For the second time in a year, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is fed up with President Barack Obama and his penchant for telling Americans to save their money and avoid Las Vegas:
“Mayor Oscar Goodman holds a press conference inside his downtown Las Vegas office Tuesday, February 2, 2010. Goodman was upset about the following statement made by President Obama: “When times are tough, you tighten your belts,” Obama said. “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.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid suggested Obama “lay off Las Vegas,” and a host of Nevada politicians joined the chorus objecting to Obama’s comments. However, it was Mayor Goodman who stole the show:
“Every time he talks about people spending money in Las Vegas, it has to hurt us,” he said. “It’s a natural consequence of his statement.”
Asked if he thought the president might have just made a slip of the tongue, Goodman said that being negative about Las Vegas must be in his mindset.
“He’s got his own psychological quirk up there about Las Vegas,” Goodman said. “That’s our town, folks. You should be angry about it, too.”
“I want the president to straighten this out,” Goodman said. “If not, he’s not welcome in my city, as far as I’m concerned. He’s not our friend. I don’t know about people in Nevada, but in Las Vegas, he’s sure not our friend.”
Goodman said he didn’t care if he received criticism again for going after the president.
“What? Little weenies are going to criticize me? Forgetaboutit. I could care less about that,” he said. “I’m the mayor, I’m trying to protect Las Vegas. And I don’t care what these little pundits say.”
“I think he has a psychological hangup about us,” he said. Because apparently, these statements are not the ones that are on the monitors. He does fine on the monitors. You get him off the monitors and Las Vegas creeps into his mind. He’s got a problem with us. I don’t know what it is.”
The mayor said Obama shouldn’t plan to visit Las Vegas until he’s retracted his statement. Goodman said he didn’t plan to meet with President Obama in a meeting this month to Las Vegas.
“Not without an apology, no.”
Obama has since apologized and maybe he’s learning not to mess with Las Vegas. Then again, maybe Obama is doing his part to make sure Schumer or Durbin takes Reid’s place as Majority Leader. After all, Reid’s polls are plummeting and does anyone really think Obama has forgotten Reid’s comments about him?
– DRJ
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