White House Admits Asking Media to Scrub Reports of Malia Obama's Mexican Vacation

NewsBusters ^ | March 20, 2012 | Noel Sheppard

[Zakeet]

After it was reported Monday that Malia Obama was going to Mexico for spring break with 25 Secret Service agents, people began to notice that such reports were being scrubbed from the Internet.

Politico's Dylan Byers reported Tuesday this was done at the request of the White House:

The AFP page for the story now links to a story titled "Senegal music star Youssou Ndour hits campaign trail," as does the Yahoo page. The Huffington Post page now links directly back to the Huffington Post homepage. The Daily Mail, Telegraph, and Australian stories now lead to 404 error pages, reading "page not found."

In an update, Byers explained who was responsible for the scrubbing:

Kristina Schake, Communications Director to the First Lady, emails to confirm this was a White House effort:

From the beginning of the administration, the White House has asked news outlets not to report on or photograph the Obama children when they are not with their parents and there is no vital news interest. We have reminded outlets of this request in order to protect the privacy and security of these girls.

Must be nice to command such an obedient media.

[FreeAtlanta]

Even if it were school sponsored, the responsible thing would have been for the Obama’s to keep their child home. Think of the $milions$ this would have saved tax payers.

25 Secret Service, special cars, hotels, and other arrangments. How much do you think this is costing us?

[GeronL]

sending a bunch of kids to a third world dangerous country is stupid, no matter what

[traderrob6]

WOW!

[kabar]

The Mexican press is all over the story. Here is the local press (in English) covering Malia's arrival. I guess they didn't get the message. This is not about her security, but rather, covering up what could be an embarrassing political story on a number of counts--costs, sending the wrong message to millions of unemployed Americans, 46 million on food stamps (half being children), and parental judgment of sending a 13 year old alone to a country wracked by violence. The Obamas are not feeling America's pain with their lifestyle of the rich and famous.

Oaxaca Times--President Obama's Daughter Arrives in Oaxaca Published on Friday, 16 March 2012

Malia Ann Obama, daughter of U.S. President Barack Obama, arrived on a commercial flight to Oaxaca for a private tour on the evening of Friday March 16th.

Surrounded by a security team, Malia Obama arrived at the headquarters of the commercial airport in the capital to join a group of twelve young teenagers from a United Airlines commercial airliner departed from Houston, Texas.

Official information states that President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama's oldest daughter, who is thirteen, has an escort of twenty-five agents composed of marines and members of the Secret Service. All will wear black suits and use radio communication.

Private security escorted Malia Obama in three armored trucks to Hotel Camino Real, located in Oaxaca's Historic Central District.

According to her leaked agenda, during the weekend Malia will visit the "El Arbol del Tule," the archaeological site of Monte Alban, and the towns of San Martin Tilcajete, the site of many local handicrafts, and San Bartolo Coyotepec, in addition to the main attractions in the city of Oaxaca.

Malia's is one of two Obama children. Her sister, Sasha, is 10 years old.

[swpa_mom]

The story is the white house censoring the news.

[VideoPaul]

I uderstand that there are those who feel the kids are “off limits”.

I disagree in this case. Why? THEY ARE SPENDING MY MONEY ON THIS CRAP!!

If they want to have the kids “off limits’ then send them there without governemnt paid protection...or in the alternative, the family should pay 100% of the costs including secret service.

If you are spending taxpayer money the taxpayers are involve and they need to be willing to withstand taxpayer scrutiny. The Ibama white house is humiliated by this and now wants to cover it up. Why are we suborning this?

The Obama admnistration made the choice to send a 12 year old girl on a foreign vacation using taxpayer money, THIS IS PUBLIC INFORMATION and should be DISCUSSED PUBLICLY. If the Obamas want their daughters cloistered away from public review, then they can damn wll stop spending public money on their vacations. So much for the most honest and transparent administration ever.

[ichabod1]

YEah, but if they CAN’T take a vacation because of the resulting cost to the taxpayers for the entourage, then they are like prisoners in that house. I think Michelle has taken some of her vacations as a result of claustrophobia from living in the glass house.

[DefeatCorruption]

Happy to see that FR is allowing comments on the site...it was more rigid (all about the “kids” being off limits) yesterday...I completely agree with your comments. The scary part is that the White House exerted their power to cover this up...and the news media obeyed like stunned sheep. Talk about a country in trouble! Not Mexico, US!!!

[halfright]

Wonder where they are?? 7.6 Shaker just hit Acapulco....
Pucker factor just rose for SS.

[MissMagnolia]

This is not about her security, but rather, covering up what could be an embarrassing political story on a number of counts--

Exactly. I'll tell you what else upsets me .... I know the SS know what they are signing up for when they take their oaths to protect the president/family at the cost of their own lives. If risking their lives is in the normal course of presidential duties, vacations, etc. then fine. THIS is a totally unnecessary trip to a country where the State Department has issued warnings, the parents are not along .... I'd like to be a fly on the wall when the SS are talking about the current situation in private. I am sure they advised the Obamas that this trip was not a good idea - they can't be happy.

[MissMagnolia]

USGA has Oaxaca - that is where the kids are!

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc0008m6h.html

[~Vor~]

I’m hearing the earthquake was right around Alcapulco?...that’s about 115 miles from Oaxaca...

[halfright]

yeah , betcha the SS pucker factor is a right bit high at the moment. She has 12 of her GF with her. Pucker factor at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. is pretty high as well.

[b4its2late]

I guess you can call me old fashioned on just not with the times.

Being away from parents on spring break, is for college students. 13 year olds should be vacationing with their parent(s).

[MissMagnolia]

Evidently is was the Oaxaca ‘region’, not the town itself so the nearest city of note to the earthquake is Acapulco based on what the news is reporting.

[mmichaels1970]

13 year olds should not be going on Spring Break. To me this has nothing to do with Malia, but to do with bad parenting. This by parents who are treated as role models by many.

[STARWISE]

Drudge still has both stories .. and the picture .. guess Canada’s just not in the mood to comply with the dictator’s demands ..

http://www.montrealgazette.com/travel/Obama+daughter+spends+spring+break+Mexico/6323773/story.html

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/travel/Obama+daughter+spends+spring+break+Mexico/6323773/story.html

[darrellmaurina]

104 posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 11:10:43 AM by ml/nj: “And isn't it funny that we're allowed to know where they go to school (without their parents) but then we're not supposed to find out where they go when school is closed and they're livin’ large on the taxpayers’ dime.”

Someone who pays closer attention to Washington than me can correct this, but I believe Jimmy Carter was the last president with school-age children who didn't send them to Sidwell Friends; George W. Bush's children graduated from high school the year before he took office. I think that means presidential children attending this school falls into the category of widespread public knowledge.

Since that school has large numbers of other children of prominent people attending, I'm assuming it's considered a high-risk target and has special protections in place.

Wikipedia says this: “Both of President Barack Obama’s daughters, Sasha and Malia, attend Sidwell. Vice President Joe Biden’s grandchildren also attend the school. Previously, President Theodore Roosevelt's son Archibald, Richard Nixon's daughter Tricia, Bill Clinton's daughter Chelsea, and Vice President Al Gore's son, Albert Gore III, all graduated from Sidwell Friends.” Apparently Julie Nixon Eisenhower also attended though she graduated elsewhere.

[darrellmaurina]

7 posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 9:42:23 AM by Admin Moderator: “FR has a long standing-policy of a hands-off approach to personal comments posted about the children of politicians. Too bad the Obamas will use their kids as political props when they see fit while simulataneously demanding privacy for them. But FR will still adhere to our own standards even if the Obamas cannot and will not do so consistently.”

36 posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 10:00:39 AM by Admin Moderator: “The FR mods are only pulling posts that make it personal about the kids, and pulling threads where such posts are just getting too pervasive. There is no Eric Holder batphone to the mod lounge tell us what to do, we had this standard back in the Clinton Admin years with posts about Chelsea.”

Thank you.

Could you consider posting this to the other two threads in which this subject is being discussed. The allegations being made by some that FR is somehow caving in to pressure need to be clarified for the benefit of those who aren't aware that this has been policy back to Chelsea Clinton's days in the White House.

Malia in Mexico story vanishing from the Web
Times247 ^ | 3/19/12 | Eric Ritz
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2861195/posts

Media Scrubs Malia Obama Vacation Story (Ignoring a Travel Advisory is not “vital news”)
Fox News ^ | 3/20/2012 | DYLAN BYERS
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2861406/posts

[Wicket]

There is a preliminary USGS report for an EQ of 7.4 (which is a big one) at Oaxaca today.