Obama uses his daughter, 9, to promote tourism with swim in Gulf of Mexico... where they stayed just 26 hours

In an attempt to show the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, despite the massive BP oil spill, were safe he took the plunge with youngest daughter Sasha in a very carefully controlled photo opportunity.

No photographers or reporters were allowed to be present for the short dip in the Gulf waters off Alligator Point in Panama City Beach, Florida. 
 

Safe to go in the water... Barack Obama takes Sasha for a dip in the Gulf of Mexico in an attempt to promote tourism

But the White House later released one photo of the pair smiling as they frolicked with heads just above the water in warm waters of the Gulf.

Officials said they released the photograph to show that the region is back in business and was a safe destination for tourists.

But Mr Obama has come under fire for the decision - both for using his daughter to score political points, and for staying in the area for just 26 hours.

The family will instead holiday later this month on Martha's Vineyard, an elite resort island off the coast of Massachusetts - far to the north of the oil-stricken Gulf waters.

The trip led the New York Times to curtly observe that the family 'didn't linger' on the Coast, while other blogs even criticised him for failing to show off his chest in the photo.