Obamas hope for privacy on vacation

President Barack Obama and his family began a weeklong vacation on this Massachusetts island with a message to the reporters who have crowded the New England villages: Chill out and don’t expect much.

Pleading for privacy, the White House said Obama would have no
public events while vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard with his
family and close friends.

Aides also asked that the journalists also not take pictures of the Obamas’ two young daughters, age 8 and 11, when they aren’t with the president.

“He wants you to relax and have a good time. Take some walks on
the beaches. Nobody’s looking to make any news,” spokesman Bill
Burton told reporters flying with the Obamas from Washington to
Massachusetts.

The White House said there is no formal schedule while the
Obamas are on the island, although the president will receive a
daily briefing in person from a National Security Council official.

He will receive an economic briefing through memos, and the
secluded 28-acre private estate has a secure line to the White
House if a situation develops.

Work doesn’t stop while the president is on vacation. Senior
adviser Valerie Jarrett, a close friend and counselor to the
president, joined the flight aboard Air Force One. Other midlevel
aides were on the island to assist the president if needed, a
reminder the presidency does not allow for complete breaks from the job.

There were, however, other friendly faces for Obama. His sister,
Maya, flew with the Obamas from Washington, as did first pooch Bo,
who wandered through the press cabin during the flight. Chicago
physician Eric Whitaker, a friend to the Obamas, planned to meet
the family on the island.

The White House said there are no plans for Obama to visit
ailing Sen. Edward Kennedy at his vacation home in Hyannis Port on Cape Cod. A visit with Kennedy, who has brain cancer, could provide a rallying point for Democrats as Obama seeks to achieve one of Kennedy’s career goals: overhauling the nation’s health insurance system to provide near-universal coverage.

Instead, aides said there might be trips for ice cream and
salt-water taffy, possibly a bike ride and plenty of quiet time at
the compound that rents for $35,000 a week. The Obamas are paying for their share of the vacation home; taxpayers are picking up the tab for security and White House staff, which is customary for all
presidents.

“You can bet there’s going to be some golf playing. Maybe a
little bit of swimming,” Burton said.

Departing Washington for Cape Cod, Obama left behind a tie and
jacket in favor of khakis and a button-down shirt. Michelle Obama
opted for a casual skirt — not the shorts that drew criticism when
she wore them to the Grand Canyon.

The first family dodged a potential setback; Hurricane Bill blew
out in time for the Obamas’ first vacation since taking office. The
first family began their vacation Sunday just hours after the
National Hurricane Center lifted a tropical storm warning that had
included the small island off the Massachusetts coast.