StarBulletin.com

Obama due back in isles for 10-day trip


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POSTED: Friday, December 19, 2008

President-elect Barack Obama's Hawaii vacation will come after a hectic week of naming Cabinet appointments and distancing himself from the scandal surrounding Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

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Although there has been no official word from the Obama camp about his upcoming visit, a source with knowledge of the preparations confirmed Obama's arrival tomorrow for a 10-day stay in the islands.

The trip had been widely reported by major media outlets including the Los Angeles Times, Reuters and the Chicago Tribune, but officials in Obama's office have declined to confirm details, citing security reasons.

Obama, who was born in Hawaii and is a 1979 graduate of Punahou School, has no public events scheduled. During his time here he is expected to attend a private memorial service for his late grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, who died Nov. 2.

Obama's last visit to Hawaii was for less than 24 hours in October, to visit with his grandmother after her health took a turn for the worse.

Prior to that, he, his family and several close friends vacationed here for a week in August, before the Democratic National Convention.

During that trip, Obama's only public events were a rally at Keehi Lagoon and a fundraiser for the Democratic Party of Hawaii. His leisure time excursions included a couple of rounds of golf, trips to the beach and to several local restaurants.

It previously was reported that the Obamas and the families of two or three friends will stay at a Windward Oahu beachside villa with three multimillion-dollar homes. Each wraps around a lagoon-style swimming pool, with palm trees, grassy lawns and retractable glass walls for views of the beach.

It is not the same large Kailua beachside home at which the Obamas stayed during his August trip.

Gov. Linda Lingle previously has said she would try to meet with Obama and members of his transition team during the trip, but nothing has been formalized, said Lenny Klompus, Lingle's senior adviser for communications.

Obama has spent this week announcing various appointment to his Cabinet. He also has been dogged by questions about what contact may have occurred between members of his team and the Illinois governor.

Blagojevich was arrested last week on charges of public corruption for allegedly soliciting bribes to fill Obama's vacated seat in the U.S. Senate.