(Newser)
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After President Obama waded into the controversy yesterday over whether to build a mosque near Ground Zero, he then waded into the Gulf of Mexico during his quick family trip to the Florida Panhandle. Taking a dip yesterday at Panama City Beach with daughter Sasha, Obama told a wary public to jump right in. "Beaches all along the Gulf Coast are clean, they are safe, and they are open for business," said Obama.
The Obamas went swimming away from the media eye, notes the AP, though the White House made sure to release an official photo of the president and his daughter on its Flikr feed. The president's gesture came as Thad Allen ordered additional testing on BP's busted well before he orders the final drilling on the relief well to proceed.
