KAILUA, Hawaii, Dec. 27 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama and his family are taking a well-deserved holiday vacation in Hawaii, a White House spokesman says.
The New York Times said Saturday that Obama's Hawaiian vacation was temporarily interrupted Friday by news of the attempted terrorist attack on a flight bound for Detroit.
White House spokesman Bill Burton said Friday's incident reflected how even when on vacation, a U.S. president is never "off duty."
"The president works hard day in and day out, and the American people recognize that," Burton said. "And I think the American people also recognize that it makes sense for the commander in chief to recharge his batteries, even though he's never fully off duty."
The Times said Obama's decision to visit Hawaii during the holiday season has not set well with everyone, as the conservative Web site Free Republic offered harsh words on the matter last week.
A Free Republic posting said while other U.S. residents "are still caught in the grips of the recession, Obama is living like a king with no criticism from the mainstream media."
