Obama hits the links to celebrate 51st birthday

President Obama marked his 51st birthday with a golf outing in Washington, D.C.

A pool report said Obama arrived at Andrews Air Force base this morning for a round.  According to CBS News reporter Mark Knoller, Obama's visit to the links is his 104th round since taking office.

Obama's last round was last weekend when he golfed and played basketball, with first lady Michelle Obama away to attend the Opening Ceremonies of the London Olympics.

Republican critics of the president have repeatedly targeted his love of golf, accusing him of neglecting to focus on the economy. But Obama was buoyed this week by a July jobs report that showed the economy adding 163,000 jobs last month.

Obama has a light schedule this weekend and is expected to leave for Camp David later today. He will visit Colorado Wednesday and Thursday for campaign events and will celebrate his birthday next weekend in Chicago at an event for high-profile campaign donors.

His campaign has used his birthday as a fundraising opportunity, with emails from the first lady asking supporters to contribute and sign a card for the president.

Republicans have used the event to score election-year points as well, with the Republican National Committee taunting Obama with a series of e-birthday cards hitting the administration on recent missteps.

The RNC also send the Democratic National Committee (DNC) a birthday cake on Friday which read "you didn't bake this" a play on the president's recent comments on the benefits of government funded-infrastructure for businesses. Democrats sent the cake back with a note claiming that Romney's approach to middle class economic concerns was to "Let them eat cake!"

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) emailed a fundraising pitch to supporters last night jokingly wishing Obama a happy birthday, and adding “with any luck, this will be his last one as President of the United States of America.”

In 2009, Obama celebrated his birthday at a surprise private celebration at Camp David and in 2010 participated in a pickup game headlined by numerous professional and college basketball stars.

Obama's 50th birthday was celebrated by a fundraising event in Chicago where musician Jennifer Hudson sang "Happy Birthday" to the president.

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