Michelle asked Santa to bring busy Obama to Hawaii
US First Lady Michelle Obama got her Christmas gift when President Barack Obama, who was caught up in Washington over the payroll tax stalemate, joined her and their daughters for a vacation in Hawaii.
“We were all praying and praying, and asking Santa, and the Tooth Fairy, and every fairy that they could think of — that’s what Malia and Sasha were doing — that he would be able to be with us on Christmas,” she said.
Obama was scheduled to leave for Hawaii on December 17 but a stalemate over extension of the expiring payroll tax cuts delayed his departure from Washington. He left on Friday morning hours after a deal was reached by the Congress.
Before leaving for Hawaii, Obama also managed to squeeze in time to shop video games for his daughters and gift cards at a leading technology chain, besides buying some chew toys and treats for the family dog Bo.
The first lady was taking part in the North American Aerospace Defence Command programme in which she answered calls from children telling them how close Santa was from their homes.
A report in the New York Times said the Obamas would spend Christmas Eve with a close group of family and friends, including Obama’s sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng and high school friends of the president. It said Obama took his wife out to dinner to one of their favourite dining spots on the island of Oahu.
