White House: No major earthquake damage reported

WEST TISBURY, Mass. (AP) — An hour after an East Coast earthquake shook the ground around him, President Barack Obama conferred with top aides and was told there had been no early reports of major infrastructure damage, including at airports and nuclear facilities.

There also were no immediate requests for federal assistance, the White House said.
The president, vacationing on Martha's Vineyard was teeing off at a golf course when the temblor hit.

A statement from the White House did not say whether Obama felt the ground sway. But reporters traveling with him said they had felt it.

The quake shook much of Washington, D.C., where sections of the White House, Pentagon and Capitol were temporarily evacuated.

CNN broadcast video of Obama speaking on a cell phone on the golf course. The White House did not say whether that was when Obama was talking with top administration officials. The conference call Obama held with aides, including his homeland security secretary, national security adviser and the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, took place just before 3 p.m. EDT. Obama also asked for regular updates on the earthquake.

Obama's golf game came after he took advantage of idyllic summer weather to join his family on biking and beach outings earlier Tuesday.

Aides said Obama was briefed on national security and the economy before setting out for the bike trail at Manuel F. Correllus State Forest with his wife, Michelle, and daughters Malia and Sasha. The first family went biking at the 5,100-acre preserve during their previous two summer getaways on this posh island off the Massachusetts coast. After biking, they headed to a private stretch of beach on the island's south shore for the second time in three days.

Obama also discussed Libya with French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Both agreed to support a peaceful transition to democracy and called for Moammar Gadhafi to relinquish power, the White House said. While out biking, Obama ignored a reporter's shouted question about Gadhafi's whereabouts.

The president arrived last Thursday for a 10-day break from Washington. He is scheduled to return to the White House on Saturday.