There WAS press coverage that the WHOLE family
was going to Marbella. If that was, in fact, the
original plan ...... what caused the change ????
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Barack Obama to stay in Marbella [August vacation in Spain]
Typically Spanish ^ | July 25, 2010
Posted on Sunday, July 25, 2010 10:53:19 PM by 2ndDivisionVet
The United States President will spend four days of his holiday in the town with his family during August
The President of the United States, Barack Obama, his wife Michelle, and their daughters Malia and Sasha, will spend part of their summer holidays in Marbella.
In what will be his first visit to Spain as President, he will stay from August 4 8 in the luxury Villapadierna Hotel.
Before returning to the United States, Obama will travel to the Marivent Palace on Mallorca to meet with King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia. Hes also expected to meet with the Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, at some point.
Government sources quoted by El Mundo, while failing to confirm the news, said if it were to happen it would be a clear demonstration of the excellent relations currently between Spain and the United States’.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2558986/posts
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That was on the 25th of July. On July 28th, there was
this, already expressing less certainty that the whole
family would be coming or that -0 would celebrate his
b-day there:
“The truth about Costa del Obama -What Michelle Obama should know about her holiday choice of Marbella
###
It is a place of questionable taste, and unquestioning sleaze. But the Costa del Sol’s glitziest resort of Marbella is the surprise holiday choice of Michelle Obama and at least one of her daughters, Sasha, who are due to arrive on 4 August. Locals hope that Barack Obama, who celebrates his 49th birthday on the first day of their stay, might make a last-minute appearance.
Marbella, home of graft, tack and ostentation, is everything the Spanish costas should not be. Overbuilt and brashly flaunting its wealth, it epitomises the wanton destruction of Spain’s coastline. So what else can America’s first family expect?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/28/michelle-obama-holiday-choice-marbella
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There’s also this on the 25th:
White House denies Obama to holiday in Spain
###
WASHINGTON (AFP) The White House denied reports from Spanish media that US President Barack Obama and his family would take a holiday early August in the posh southern Spanish resort city of Marbella.
*snip*
... the report by Spanish newspaper El Pais and El Mundo was incorrect.
According to the Obamas’ official schedule, the First Family has August getaway plans for the disaster hit US-Gulf Coast as well as the northeastern vacation spot off Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100726/ts_alt_afp/usspainpoliticstourismdeny
Notice how they excluded HER vacation there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maybe El Mundo got it wrong .. but the original info came from somewhere.
Could it be the Fritz told him he had an appointment in Chicago? He couldn’t say no!
El Correo reports today not all were impressed or even cared about the visit. Machine translation:
. . . the presence in Palma de Mallorca from the U.S. president's wife and 20-vehicle motorcade was greeted with indifference by local people. This morning there were no onlookers awaiting the arrival of the First Lady at the residence of the Royal Family, and across the city, the only sign that was expected of the wife of President Obama was a discreet sign installed in front of a Marivent bar . . . full text in Spanish
It still doesn’t make sense they would go on separate vacations especially on his Birthday. Has to be damage control. Perhaps a British newspaper could do some checking?
Pray for America