Obama Drags Daughter Into Gulf Coast’s Political Waters

“Beaches all along the Gulf Coast are clean, safe and open for business,” President Obama declared during a trip to the Florida Panhandle this weekend. To prove his point, Obama took his daughter Sasha, into the waters for a dip.

The White House promptly distributed a picture showing the happy duo playing, safe, sound and oil-free. The swim was a brazen political move, one that breaks one of the President’s long-standing promises: keeping children out of the partisan limelight.

The Obamas have been sharply criticized for their choice of summer vacations so far: first they took a July jaunt to Maine, just after the President urged Americans to visit the oil-soaked Gulf Coast. Then, a mere few weeks later, Michelle and Sasha headed over to Spain, leading some to compare the First Lady to an apathetic Marie Antoinette.

Hoping to placate an increasingly disgruntled public, and reassure Gulf Residents, the White House organized the First Family’s getaway, filled with plenty of Kodak moments with Sasha front and center. There they are playing Putt-Putt: Sasha got a hole in one! And, yes, you can be sure the President’s youngest daughter was snapped during a boat ride with her father on Sunday. The most politically picture-perfect moment, however, came during the aforementioned swim.

Press weren’t allowed to follow Obama and Sasha into the water; their swim was attended only by Secret Service, dear friends and an Administration-approved photographer. Thus, we’ll never know how long or far the President in fact swam. For all few know, he may have waded out, splashed around for a portrait and then high-tailed it to a Haz-Mat cleanup crew. That’s because the “swim” wasn’t for fun, as Obama would like us to believe: it was a political photo op, and Sasha was a buoy. Unfortunately, she may turn out to be bait.

Obama has long vowed that children should not be used for political purposes. Back in 2008, when he was running for office, Mr. Obama caught flack for allowing Access Hollywood to interview his daughters. He insisted it would never happen again. “What makes them so charming is the fact that they’re not spending a lot of time worrying about TV cameras or politics and we want to keep it that way,” he vowed.” “I don’t think it’s healthy and it’s something that we’ll be avoiding in the future.”

Later, Obama blasted pundits and the public for discussing Sarah Palin’s sprawling family, particularly her youngest son, whom some say actually belongs to her daughter, Bristol. “I think people’s families are off-limits, and people’s children are especially off-limits. This shouldn’t be part of our politics.”

The President and his wife tried to keep that promise after they moved to Pennsylvania Avenue, and for months it was easy to forget the First Couple have two young daughters. Now, however, it seems Sasha has become the star of the show.

One can’t criticize the Obamas for bringing Sasha along on vacations: they would be bad parents not to allow their daughter access to the privileges and educational opportunities her position affords. This weekend’s visit, however, was beyond transparent. It was a slick move, one that’s more partisan than patriotic, and practically screams, “The Gulf’s so safe, I’m willing to bet my youngest child!” And that’s not the image this family man should portray.

Image via The White House