27/2011

I didn't see that in the article. Where did you get that amount from?
Enquiring minds would like to know.

[HawaiiSteve]

04:09 PM on 12/27/2011

He's being sarcastic. Very hard to do in print.

[Theseventy]

09:35 PM on 12/27/2011

You were not able to pick up the obvious sarcasm? Even at the end where I allude to trolls and their talking points? Geez I made it painfully obvious.

[scston]

10:53 AM on 12/27/2011

obama

[millfarm]

01:01 PM on 01/02/2012

VOTE Obama in 2012!

[scston]

10:53 AM on 12/27/2011

Huffnblow won't post in the same post reverend wright and

[Aabby]

10:47 AM on 12/27/2011

For a second there I thought that was Michelle walking with the President. This little girl has gotten so tall, God bless her.

[paulatkinson22]

10:36 AM on 12/27/2011

Wow... $4 million vacation to Hawaii, Air Force One being flown half way around the world . Ah... living the life of luxury. Meanwhile homeless still sleep under bridges, veterans coming back to no jobs and kids still go hungry in the most prosperous country on earth. Yeah, this guy is all about the little people. Well he did earn it didn't he? Record unemployment, gas at $3.25 a gallon, millions losing their homes, economy in shambles... Merry Christmas Obama elitist from the US Taxpayers.

[pleasantlyny]

11:01 AM on 12/27/2011

wow... presidential vacations have NEVER been a problem until a brown man becomes president. We have always had the homeless problem and gues what it did not stop presidents from taking vacations.

[Helen Hughes]

01:32 PM on 12/29/2011

black, he's black - or is he white this week? no black. no white. where is he campaigning? Hawaii, that's right. He's brown this week.

[Roger123]

11:28 AM on 12/27/2011

right on, liberals hate hearing the truth.

[RMIrby672]

02:53 PM on 12/27/2011

What "truth" are you refering to?
Where were you guys when George W was taking his family vacation over his eight years of office?
I have never complained about George W or matter of fact, any of the past Presidents taking a vacation. Why so PO about it now?

[SoapboxKing]

04:52 PM on 12/27/2011

You are a bit confused. we do not begrudge the president his vacation, like you do (though to date, Bush still took more vacations)
Nor do we begrudge helping the poor and the hungry, which the republicans clearly do as they try to kill every socal services program that exists.

[86-44]

10:12 AM on 12/27/2011

IF Obama were a man of character, morals and principle, IF Obama loved this country and was in possession of solid American values, he would have held a nationally televised press conference and said something like; As president of the United States I have the ability to take my family anywhere in the world for a Christmas vacation. I am however aware that in these difficult times many of you will not be able to even travel to visit family and friends this Christmas. I am also acutely aware of the huge deficits face as a nation and to show everyone I really do care about this country and her citizens I will remain at home with my family this Christmas and not burden the taxpayers with the expense involved in taking my family to Hawaii this year. But alas Obama is what he is and would never consider the self sacrifice he is asking each and every one of us to endure.

[paulatkinson22]

10:52 AM on 12/27/2011

Well said... but words from him you'd never hear.

[pleasantlyny]

11:01 AM on 12/27/2011

What president has EVER done that?

[RMIrby672]

12:55 PM on 12/27/2011

The Brown one.

[86-44]

01:22 PM on 12/27/2011

None, but this one needs to

[zeke37]

08:45 AM on 12/27/2011

WAIT! Fox News said it was a $4 Trillion vacation. I am outraged! really, I am........................

[Jason McDonald]

08:53 AM on 12/27/2011

Fanned!

[sargentbowen]

09:49 AM on 12/27/2011

million

[zeke37]

11:39 AM on 12/27/2011

Republican math, just like the billion spent on the trip to India and the millions that attended Glen Becks astro turf march in Washington....

[muscle guy]

08:33 AM on 12/27/2011

well the first narcisist, is enjoying his 4 million dollar vacation, on the back of America Taxpayers
hopefully it will be his last, on the back of struggling Americans

[Jason McDonald]

08:41 AM on 12/27/2011

EVERY American president that EVER took a vacation was paid for by the American taxpayer.

I paid for the Bush vacations and so did you for 8 years. I hated Bush but, I never complained once about his travel expenses. Deal.

[bettestreep]

10:15 AM on 12/27/2011

Jason - it's no point in arguing with these teapublican neanderthals.

they cheered when chicago lost the olympic games - something that would have helped the economy AND the struggling americans!

they booed the soldier in Iraq because he dared to say he was gay.

they cheered at the thought of killing an uninsured coma patient.

they attended teabag rallies waving their loaded firearms and bragging that they'd
take out' the president if he dared to show his face.

they laughed at the shootings in Arizona that killed innocent civilians and seriously wounded Gabby Giffords - and teabag darling sarah palin came out on tv whining that SHE was the real victim because the nasty liberal media were accusing her hateful 'cross hairs map' as encouraging the shooter to "take out" democrats!

they spent hours criticising the president for not wearing a flag pin or mentioning god in his thanksgiving address - and stunningly - there's sarah palin again wasting oxygen on a freaking christmas card.

and after 8 years of weekly vacations and daily golf games - the teapublicans have decided to make an example of THIS president's vacations because it costs too much to protect him and his family.

i dread to think how these un-american domestic terrorists ie. teapublicans - will react to news of an attack on the President.

these teapublican things are more hateful and evil than the taliban, al qaeda and north korean dictators!.

[sargentbowen]

09:50 AM on 12/27/2011

oh no he'll take several more prior to November and so will his wife.