Malia does Mexico!

A 7.6 earthquake struck Acapulco, Mexico, Tuesday. 200 miles east in Oaxaca, Malia Obama is safe, although the quake rattled that area.

On Monday, several news outlets, including The Huffington Post, reported that Malia Obama, 13, her friends, and about 25 Secret Service agents were on spring break in Oaxaca, Mexico. On Tuesday, the story was removed. According to Politico.com, the White House has released a statement saying it asked the outlets to remove the story.

"From the beginning of the administration, the White House has asked news outlets not to report on or photograph the Obama children when they are not with their parents and there is no vital news interest," Kristina Schake, Communications Director to the First Lady, told reporter Dylan Byers via email. "We have reminded outlets of this request in order to protect the privacy and security of these girls."

It was reported that Malia, 12 of her friends, and 25 Secret Service agents arrived in Oaxaca on Saturday for spring break.

I guess Obama forgot to tell Mexico. Last Friday, 16 March, 2012, the Oaxaca Times (Mexico) reported, "Malia Ann Obama, daughter of U.S. President Barack Obama, arrived on a commercial flight to Oaxaca, for a private tour on the evening of Friday March 16th. Surrounded by a security team, Malia Obama arrived at the headquarters of the commercial airport in the capital to join a group of twelve young teenagers from a United Airlines commercial airliner departed from Houston, Texas."

"Official information states that President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama's oldest daughter, who is thirteen, has an escort of twenty-five agents composed of marines and members of the Secret Service. All will wear black suits and use radio communication. Private security escorted Malia Obama in three armored trucks to Hotel Camino Real, located in Oaxaca's Historic Central District."

"According to her leaked agenda, during the weekend Malia will visit the "El Arbol del Tule," the archaeological site of Monte Alban, and the towns of San Martin Tilcajete, the site of many local handicrafts, and San Bartolo Coyotepec, in addition to the main attractions in the city of Oaxaca."

Our State Department recently issued a travel warning, asking people to avoid Mexico, although the travel warning didn't include the region of Oaxaca.

This trip raises some questions -- why are any 13 year olds vacationing in Mexico without their parents? What example does it set for the thousands of kids in DC whose parents are out of work? How much of the tab is the Obama family picking up? Why can't maybe just a dozen, along with all the Mexican police handle safety of one girl?

The Huffy Post does bring up the headline, "Spring Break Malia Obama," but the story is no longer there.