Hope and Fail

Vegas: Bad for corporate CEOs, good for Democratic high rollers

President Barack Obama is spending the night in Las Vegas after attending a fundraiser for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

This, after Obama specifically called out trips to Sin City while chiding corporate executives back in February.

Here’s what the president said Feb. 10, according to Jake Trapper of ABC News:

At issue are remarks about corporate responsibility Obama made at a town hall Monday in Elkhart, Ind., when responding to a question from an audience member.

“We’re going to do something to strengthen the banking system,” Mr. Obama said, “You are not going to be able to give out these big bonuses until you pay taxpayers back. You can’t get corporate jets. You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayers’ dime. There’s got to be some accountability and some responsibility.”

After the president made the comments, Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman demanded an apology.

Well, tonight Obama, Reid and other Democratic big-wigs and their donors are partying it up with Bette Midler and Cheryl Crow. Attendees forked out $2,400 to attend a reception and another $50 to $250 for seats at a concert with Midler and Crow.

Apparently it’s irresponsible for corporate CEOs to blow cash in Vegas, but it’s OK for Democrats working to secure Reid another term in the Senate.

Here’s what Obama said after arriving in Sin City, according to Reuters:

“It’s good to be back in Vegas. I thought I had good room, but now that I’m president they upgraded me,” he said to laughter. “They’ve been stashing away a really nice room. It’s like one of those high roller rooms. And now I have it because I’m president.”

To add insult to injury, the White House denied a request from Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons to meet with the president, instead offering the chance at a handshake at the airport.

Gibbons says Las Vegas lost 340 planned conventions and business meetings since Obama’s Feb. 10 comment. That amounts to 36,700 hotel-room nights and about $130 million in non-gambling revenue.

The governor told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto:

I do see some hypocrisy in there, because it is OK for him to come to Nevada and take campaign cash from Nevadans. You know, I think he wants our money. But he discourages businesses from coming here. I think he ought to be ashamed of what he has done to the working people in my state.