President Obama wrote a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) last night clarifying — but not apologizing — for comments yesterday about Las Vegas, comments that prompted calls for retraction and apology from Nevada politicians.
At yesterday’s town hall in New Hampshire, Obama compared family budgeting to federal budgeting: “When times are tough, you tighten your belts. You don’t go buying a boat when you can barely pay your mortgage. You don’t blow a bunch of cash in Vegas when you’re trying to save for college. You prioritize. You make tough choices.”
In his subsequent letter to Reid, Obama wrote, “I hope you know that during my town hall today, I wasn’t saying anything negative about Las Vegas. I was making the simple point that families use vacation dollars, not college tuition money, to have fun.”
“There is no place better to have fun than Vegas, one of our country’s great destinations,” he continued. “I have always enjoyed my visits, look forward to visiting in a few weeks, and hope folks will visit in record numbers this year.”
After Obama’s town hall, Reid told Nevada reporter Jon Ralston that Obama “needs to lay off Las Vegas and stop making it the poster child for where people shouldn’t be spending their money.” Other politicians, including Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) and Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV), followed suit.
It wasn’t the first time. Last May, Obama said bailed-out bankers “can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas … on the taxpayer’s dime,” prompting similar anger from some local politicians.
