Obama defends his comments about Las Vegas

While President Barack Obama absolutely adores Las Vegas, his comments about Sin City has him in hot water with local elected officials.

Since coming into office, Obama has twice stated Americans should not be spending every last dollar of their savings at the slots and tables and instead should be putting it away during this recession.

Obama wrote a letter to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid stating that he loves Vegas and always has a good time when he visits.

“I was making the simple point that families use vacation dollars, not
college tuition money, to have fun,” Obama said, according to the
letter released by Reid’s office. “There is no place better to have fun
than Vegas, one of our country’s great destinations.”

Las Vegas is extra sensitive these days about any criticism it receives due to the major financial hit it has taken over the last 48-months with major foreclosures, high unemployment and hotels practically begging people to visit.

Obama simply believes that when times are tough, you should not be going out and spending money on the Strip.

Personally while I do not agree with most of the presidents actions as of late, I do believe his comments were wise and showcased true leadership skills. Unlike the same rhetoric that we have heard from other politicians over and over again in recent weeks, this recession is far from over and people need to wake up to that reality.

What do you think about the president’s comments? Was he right to advise Americans to be smarter with their dollars or was it a bad idea to single out one city and possibly hurt Vegas even more? Share your thoughts on this hot button topic.

Source: Associated Press

Flickr: http2007