Obama and Family to Vacation on Gulf Coast in August

President Barack Obama and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist walk along Casino Beach on Pensacola Beach, Fla., Tuesday, June 15, 2010, as they visited the Gulf Coast region affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

/ Charles Dharapak

President Obama and his family will visit Florida's Gulf Coast over the weekend of August 14th, the White House has announced.

The president has made four trips to the region since the Gulf oil leak, most recently a visit last month to Mississippi, Alabama and Florida to further assess damage caused by the massive oil leak.

The president has faced pressure to vacation in the region, which has been hard hit by perceptions that oil has fouled its beaches.

Local businesses and officials hope images of the president and his family spending time in the region (and potentially enjoying oil-free beaches) will help spur tourism.

First lady Michelle Obama will be in the region for her second visit Friday. The Obamas have repeatedly encouraged Americans to continue to visit the Gulf.

The trip comes right before the Obamas travel to Martha's Vineyard. It is the second straight summer that the first family will vacation on the exclusive Massachusetts island.

Mr. Obama and his family spent last weekend on a short vacation to Bar Harbor, Maine.

[RealPower7]

Clean Florida Gulf Coast Beach for Barack Obama Vacation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=You3a4vghqQ

[judiamerica]

How many vacation days is he up to by now?? Or perhaps we should ask how many days has he spent at the White House so far?? If it's such a great job, why doesn't he stick around a little more often. Seems he just shows up for "photo ops" and then it's OFF on Air Force One for another $50,000-for-one-hour jaunt for the day. Excessive?? If that had been Bush--it would have made front page headlines in every liberal newspaper in the country! It's correct that he can do less damage the more he's away.....but look at WHO he's leaving behind!! The Motley Crew itself--with ineptitude and bad judgments running rampant through the administration!

[Vicki_in_Greece]

You call that a vacation? Photo shoots, talking to small business owners, receiving advice on how to handle recovery, putting the info together, making a statement? Sounds like work and it was work, all in support of the people living and working in the Gulf of Mexico.
He made a good call letting photos be taken of swimming with his daughters. Those photos did more to encourage tourism than any amount of talking.

[RobAla]

I thought he just got back from a vacation. Maybe it is good - he can't inflect nearly as much damage to the country while sitting on a beach.

[votedforobama]

More vacation??? Many, I wish I had his job!