Halfway through his Vineyard vacation, President Obama has turned to Island links and basketball courts for his downtime, while the operation of the reform-minded White House carries on.
A rainy, windswept Monday afternoon found Mr. Obama shooting hoops at the Oak Bluffs School with longtime Chicago friend and former Illinois public health director Eric Whitaker along with UBS chief Robert Wolf and his two sons.
Last night the Obamas dined out at the Sweet Life Cafe in Oak Bluffs, marking their second visit in two years to the contemporary French American restaurant tucked off Circuit avenue and owned by Susan and Pierre Guerin. Their dining companions were Eric and Cheryl Whitaker and Valerie Jarrett. Last summer the Sweet Life was the only place where the Obamas had dinner out.
On Monday the White House also reminded voters of the continued regulatory changes taking place in the banking industry, even while the President takes a break. A statement released by President Obama on Monday evening hailed the financial regulatory changes that took effect yesterday as a result of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act that Mr. Obama signed into law a year ago.
“As of today, consumers will be protected against unreasonable fees and penalties for late payments, as well as unfair practices involving gift cards,” read the statement, issued shortly after the president returned from his Oak Bluffs shoot-around.
Islanders hoping for a more visible vacation by the president this year were disappointed over the weekend. Save a Friday morning trip to Bunch of Grapes Bookstore in Vineyard Haven the president eschewed the public limelight for an itinerary of low-profile rest at Blue Heron Farm, the private estate fronting the Tisbury Great Pond in Chilmark that the Obamas are renting for a second consecutive year. It appeared that three things were on the President’s mind before the weather turned rainy: books, beach and golf.
“He was a very gracious person,” said bookseller Joanne Connolly of Bunch of Grapes, who was in the store on Friday morning when the President arrived with his two daughters to fill out their summer reading lists. The President was given the store’s advance copy of Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom, the follow-up to his 2001 National Book Award-Winning novel The Corrections, and he made a number of purchases, some suggested by Bunch of Grapes staff.
Among those suggested by staff member Leroy Hazelton and purchased by the President were A Few Corrections by Brad Leithauser and Tinkers by Paul Harding.
“He was very approachable,” said Ms. Connolly. “He greeted customers and was very willing to talk with people.”
Malia and Sasha picked up The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Land of Elyon by Patrick Carman, The Red Pony by John Steinbeck and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
Wearing his familiar White Sox hat, jeans, sandals and a navy polo shirt, Mr. Obama waved to a group of several hundred well-wishers cordoned off by police tape outside the bookstore.
After the book-buying expedition Mr. Obama played his first round of golf at the Vineyard Golf Club in Edgartown with Eric Whitaker, White House trip director Marvin Nicholson and House majority whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina.
On Saturday, a majestic, cloudless day, the Obamas picnicked at a private beach at Oyster Pond, deep in the south shore reaches of Edgartown. As expected, Mr. Obama did not attend a private fundraiser for Gov. Deval Patrick on Saturday night and instead turned in early for the evening.
Sunday dawned damp and drizzly and Mr. Obama again ventured out for golf early in the day at the Scottish links-style Vineyard Golf Club. His partners were Mr. Whitaker and Mr. Nicholson, as well as regular Vineyard vacationer Bill Lewis, with whom he golfed last year.
One White House staffer noted the President’s uncanny knack for getting in 18 holes before bad weather hits, an ability she attributed to the National Weather Service. The same people responsible for determining whether it’s safe for travel in Marine One advise him on whether it’s safe to hit the links. By 2:30 Sunday afternoon the President was at home and in for the night.
And as the President spent the weekend relaxing mostly out of sight, some members of the media fumed. The Boston Herald called Sunday’s golf outing as “another missed opportunity to prove to America he’s not a Muslim.”
To most Vineyarders the only visible presence of the President has been the occasional convoy of Secret Service sport utility vehicles speeding down the Edgartown-West Tisbury Road to the golf course.
At Alley’s General Store in West Tisbury hopeful onlookers have gathered each day to watch the spectacle.
“Some people were camping outside in chairs with their kids for a half an hour before the motorcade came by,” said Alice Greene, who works at the store. She said patrons would also rush out to wave on the rushing presidential fleet.
On Friday, top White House counterterrorism advisor John Brennan held a White House press briefing at the Mansion House in Vineyard Haven to denounce Scottish courts on the one-year anniversary of the release of Lockerbie bombing mastermind Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.
Mr. Brennan said the president receives regular national security briefings and that he had visited Mr. Obama that morning at Blue Heron Farm.
White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton added that the President also receives “robust economic briefings” while on vacation and that he spent some time Friday morning reviewing memos from his economic team.
Mr. Burton also took the occasion to thank the people of Martha’s Vineyard for their hospitality on behalf of the President. He said the President appreciated the level of respect demonstrated for the first family’s privacy, especially that of the girls, adding that they loved their stay here last year.
“He’s a big fan of the ice cream on this Island,” said Mr. Burton.
After condemning Iran’s nuclear aspirations, Mr. Brennan was asked if it’s all work and no play for the President’s advisors on the Island.
“Look at this guy,” said Mr. Burton. “Do you think he’s got down time?”
The close-cropped Mr. Brennan refused to break character. “I don’t do down time,” he said sternly.
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