Obama wants media to leave his kids alone

Let me start off by saying I agree that children of political figures need to be left alone and able to live their own lives out of the spotlight. That's not the issue here. The issue is that this is one of the most hypocritical things Obama has said. The Obama family is going on vacation to Martha's Vineyard this week and he had the audacity to actually tell the media not to report on or take pictures of his children or else they will be kicked off of the traveling press corps.

Yet it's entirely okay for the Palin children to be trashed, smeared and made fun of endlessly. It's entirely okay for Bristol's love life to be exposed in the most disgusting ways. It's entirely okay for the sealed divorce records of his opponent to be "anonymously leaked" allowing embarrassing private details to be reported in the tabloids for their children to read later. But if you take a picture of any of the Obama girls eating ice cream - you'll be kicked off the press corps.

Also, this is from someone who has used his children as political props in many TV interviews, and he's even on the cover with them in this week's Parade magazine.

I'm guessing Martha's Vineyard is a lot different than when the Bush family vacationed there. I'm guessing Obama will not face the onslaught of Iraq war protesters, and I doubt MSM will say anything about him being "the most vacationing President ever" like they did with Bush. MSM keeps saying this is the "first official vacation" but I've seen the girls all over Paris and London shopping, eating and changing the face of fashion. We've seen the various "date nights" in Paris and NYC. What were those trips?

By the way, I read the comments and every single one so far was negative against Obama and pointing out the hypocrisy, and this is at the Boston Globe. I was shocked.

President urges media shutterbugs to respect daughters’ privacy
By Susan Milligan
The Boston Globe
August 24, 2009

EDGARTOWN - The Obama White House, like administrations before it, has gone to great lengths to accommodate the press corps traveling with the president on his first official vacation in office. Staffers arranged for a filing center at a local school, assembled “pools’’ of reporters to tail the president if he goes out, and promised to brief the press daily.

But the real message to those hoping to cover the president’s vacation is: really, we wish you wouldn’t.

Unlike recent presidents, Obama has two young children, and the first couple is adamant that the girls be left alone. That means no approaching, cameras in tow, when Sasha and Malia are trying to get ice cream, or perhaps ride on the island’s famed carousel.

Aside from wishing a good time for all, in fact, the president had one clear message yesterday for reporters, said Bill Burton, the deputy White House press secretary: “The first family would very much appreciate if you respect the privacy of the girls while they’re out here on vacation.’’

That was before Burton even got to the matters of whether the president would be conferring with advisers while on vacation (yes, some) or how he felt about the recent elections in Afghanistan (looking forward to hearing the results along with everybody else).

“I asked him if he had a message for the press corps, and that’s what it is,’’ Burton told those of the press that traveled to the Vineyard on the White House charter.

Further, added press aide Katie Lillie, there will be no tolerating reporters using cellphones to call or text friends with the president’s latest movements on the island. Since the Vineyard has relatively few roads - and it’s easy to figure out how Obama would travel from one venue to another - those in the press pool must agree not to telegraph where he’s going.

Violators, she said, would be thrown out of the pool.