WASHINGTON (AFP) – US First Lady Michelle Obama will travel to Spain next week on a "private mother-daughter" trip, but President Barack Obama will not go along, the White House said on Monday.
Michelle Obama will also take up an invitation to make an official call on King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia, the White House said.
The announcement came a day after Spanish media reports erroneously said the president himself would take his family for a holiday at the upscale southern Spanish resort city of Marbella.
The White House press release on Monday did not specify if Michelle Obama was taking both, or one, of her daughters, Malia and Sasha along, and gave neither a destination nor a venue for the "closed press" trip.
"The First Lady will travel to Spain next week for a private, mother-daughter trip with longtime family friends. President Obama will not be joining this trip," the White House said in a statement.
According to the Obama's official schedule, the First Family will visit the disaster hit Gulf Coast in Florida for a weekend in August and will spend 10 days in the upscale northeastern resort island of Martha's Vineyard.
The speculation hasn't quite reached the level of Chelsea Clinton's Upstate New York wedding location, but the buzz is loud in Spain over where first lady Michelle Obama and youngest daughter Sasha, 7, will be camping for their just announced "mother-daughter trip" next week. [See photos of the Obamas behind the scenes.]
The White House said that the Obamas will be traveling with friends next week and will pay a visit to King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia, but that all other details are secret. Neither oldest daughter Malia, 10, who's planning to attend summer camp, or Mrs. Obama's mother are traveling to Spain.
The four-day trip is expected to start August 4, President Obama's birthday, though he's not joining his wife.
While the White House isn't talking, the Spanish media have the Obamas traveling to the country's most fashionable resort town for part or all of their stay: Marbella. And they aren't expected to stay at any old hotel, the Spanish press is speculating. The Obamas are expected to stay at the flamingo pink Hotel Villa Padierna, a Ritz-Carlton property some call the best hotel in Spain.
The company describes it this way: "Surrounded by the sparkling waters of the Mediterranean, this five star hotel in Marbella offers guests a relaxing retreat where luxurious accommodations, championship golf, and a lavish spa give way to awe-inspiring views of the Costa del Sol." [See photos of Michelle Obama.]
The Spanish press says a number of rooms have been reserved for the Obamas, though the Ritz spokeswoman wasn't available to discuss the stay. From August 4-8, the hotel has just a few rooms left for $2,859 a night, but that includes a breakfast buffet. After that, a room could be had for as low as $336 a night.
I don't begrudge the first lady and her daughters taking the opportunity to see the world while in public office. I really don't! What I don't understand is how the hell they can do this in the face of a recession....no jobs.....and increasing taxes on an already burdened society.
If times were good.....I'd say 'have at it'. But they aren't good and economists predict it will only continue to spiral downward. As for me and my family........it was a 'stay vacation' this year.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
On August 3, 2001, President Bush took the longest presidential vacation in thirty-two years. Bush's extended vacation at his Crawford ranch is detailed in the May 19, 2002 New York Daily News, in an article by Michael Daly entitled, "W's Mind Was On Vacation."
As an aside, on August 6, CIA Director Tenet delivered a report to Bush entitled, "Bin Laden Determined to strike in U.S." The report suggested that al Qaeda might be planning to hijack airplanes. On August 8 the President told the press, while sitting on a golf cart, "I've got a lot of national security concerns that we're working on - Iraq, Macedonia, very worrisome right now." (err... that there was never any Bin Laden involvement with 'Iraq or Macedonia,' has been proven, but we attacked anyway - see 2003.)
As a further aside, since FDR (and arguably earlier) members of the first family have acted as envoys of the nation. The simple gift of their visit has ingratiated nations in the past, and present. Frankly, Michelle has the character and charisma of a fantastic ambassador, and Sasha is a cute as a pin. Yup - let them go wherever; they are wonderful displays of what this country is all about: good people dropping by to say 'hello.'
Ockham.....fair enough and point taken......HOWEVER........Like I've stated before, this is not the best time to be traveling all over the world on a 'feel good mission' when the american people are hurting, and hurting at the hands of their government past and present. Not to mention the other countries that are hurting just as badly.
I didn't agree with it with past administrations, and I dont agree with it now. IMHO
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
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