OAK BLUFFS, Mass. (AP) – In between briefings on Libya, President Barack Obama packed golf, beach time, a stop at a seafood restaurant and a visit to a wealthy friend’s seaside compound into his Martha’s Vineyard vacation Sunday.
Meanwhile, across the globe, rebels stormed into Tripoli as Moammar Gadhafi’s hold on power crumbled.
Obama monitored events closely even as he engaged in a heavy schedule of summertime activities under mostly sunny skies. As crowds gathered in Tripoli’s Green Square, Obama was buying seafood at a popular restaurant.
When reporters asked him for his reaction on Libya, he said he’d have one when events became clearer.
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Obama then headed to adviser Valerie Jarrett’s house for what the White House billed as dinner — only later revealing that he held a conference call there with a battery of top advisers.
The president and his aides were also drafting a statement that the White House released about 90 minutes later. It called on Gadhafi to relinquish power, and said, “The people of Libya are showing that the universal pursuit of dignity and freedom is far stronger than the iron fist of a dictator.”
The developments illustrated what the White House has been saying about Obama’s vacation: He’s still focused in his job as president.
Earlier, Obama spent about an hour at the home of Comcast chief executive Brian Roberts after playing golf with some buddies. The golf foursome included Obama’s Chicago pal Eric Whitaker, UBS America executive Robert Wolf and a White House aide. Obama spent the morning at the beach with his wife, Michelle, and daughters Sasha and Malia.
Sunday was Obama’s third full day on Martha’s Vineyard. He is scheduled to return to Washington on Saturday.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
