Opinion

A new Obama-Nation – Votes for Vacation

Myra Adams Contributor
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Does anyone think there might be something suspicious behind the timing of President Obama’s quick family vacation to Maine this past weekend?

Hint: The votes of Maine’s Republican Senators, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe were instrumental in the passage of the Financial Reform bill that reached that magic number of 60 with their help.  Minus their votes, the bill’s almost certain failure would have been an embarrassment for the president and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who desperately wants to keep that title.

Do you see where I am going with this?

A new Obama-Nation — Votes for Vacation.

It’s a creative strategy to arm-twist votes from Senators who represent states with craggy scenic coastlines and national parks, just awaiting a first family visit to help boost their coffers.

Take Maine for example: How many millions in tourist dollars will this presidential visit generate?  Besides the obvious abundant revenue from the actual visit and its priceless press coverage, there are future benefits. Can’t you just hear little Johnny from Kansas saying: “Mommy, Mommy can we go hiking in Maine where Sasha and Malia went?”

Votes for Vacation sure beats the Nebraska’s “Cornhusker Kickback” and the

“Louisiana Purchase” with those same old boring vote bribes for millions of federal dollars that forever tarnished Health Care Reform.

At least Votes for Vacation is a private sector initiative.

So here is a future page out of the presumed sequel to The Obama Diaries, Laura Ingraham’s new bestselling book, which I will take the liberty to name The Obama Diaries IIBP and Me.

(Laura, don’t you just LOVE that name? Call me.)

Here is a sneak peak when President Obama first hatches Votes for Vacations:

Dear Diary:

Rahm tells me I desperately need 2 votes from my Maine girls so Harry can pass Financial Reform and Chris Dodd can retire with a big bang for future bucks. Michelle and the kids will love it too!

I will offer the senators from Maine an Obama family vacation package the weekend after the vote passes the Senate.  It’s a win win for everyone!!!

Maine will get awesome media coverage generating millions of green tourism dollars and our trip will help save or create hundreds of jobs for lobster fisherman, while LL Bean sells and creates more of those despicable plaid shirts. (Good thing this is a private diary!)

No one will ever suspect Votes for Vacations is really a plot to extort 2 more votes so I can help Harry keep the Senate. It’s brilliant because I take so many vacations anyway, the press will think it was just a fine time to visit Maine.

Besides, after going to Crawford, Texas for 8 years and the last 3 months in the Gulf, the White House Press Corps is glad to be going anywhere that has clean water and safe shellfish, without all that messy oil and those slimy God-awful pelicans.

Myra Adams is a media producer, writer and political observer. Her media clients have included national associations, political interest groups and corporations. She was on the creative team with Mark McKinnon that created the now infamous John Kerry “Windsurfing” ad for the Bush 2004 presidential campaign and served on the McCain Ad Council during the 2008 McCain campaign. Myra’s web site TheJesusStore.com contributes all profits to Christian charity.