WASHINGTON – Vice President Biden doesn’t have to worry about playing second fiddle to his boss when it comes to tropical vacations.
President Obama’s No. 2, and 2016 presidential prospect, jets Friday to the U.S. Virgin Islands aboard Air Force Two, the White House announced Thursday night. He’ll be there through New Year’s.
That puts Biden just steps away from some of the Caribbean’s best snorkeling at the same time Obama is strolling Hawaii’s spectacular golf courses and hiking trails.
On Thursday, Obama hit the links for his fourth time of his vacation, golfing with pals Eric Whitaker, Mike Ramos and Bobby Titcomb along with White House trip director Marvin Nicholson and chef Sam Kass.
He spent about six hours at the Ko’olau Golf Club in Keneohe, Hawaii. That’s about five hours more than he spent on a family hike at the Manoa Falls Trail in drizzly weather.
The enchanting public course features “winding ravines, extreme elevation changes, and breathtaking views of cascading waterfalls,” according to its website.
Obama travels with top advisers and staff, and has signed budget and defense legislation while getting briefings on trouble spots.
Biden typically spends his summer getaway time at his home in Wilmington and visiting a pal’s home in the Hamptons, and he’s also taken down time in South Carolina and at Camp David.
Though the Virgin Islands feature a balmy climate and white sand beaches, they offer limited political upside. Residents of the U.S. territory don’t have electoral vote for president (though they do vote in primaries).