Obama Heads Home to Chicago

By GottaLaff

Next stop: Washington D.C.

President-elect Barack Obama bid adieu to his native Hawaii on Thursday, wrapping up his 13-day pre-inaugural vacation here with a morning workout before returning home to Chicago.

Obama is scheduled to arrive in Chicago early Friday morning and will spend just over 48 hours at home before moving his family to Washington on Sunday, in time for his daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, to begin classes at Sidwell Friends School. The future first family will stay at the historic Hay-Adams Hotel, just steps from the White House, before moving to Blair House on Jan. 15.

Obama concluded a relaxing respite in Hawaii during which he remained largely secluded at a seaside vacation compound with his wife, Michelle, their two daughters and several friends from Chicago and their families. The president-elect maintained a relatively low profile in Hawaii, some days venturing out in public only for his morning workout at a Marine Corps base.

Me-oh-my, he's a real glutton for attention, isn't he? Amazing how all those nasty campaign accusations have been proved wrong over and over and over again.

Making his last stop at the gym Thursday morning, Obama was greeted by about 20 onlookers. "We love having you with us," one woman told the president-elect. Obama shook hands, posed for pictures and signed autographs with a red Sharpie.

"I wish I could hang out with you, but I've got to go home," Obama told the crowd.

This is about as normal a First Family as I can remember. I guess those "evil terrorist" rumors that squirted from the orifices of Palin and her wannabes turned out to be the duddiest of duds, huh? Although he could be hiding an IED in his Hawaii flip-flops.

On the other hand, I saw a post-election interview Wolf Blitzer had with DimBulb Palin in which she continued to voice concern about President-elect Obama's associations.

Funny, I don't seem to hear anything about his pallin' around with known druggies or having a dysfunctional family that would put Britney Spears' antics to shame. Nope. The Obamas are about as close-knit a family values family as you can get.