Obama wraps up Gulf trip, ready to hit road for fundraising

President Obama wrapped up his visit to the Gulf Coast on Sunday and headed back to
Washington, where he’ll spend a few hours before getting back on
the road.

Obama has a busy fundraising travel schedule next week
that takes him across the country. He starts off in Milwaukee on Monday,
where he’ll headline events for Democrat Tom Barrett, who’s running for
governor, and for the Wisconsin Democratic Party.

{mosads}Barrett was the White House’s hand-picked candidate to replace the
retiring Gov. Jim Doyle (D). Polls show him in a tough race. Obama
later on Monday will be in Los Angeles to raise money for the
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. 

On
Tuesday the president will travel to Seattle, where he will headline events
for Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.). 

Obama on Wednesday goes back to Ohio for another speech on the
economy and to headline a fundraiser for Gov. Ted Strickland (D) and
the Ohio Democratic Party. Afterward, he’ll fly south to Miami for an
event benefiting the Florida Democratic Party.

The first family then leaves for a weeklong vacation on Martha’s
Vineyard, the exclusive island off the coast of Cape Cod. Much of his
trip to the Gulf this weekend seemed to be aimed at muting any
criticism the president would get for vacationing in Massachusetts
while telling Americans to return to the Gulf.

While some might say his latest visit to Florida lasted only about
24 hours, the first family certainly wasn’t shy about exploring Panama
City Beach. On Saturday, Obama swam privately with daughter Sasha in Saint Andrew
Bay, which was captured by a White House photographer and released to
the press. On Sunday, he was out on the water again, this time taking a
short boat cruise that also included wife Michelle.

On their way to the airport Sunday afternoon, the motorcade stopped
for a final ice cream run. It seemed to have caused more of a stir than
the first family’s other outings. Waitresses from the nearby Hooters
came rushing out in their orange shorts to get a glimpse of the Obamas,
but were kept at bay by Secret Service, according to the pool report.

After ordering a cup of mint chocolate chip from Bruster’s ice
cream stand, Obama offered to buy a round for the reporters
accompanying him. For a visit that has been as much about a vacation as
a photo-op, it was a symbolic gesture. There weren’t any takers.