(CNN) - President Barack Obama and his family begin a week-long vacation in Martha's Vineyard on Friday - the president's second time on the island off the coast of Massachusetts.
Related video: No vacation from crisis
In 2009, Obama spent time there golfing and hanging out with family and friends.
"It's a beautiful part of the country. It has really nice beaches and the folks are really great," Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton told reporters Thursday. "The food is terrific. And it's some place that the president went before he was president and likes to go back because it's a comfortable place where he can rest and recharge the batteries a little bit."
Some have questioned why the Obamas have chosen to go to an elite holiday spot in Massachusetts instead of the Gulf Coast, as Obama had encouraged Americans to help bolster tourism there. The first family - minus eldest daughter Malia - did visit Panama City, Florida, August 14-15, however. There, the Obamas swam in the Gulf of Mexico and played miniature golf, and the president met with business leaders about the BP oil spill and its effect on the region.
Related: Criticism likely to follow Obama on vacation
Burton said this vacation, which will last 10 days, will also include some work.
Updated: 9:18 a.m.
From CNN Politics
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So even at this exclusive, expensive, elitist resort there is fecal contamination in the water. Obummer!
Enjoy your vacation with the family Mr. President, you deserve a break!
It is sad that these rich good ol boys take all their vacations, while the unemployed have few jobs to apply for, and the economy is in the toilet
But the rich politicians still have their ivory towers and palaces to vacation in, which the bank and auto ceos' that we bailed out, it is very sad indeed
Before everyone criticizes remember Bush Regan is in second place as the most vacation president
Here is the post
August 2007
"Bush on track to become the vacation president," Julie Mason headlined in the August 9, 2007, edition of the Houston Chronicle:[1]
"On Thursday, Bush left for a weekend in Kennebunkport, Maine, and his family's summer compound, Walker's Point. On Monday, he heads to his Crawford retreat, where he has spent all or part of 418 days of his presidency, according to Mark Knoller, a CBS News White House correspondent and meticulous record-keeper.
"...The presidential vacation-time record holder is the late Ronald Reagan, who tallied 436 days in his two terms. At 418 days, and with 17 months to go in his presidency, Bush is going to beat that easily."
"I guess you could look at it this way - the more he's on vacation, the less damage he can do to the country," Pam Spaulding wrote August 12, 2007.[2]
Now there's a surprise – – – ANOTHER VACATION!! I thought Obama said he wouldn't rest until our economy has recovered? What a useless useless useless president. EVERYTHING he has touched has been made worse by his incompetence!! By now with REAL economic policy intended to help BUSINESSES we should be growing significantly but this idiot's entitlement and Marxist philosophy has done so much damage to this country I don't know if we can fully recover when we finally get this idiot out of office.
Give him a break! He is the hardest working president we've had in years.
Have fun Mr. President!
I don't see why this is news... I think the President is entitled to take a small break with his family. He has been working extremely hard and it's not like he has an easy job. He has a divided America to deal with and instead of everyone trying to work together the Republicans are working towards an election. - Playing politics– Obama has done this too in response of course.
The oil spill is plugged, health care is passed, jobs bill is on the table. I think he's due for a little break.
OMG, Obama had pancakes for breakfast this morning, he didn't have oatmeal! Ok, that's a fabrication, but it's how ridiculous this article sounds, CNN! Leave the man alone; he needs a break. We've seen it a million times and even I am sick of the comparison, but no one whined about Bush practically living at his Crawford ranch, now did they? Obama's done more in his short time than that guy did in 8 yrs., so let him rest. Thanks, President Obama for doing what we voted for you to do; most of us could care less where you go. Just remember to eat your oatmeal!
Ain't no Mosques on the Vineyard. No brush to clear on the beach, either.
He has been on vacation since he has been in the White House, nice if he would get off his butt and do some thing about the unemployed....
With all due respect to the office of the presidency; this is outrageous. Mr. President, I voted and spoke on your behalf to anyone that would listen. This is incredibly disappointing. How many vacations do you need?
With 2 wars, a failing economy and millions of people out of work....how can you do this? Is this some kind of cruel joke?
Maybe you aren't one of us afterall.........
Really getting tired of hearing about all of their vacations. I voted for him to work as a president, not go on vacations once or twice a month. He only has 4 – 8 years in this job, afterwards vaca all you want. This is getting old. He's more celebrity than president.
All this "president" and his family do is take vacations!!!!
Our country is a MESS and he is taking another vacation? OUTRAGEOUS
While so many of us are struggling with no jobs because they've all gone to Mexico and Canada thanks to NAFTA and the unions here, we have worthless real estate and can't move or get loans from "bailed out" banks, out of control healthcare costs and insurance costs (from "bailed out" insurance companies, our country is overrun with violent illegals....
Great job, Obama. Can't wait to vote you OUT.
Doesn't the president know that from recent precedent he is supposed to take the entire month or more in August and go the most God forsaken part of the nation?
Good for him. He is a good family man who has done much to preserve the integrity of working families throughout our nation,despite the desperate attmepts of his political opposition to further destroy the country.
Great piece from Nobel economicst and Princeton Prof Paul Krugman today about the "opposition" and their hair brained economic reasoning – which is no reasoning at all, just the repetition of the same long discredited failed concepts of reagnomics............
Wish I could afford a 10 day vacation!
All these extravagant vacations for the man of the people. Wonder if his Spiritual Advisor is there too?
I am sick and tired of people critisizing the man for this kind of crap. Although I don't agree with some of the things he's done, Barack Obama hit the ground running from day one. He gets dumped on if he does too much or too little. He made the same stupid mistake Bush did with Katrina at the start of the Gulf crisis, but has spent a great deal of time attending to the situation. People act like they've never heard of the telephone. e -mail, fax machine; all those electronic thingy's. For Christ sake Obama has a Blackberry! People; it's called MULTITASKING! * Bush didn't know how to use e -mail. DUH.
Obama has already swam the doggone gulf to show people how safe it is. Do we expect to swim until his toes rinkle off. Lets not forget that in 8 looong years, George Bush vacationed quite a bit ,and got a heck of a lot less done. This kind of stuff is begining to sound like B.... stuff. Can we move on PLEASE.
Seems like this idiot stays on vacation while the country is suffering. He is another Nero. When you put food in front of a begger he goes berserk. This is happening to Obama and his family. While most of the country is suffering from hard economic times, big cause being his administration's policies, they are living high on the hog and flaunting it.
Okay, which is more elitist – visiting an area or staying on your 1000 acre ranch – come on, give the guy a break. Plus, is any President really ever on a vacation?
Did these same people question when GWB went on his frequent vacations to Kennebunkport or to his ranch in Crawford rather than spending time in New Orleans? If so, then they're being consistant in their musing. If not, then they're partisan hypocrites who need to shut up.
What kind of work will he be doing on his vacation - figuring out where to go on his next vacation in 3 weeks? This guy is ridiculous. Maybe starting his workday at 9:30 a.m. and taking time off every 3 weeks is what his work schedule was like as a "community organizer" and since that's the only job he's ever had, he thinks that this is what everyone does.
Burton said this vacation, which will last 10 days, will also include some work.
Something the Republicans know nothing about.
I guess this is the "Summer of Recovery" only for people who live on other people's taxes. My family has not taken a vacation in 3 years, this is the Obama's 8th vacation this year. I just had my families health insurance benefits through my employer reduced because of Obamacare. My wife just lost her job because there is no economic recovery. When I voted for Obama I thought he was different and that he cared, but now I am finding out that he is no different than the last president, he just lies better. As an african american man I can honestly say that I will not vote democrat this fall.
Oh and they say we say he has too many vacations...People its OUR TAX DOLLARS...WAKE UP