December 24, 2008	Wednesday	Zilhaj 25, 1429

HONOLULU (USA), Dec 23: Paparazzi snaps of a shirtless and toned Barack Obama with his family on holiday in Hawaii sparked envy, anger and a torrent of bad puns on Tuesday after they were posted on the Web.

“Fit for Office ... Buff Bam is Hawaii hunk,” blared the New York Post with a front-page splash of the rippling president-elect showing not an inch of flab as he strolled in his swimming trunks through a Hawaii resort.

A photographer affiliated with California-based agency Bauer-Griffin evaded a ring of security around the president-elect and his family at the beach resort.

News photographers following Obama in his press pool are being kept away from the president-elect at the residence.

Several shots on the Bauer-Griffin website show a muscled and trim Obama in his swimming trunks, showing the reward of his daily early morning workouts.

Other more controversial pictures show Michelle Obama with the future first couple’s daughters Malia and Sasha, who have been shielded from the media, apparently heading back to their vacation lodgings after a swim.

“Wow” wrote one poster on the Huffington Post website which provided a link to the Obama pictures.

Other poster noted that the days of gray, “old” presidents in the White House were over.

But other posters angrily assailed Bauer-Griffin over the shoot, as Obama, set to be sworn in as president on Jan 20, and his family enjoy a private vacation.

“Take the pics of the kids down,” wrote another poster on the firm’s website.

Bauer-Griffin co-owner Frank Griffin told the Washington Post that the snapper was not asked to leave the public beach from where he spotted Obama.

“There was tacit approval that he was able to shoot what he could shoot, it’s a public beach,” Griffin told the paper.

Obama was the subject of millions of pictures during and since his compelling two year run for the presidency.

But sometimes he seems to tire of the attention.

“Ok guys, come on,” Obama said to news photographers who took pictures of him heading off for a round of golf on Sunday.—AFP