President Barack Obama, three days into an eyebrow-raising summer vacation on Martha’s Vineyard, already is gearing up for another fundraiser, this one tonight on the island, an affluent summer colony off Cape Cod, notes Grumpy Editor.
With the president in a rented three-story, seven bedroom, 8,100-square-foot home on the island over the next two weeks are wife Michelle, daughter Malia and dogs Bo and Sunny. The vacation comes at a time of mounting crisis in Iraq with U.S. air strikes on terrorists, Hamas threatening major escalation in rocket strikes on Israel and widening problems stemming from illegals crossing the southern border.
Added to all this, a secondary political attraction arrives Wednesday when former First Lady Hillary Clinton is scheduled to arrive on the island for a book-signing event.
Meanwhile, some Martha’s Vineyard merchants --- such as ice cream shops and restaurants --- are excited, feeling that the president’s presence on the island will boost business in a season that has been slow.
They overlook grumbling from others stemming from heightened security activity in the air and on the ground plus road delays and slow traffic as presidential motorcades make their way around the island to a golf course, a restaurant or to other locations such as in the past --- bicycle rides.
Among major growlers: private fliers.
With the president on the island, the Federal Aviation Administration has instituted a 30-nautical mile perimeter temporary flight restriction for Martha’s Vineyard that runs through 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 25, reveals Sara Brown, Vineyard Gazette reporter.
Obama was off to a golf course within 30 minutes of arrival on Saturday.
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Declaring corporate America has done well under his economic policies, President Barack Obama tells London-based Economist magazine that chief executive officers should stop complaining about regulations and show greater social responsibility…An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds six in 10 Americans are dissatisfied with the state of the U.S. economy, more than 70 percent believe the country is headed in the wrong direction and nearly 80 percent are down on the country’s political system…Okay, so it's "torture" for the bad guys: In changing editorial word usage, The New York Times no longer will describe interrogation methods on terror suspects as “harsh or brutal” and now will term the procedures “torture”…A University of Southern California study finds Hollywood movies are under-representing non-white ethnic groups in the U.S., with Hispanic actors cast in five percent of speaking parts in last year’s 100 top grossing films despite making up more than 16 percent of the population; black actors appeared in 14 percent of roles while 17 percent of movies had no black speaking parts…Unsettling news for J-students: In another study, the University of Georgia Grady College finds 2013 consumer magazine starting salaries of graduates with bachelor degrees in journalism sank $5,000 a year lower than the prior year…Not much mention in print or broadcast outlets that USASpending.gov, which tracks government spending, can’t locate at least $619 billion from 302 federal programs…More military trimming: Because of “financial restraints,” the U.S. Air Force’s 65th Aggressor Squadron, based at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, will be deactivated on Sept. 26…Hollis R. Towns, executive editor/vice president news at New Jersey’s Asbury Park Press, informs readers the newspaper is “hiring more reporters to help cover the community better” and “establish better relationships with you” while “putting more resources into digital”…Los Angeles radio station KFWB next month switches from its long-time news/talk format to all sports chatter.
In discussing the thousands of young illegals showing up at the southern border, Vice President Joe Biden declares: "These are not somebody else's kids. These are our kids."
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