Obama’s birthday gift to his wife? Time off, alone
President Barack Obama is going to give his wife the birthday present that many parents can only dream of - time off, alone, without the children.
The White House said on Saturday first lady Michelle Obama would stay in Hawaii, where the family has been on vacation for the last two weeks, rather than return home with her husband and their two girls.
"As part of her birthday gift from the president, the first lady will remain in Hawaii to spend time with friends ahead of her upcoming 50th birthday," a White House official said.
The president was leaving Honolulu late on Saturday after a vacation that was filled with several games of golf and dinners out. He and his children are scheduled to arrive in Washington on Sunday morning.
The Associated Press compiled a list of how President Obama spent his last day of vacation in Hawaii on Saturday:
- WEEKLY ADDRESS: Obama used his weekly radio and Internet address to urge Congress to reinstate job benefits for more than 1 million Americans. The president said failing to do so will cause the economy to slow.
A Senate proposal would extend the benefits for three months. Obama says he will sign it if it passes.
- HIKING: Obama and his wife went on a brief morning hike Saturday, visiting a popular trail near their Kailua vacation home that overlooks the ocean.
- GOLF: The president played one last round of golf at Marine Corps base Hawaii, having hit the links frequently during his trip.
- DINNER: For their final dinner in Hawaii on this trip, the Obamas went to Buzz's Lanikai, a steakhouse and seafood restaurant across the street from Kailua Beach Park that has been a regular stop for the family on previous vacations.
- DEPARTURE WITHOUT MICHELLE: Obama and his daughters departed Honolulu on Saturday night to go back to Washington.
美国媒体报道，奥巴马将送给妻子一份许多母亲梦寐以求的生日礼物——无需照顾孩子，继续在夏威夷逍遥度假。
1月4日晚9点，奥巴马和他的两个女儿乘坐“空军一号”离开州首府檀香山的珍珠港，8小时后，飞机降落在华盛顿，但他的妻子米歇尔并未同机返回。
“第一夫人将马上迎来她的50岁生日，作为来自总统的礼物，第一夫人将呆在夏威夷和朋友们在一起，”白宫的一份简短声明称。米歇尔将在本月17日迎来自己的生日。
***费用不菲
奥巴马送给米歇尔的这项逍遥假期大礼价值不菲，米歇尔单独旅行意味着额外的安保费用，可能部分将由纳税人承担。在此前的度假中，因为米歇尔先于奥巴马出发前往夏威夷，给财政部增加的额外成本估计至少有6.3万美元，并且有可能高达10万美元。
米歇尔一直因度假饱受争议，从2010年和朋友在西班牙奢华度假开始，她先后在巴哈马、马撒葡萄园岛和缅因州海岸度假。
2013年12月21日，奥巴马又携妻子米歇尔，带着12岁的女儿萨莎和15岁的女儿玛莉亚到夏威夷度假。
美联社汇总了奥巴马在夏威夷度假最后一天的日程安排：
演讲：在每周广播演讲和互联网演讲中，奥巴马要求国会恢复逾100万人的就业福利。奥巴马称，不这样做会导致经济增长减速。
散步：4日早晨，奥巴马和妻子在所居住的海景房周边散步。
高尔夫：奥巴马在夏威夷海军基地打了最后一杆高尔夫，度假过程中他经常从事这项运动。
大餐：奥巴马假期的最后一餐去了Buzz's Lanikai。这是一家以牛排和海鲜为主的餐馆，它在卡鲁瓦海滩公园的对面，奥巴马全家过去也经常在那儿吃饭。
之后，奥巴马总统挥别夏威夷，和两个女儿乘机离开，返回华盛顿。
