Journos Pass Up Beer on Obama

Price of flying Air Force One has gone up since last estimate

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama has officially arrived in Hawaii for his family’s annual Christmas getaway to the state, and what a pricey trip it is: The Hawaiian Reporter estimated the cost of the vacation at more than $4 million. The exact cost of the trip is unknown, but based on the military’s most recent estimate that Air Force One costs $181,757 per hour to operate, the paper estimates the cost of the flight alone at $3,271,622, plus another $100,000 or so for Michelle Obama’s early flight down. More»

While us fools toil away, fighting off the Monday morning blues...

(NEWSER) - If the president isn't working, we don't have to, right? It only seems fair, considering Obama is taking an extra day of vacation. Instead of returning from shaved-ice paradise on Sunday, the president will leave Monday evening and arrive Tuesday afternoon, reports the Wall Street Journal . "After the extended lame duck and five-day delay of his trip here, he's just trying to squeeze in more time with his family before returning to Washington," said his deputy press secretary yesterday. Or perhaps he's just not too eager to return to this reality... More»

No more hunky 'buff Bam'

(NEWSER) - President Obama is apparently getting shy (or flabby?) in his advancing years as president. Reporters have been given strict instructions not to snap pics of a topless president while he's vacationing in Hawaii, reports the New York Times . That means no more hunka-hunka shots and no more memorable headlines like the New York's Post's "Buff Bam is Hawaii Hunk" after Obama was snapped shirtless several times while vacationing as president-elect. More»

As Congress heads toward overtime, the president may be stuck in DC

(NEWSER) - Someone break the news to Sasha and Malia: They may have to body surf the Hawaiian waves without dad this year. With Congress’ lame duck session likely headed into overtime, President Obama has resolved to stay in Washington to sign anything it passes, meaning he may not find himself en route to the Aloha State this weekend for his annual Christmas break as planned. “If Congress is here, the president will be here,” Robert Gibbs says, telling the press corps, “I think you’ve got a few extra days to pull together those Christmas presents that you put off buying.” More»

Hawaii surely rejuvenated Dem for fall campaign ... but 3 tips just in case

(NEWSER) - What did Barack Obama do on vacation in Hawaii, beside body-surf and eat shaved ice? He learned three important lessons, John Dickerson writes in Slate, about how to handle the coming phase of the campaign:

1. “Keep it big.” The Democrat has decided to push the “turning-point election” idea. Voters aren’t pleased with the way things are going, so he’ll stress “change vs. more of the same” even harder.