All Blog Posts from Political Hotsheet

Anti-War protestor Cindy Sheehan, the so-called "Peace Mom" who rose to fame several years ago when she protested against the Iraq War outside former President Bush's Crawford, Texas ranch, was back at it again this week.

But this time she was protesting President Obama's vacation in Martha's Vineyard.

"The reason I am here is because ... even though the facade has changed in Washington D.C., the policies are still the same," Sheehan said, according to AFP, at a rally/press conference outside the school where the press has set up shop on the island off the coast of Massachusetts.

But Sheehan no longer has the following she once had, when thousands joined her in Crawford and across the country. As CBS News White House producer Robert Hendin reports, there were was only a handful of people in her audience yesterday, in addition to the four speakers. There were more present from the media than there were protestors.

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This commentary was part of "Washington Unplugged."


Unless you just got in from Mars you know that President Obama is on vacation this week.

The Presidency is a great job but if ever there was a job that’s hard to get away from, the Presidency is it. That’s why planning a presidential vacation is so delicate.

Bill Clinton was so worried about the political fall out from vacationing that his people actually ran polls to see where the public thought he ought to take time off.

When Gerald Ford went to Vail Colorado at Christmas time, his aides always stressed that it was a working vacation. One of the reasons I liked Ford was that when I asked him one day if he had come to Colorado to work and he said no, I came to ski.

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It's the first full day of President Obama's vacation on Martha's Vineyard, and he's already made it to the golf course. Mr. Obama took his first swings this afternoon at Farm Neck Golf Club on the island.

The president reportedly played today with S.C. Democratic Rep. James E. Clyburn, UBS Investment Bank president Robert Wolf and White House aide Marvin Nicholson. He has been rumored to have Tiger Woods as a playing partner later this week, but the White House has denied that is in the works.

Below you can see some video of his swing off the first tee from Plumtv.com, which was able to film from the pro shop. The video also includes a little bit of a tour of the course from the club pro and a peak inside a gift bag the club is going to present to the first family.

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White House spokesman Bill Burton shared the titles on President Obama's beach week reading list. It is an eclectic collection of fiction and non-fiction works. (Let's hope he's a speed reader)

Here's the list, with a little bit about each book from Publishers Weekly.

The Way Home by George Pelecanos

Publishers Weekly: "Bestseller Pelecanos (The Turnaround) probes the volatile and fragile relationship between a father, Thomas Flynn, and his son, Chris, in this less than satisfying effort. As a rebellious teen into drugs, Chris had minor brushes with the law and did a stint in juvenile prison."

Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution -- And How It Can Renew America by Tom Friedman

Publishers Weekly: "Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Friedman (The World Is Flat) is still an unrepentant guru of globalism, despite the looming economic crisis attributable, in Friendman's view, to the U.S. having become a "subprime nation that thinks it can just borrow its way to prosperity." Friedman covers familiar territory (the need for alternate energy, conservation measures, recycling, energy efficiency, etc.) as a build-up to his main thesis: the U.S. market is the "most effective and prolific system for transformational innovation...."

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MARTHA'S VINEYARD, Mass. -- On Sunday, Martha's Vineyard added yet another famous name to its roster of celebrities and politicians who come to the island for vacation. Actually, there are five names to add: President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, first daughters Sasha and Malia, and the world's most famous Portuguese water dog, Bo.

The first family arrived here for a week or rest and relaxation. The island, off the coast of Massachusetts was already the vacation home of former President Bill Clinton, is home to actor Ted Danson, songwriter Carly Simon and was home to CBS’s late great Walter Cronkite.

As a candidate, Mr. Obama was here for a fundraiser in 2007, but this is his first visit as president to Massachusetts. The president has no public schedule and had an aide deliver a message to the White House press corps here: relax and have a good time. The first family is saying “up-island” which is actually south on the island, at a private home. The house comes complete with private beach and water access so he may not been seen too much while here. He is expected to play golf though and the island's many ice cream shops are hoping he stops by with the kids.

Other than that, the vineyard will be a welcome respite for him. There are many signs welcoming him here and both his likeness and his campaign symbol can be found in many store windows. As the video shows, there's also a wide selection of Obama-related t-shirts and paraphernalia to buy. The island appears to be quite excited for his visit.

You can watch video below of the scene in Martha's Vineyard:






Robert Hendin is a CBS News White House producer. You can read more of his posts in Hotsheet here.

The Obama White House is not at bit shy about using the "V" word and saying flat out: the president is taking ten days vacation.

You don't yet hear the euphemisms that officials in previous administrations used to employ in an effort to disguise what the president was doing: such phrases as "down time," "change of venue" or as a last resort, "working vacation,"

Presidents are self-conscious about taking vacation. And the more they take, the more self-conscious.

No matter how hard they work or how much they've earned some time off, they'll face criticism for taking a breather.

But this is President Obama's first vacation as president, so the criticism is muted, though not invisible. And White House spokesman Robert Gibbs offers no apologies or equivocations about Mr. Obama's right and need to get away.

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Coming off his recent loss at the PGA Championship, Tiger Woods might soon be riding in Golf Cart One.

The Boston Herald reported Friday that the world famous golfer will likely hit the links with President Obama at the exclusive Vineyard Golf Club during the president's vacation in Martha's Vineyard, Mass.

Tipsters informed the Herald that Secret Service agents recently invaded the country club.

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If their teachers ask Malia and Sasha Obama to write the traditional "what did you do on your summer" essay, they'll have quite a story to tell.

After touring some major European cities with their mom earlier this summer, the girls have just wrapped up a trip to two of the gems of the National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park and The Grand Canyon.

The Obamas understandably guard their daughters' privacy, but the White House allowed a few very brief public glimpses of the First Family's vacation. Unlike most children who endure their parents' call to "say cheese," the Obama girls had their pictures snapped by the media, along with White House photographers and videographers.

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From Santa Barbara, to Kennebunkport and Martha's Vineyard to Crawford, former presidents have tried to cool their heels in private vacation homes. Yet, news always seemed to follow them there. Some high profile examples include President Bush briefings on Hurricane Katrina from his ranch and his father's meetings with senior advisers when Iraq invaded Kuwait.

CBS News' veteran White House Correspondents Bill Plante and Mark Knoller have accompanied several former commanders-in-chief for their summer respites. As President Obama prepares for a weekend in Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon before a week in Martha's Vineyard, they join Bob Orr on "Washington Unplugged" for a trip down memory land.

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In an exclusive interview with CBS News' Katie Couric, President Obama responded to a question from a Twitter user about whether or not he feels guilty going on vacation with his family "when so many families are struggling."

"Well, the truth is, when you're president you're never really on vacation," Mr. Obama responded. "The whole apparatus travels with you. I've got the entire national security apparatus in front of me, I'm getting daily briefings on national security."

"So if the question is do I think every single day about the hardships that the American people are going through? Absolutely," he continued. "Do I think the American people think that because [of] those hardships I shouldn't spend a little time with my daughters? I don't think that's how the American people think about it."