Obama wishes merry Christmas to the troops at Marine base in Hawaii as he prepares to cut his holiday vacation short to return to fiscal cliff negotiations
By MEGHAN KENEALLY and ASSOCIATED PRESS
The President and First Lady wished the troops a merry Christmas with a visit to a U.S. Marine base on Tuesday.
His appearance with servicemen at a Christmas ceremony was his last
public stop in Hawaii before he cuts short his vacation and flies back
to Washington to return to negotiations over the fiscal cliff.
Barack Obama is expected to arrive in Washington early Thursday, the
White House said Tuesday night. Michelle Obama and the couple's two
daughters will remain in Hawaii.
Honoring the troops: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle
Obama visited Marines eating Christmas dinner at Marine Corps Base
Hawaii
Nice to meet you: Obama personally thanked many of the Marines for their service to the nation
In the past, the president's end-of-the-year holiday in his native state
had stretched into the new year. The first family had left Washington
last Friday night.
Congress has been expected to return to Washington late Thursday. Before
he departed for Hawaii, Obama told reporters he expected to be back in
the capital the following week.
Automatic budget cuts and tax increases are set to begin on January 1,
which many economists say could send the country back into recession. So
far, the president and congressional Republicans have been unable to
reach agreement on any alternatives.
Lawmakers have expressed little but pessimism for the prospect of an
agreement coming before the New Year. On Sunday, Sen Kay Bailey
Hutchison, a Texas Republican, said she expects any action in the waning
days of the year to be 'a patch because in four days we can't solve
everything.'
Celebrity: The troops and their families lined to take photos of the Commander in Chief and meet him in person
Keeper: Many of the Marines left with a souvenir photo of President and Mrs Obama
The Obamas were spending the holiday at a rented home near Honolulu. On
Christmas Day, the president and first lady visited with Marines to
express thanks for their service.
'One of my favorite things is always coming to base on Christmas Day
just to meet you and say thank you,' the president said at Marine Corps
Base Hawaii's Anderson Hall. He said that being commander in chief was
his greatest honor as president.
Obama took photos with individual service members and their families.
On Christmas Eve, Obama called members of the military to thank them for
serving the nation, then joined his family for dinner, the White House
said. The Obamas opened gifts Christmas morning, ate breakfast and sang
carols. Read more: dailymail.co.uk
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