White House: Back Off Sasha and Malia

In a last-minute plea to the media as the Obama family heads to Martha's Vineyard for some downtime, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs asked that Sasha, 8, and Malia, 11, be given privacy on their vacation. "It is our strong hope and desire that you all, during this family vacation, will respect the privacy of Sasha and Malia," he said. "If the girls are out and about on Martha's Vineyard without their parents, it's our strong desire that you give them their space, their privacy, and you do not cover two little girls who are on vacation." Gibbs said public appearances with their parents, like ice cream trips, are fair game. The White House will be adding local Vineyard media to the press pool, temporarily, and will release "readouts" with details about the Obamas' activities, all in an effort to stem the media's curiosity about the vacation. Gibbs' plea seemed targeted at the local media and paparazzi, who have attempted to photograph the Obamas on vacation from far distances before.