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StumbleObama lands in Las Vegas for second visit of presidency
President Barack Obama exits Air Force One after arriving at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas on Thursday.
Published Thursday, Feb. 18, 2010 | 4:37 p.m.
Updated Thursday, Feb. 18, 2010 | 8:23 p.m.
Sun Archives
- Obama and Reid forge bond beyond politics as usual (2-18-2010)
- Green Valley High will host Obama town hall meeting (2-16-2010)
- FAA restricting Las Vegas air space during Obama visit (2-17-2010)
- Goodman: Obama needs to ‘straighten out’ what he said about Las Vegas (2-17-10)
- Green Valley High will host Obama town hall meeting (2-16-10)
- Obama’s Las Vegas visit to include DNC fundraiser (2-15-10)
- Obama to visit Las Vegas next week to discuss economy (2-12-10)
President Barack Obama touched down at McCarran International Airport at 6:40 p.m. Thursday, marking his second visit to Las Vegas during his presidency.
U.S. Reps. Shelley Berkley and Dina Titus were at the airport and greeted the president as he got off Air Force One.
Obama made a stop at the Bellagio, then will be attending a private fundraiser this evening for the Democratic National Committee at the home of Palms owner George Maloof. The fundraiser is expected to raise $1 million for the committee.
The president will stay overnight in Las Vegas and hold a town hall meeting at 10 a.m. Friday at Green Valley High School.
Free tickets for the town hall were available today from the school’s football box office, where the line stretched around the block.
Henderson resident Caryn Aspeland said she arrived Thursday afternoon after school let out to get tickets but didn’t expect the line to be so long.
“I thought by getting here at 2:15 p.m. I would be in the parking lot area, but not around the block,” she said. “I’m impressed that the young people did show up.”
Green Valley High School students stood in line and cheered as cars passed and honked their horns. Some wore Obama T-shirts, while others displayed presidential pins and buttons.
Steve Jennings, 50, of Las Vegas said his 16-year-old daughter, Molly, attends Green Valley High School and wanted to stand in line to get a ticket for her uncle, who is recovering from cancer and doesn’t have the strength to stand in line himself.
“He’s an Obama supporter and wouldn’t mind seeing him,” Jennings said.
Aspeland said she hopes Obama will have something positive to say about the economy and Las Vegas, referring to a comment the president made earlier this month that “you don’t blow a bunch of cash on Vegas when you’re trying to save for college.”
“I personally don’t need an apology (for the Vegas comment), but I know a lot of people do,” she said.
Jennings said people took what the president said out of context.
“I don’t think the comments were meant to hurt Vegas,” he said. “They were just used as an example. I think it’s been taken out of context to make it sound worse than it really is.”
After the Green Valley High event, Obama will speak at noon to the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority at CityCenter’s Aria resort.
The president is scheduled to leave McCarran on Air Force One shortly after 1 p.m. Friday.
While Obama is in town, some Las Vegas air space will be restricted by the Federal Aviation Administration and closed to sightseeing air tours, gliders, parachutes and balloons. The FAA says restrictions will be in place from 5:45 p.m. Thursday to 1:30 p.m. Friday.
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman didn't greet Obama and wasn't expected to attend any of the presidential events. He has called on the president to apologize for the comments he made about spending money in the city.
Obama’s first trip to Las Vegas during his presidency was May 26, 2009, when he raised about $2 million for the campaign of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at Caesars Palace.
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Everyone get out there and boo him!!!!!
I thought he said "Don't blow your money in Vegas!" The DNC apparantly didn't comprehend that.
I noticed the NHP was stopping all inbound trucks on the 15. We need to be vigilant considering the dittohead teabag attack on the IRS building in Texas. These people are being ginned up by the loco-local hate-talk radio crowd. I'm going to eat at the Palms all this week.
Talk radio is organizing a disruption of the wonderful Obama event at Green Valley High, I just know it. This coupled with the break in of Sen Landrieu office by dittoheads and teabags who regularly appear on Fox, should be a warning for the FBI to crack down hard.
Obama needs to do a better job of repairing the damage done by Bush. Limbaugh followers try to pretend the last 8 years never happened.
mred, I'm beggin ya, turn off your radio!
mred,
Love it.
The Maloof's are favoring the two guys most responsible for the destruction of Las Vegas and the country. Something to remember before you take your dollars out to play.
The Maloof's are pretty smart guys, there Nieman.
They know the President is bringing the country back from the brink of oblivion that the Republicans brought us too...
I wonder if LARRY has been picked up by the Secret Service!
Where were the crazy teabaggers when bush and
cheney were trashing the country?
These morons are against the people who are
trying to fix the republican mess.
Neiman1 pretends that the 8 years of Bush never happened. Obama has done a lousy job, but nothing compared to the incompetence of Bush. Turn off the bigot, chickenhawk, Rush Limbaugh.
Welcome Obama. America loves Barrack Obama!!!
The "rock star" has landed to "save" Harry Reid.
... Get-OVER-it TEA-BAGGERS!!!
Teabaggers? Listen to how ignorant some of you are. As a Tea Party go-er, I do not appreciate comments like that, but it shows how uneducated you name callers truly are.
Obama is wasting his time out here.
And to hit on the IRS building, that was a left wing nut job. Not like it matters though. What that guy did was WRONG! I don't care what side of the political spectrum you are on, you do not try to kill innocent people. Even if you think they are stealing all your money.
TARKANIAN 2010!!
Obama and Reid - two of the greatest Americans! We are blessed!
Is Pepitone on the loose? This cuontrys mess was because of Bush/Cheney. Finally getting it done in Afganistan. Great to have the Commander in Chief here in Vegas. Go to the Palms everyone!
Goodman can drown his sorrows in Tankeray.
Is Michelle here? How 'bout I take her to lunch at Palazzo while Barack suffers through a visit with the Chamber tomorrow? We can all rendezvous back at City Center. What happens here, stays here!
It's like the Sun's editors are peeing their pants in excitement to see the mighty O in LV.
Hope and Change. Didn't he say he was also an excellent driver?
I just want to avoid the security traffic bottlenecks. Do your thing, and then get the [bleep] out.
Hi, I just don't understand his thinking here, I guess he can come to Vegas to gain money in the name of fundraisers, but no one should ever come here and dare part with their own. A wee bit hypocritical and a tad selfish.
He looks so light-skinned, and I noticed he doesn't have that Negro dialect.
Is he going out to Lake Las Vegas to let them know how well the stimulus is working?
Welcome to Las Vegas...now go away.
WELCOME PRESIDENT OBAMA
The Celebrity in Chief has landed. Get the teleprompter and book him a room on the west side with his own kind.
He isn't blowing his money in Vegas. He is blowing your money in Vegas and picking up checks from Maloof and friends while he does it.
end both wars, and give all service men and women who served overseas (along with their families) a 10 day vacation in LV
bush and cheney drove us to the poor house.
Teamsters sure are smart. And good workers too.
Fail.
cadavers are smart too.
This is a blue state.
You republicans are the minority.
President Obama is welcome here.
No way, qukinuf, health care and jobs go
together. We won't let you republicans slow
us down.
Comment removed by moderator. Name-calling.
I've been here long enough to know an idiot
when I hear one.
both.
Don't you have something better to do than to
pollute this site with right-wing rubbish?
Democrats care about the welfare of others.
Republicans care only about themselves.
How many republican humanitarians do you know?
dhvincent1- You republicans are the minority
party for a reason. You trashed our economy.
You will be suprised in November.
Barack Hussein Obama
qwkinuf - In general, asking someone to agree to a quote, without first citing the source, is a very old trick. Policitians give many speeches and you can usually tease out some lines to fit your needs. Then you try to get the other person to "agree". Then you reveal who the quote is from...usually a highly charged name like Hitler or Marx...then you paint the other person with a broad brush implying that they are just like this bad person from history (or even now). Not a very honorable tactic, no matter what your point of view.
We have a President who is not qualified for the job. We have three more years to deal with the fallout. He sure talks a good line, but is completely clueless about how the USA works.
Next election, vote for someone who has a track record. Obama has very limited if any real experience in life.
obama-reid pelosi are the leader of the Party of NO-NO-ACCOUNTIBILITY democrats and tea baggers with Chris Mathews
This is the 4th year that reid, pelosi and obama has controlled the Senate and the House. obama was the one that went and and taught ACORNie to go into banks and threaten bank employees if they didn't make loans to unquailfied buyer. reid, schumer, dodd, frank, waters were in Congress threatening Bankers they would lose their bankers license if they didn't make loans to unqualified buyers. Rahm deadfish Emmanual, Raines and Franks boyfriend all both worked in management of Freddie-Fannie promoting obama incompetent tactics.
Please don't try and lay all the blame on Bush.
As long as he's gone when I fly in tomorrow I don't care where he goes. Las Vegas should be a no politition zone. I dislike them all equally.
Sure seems this paper is working overtime as a hall monitor on the comments...wazzup with that. If you guys can print your biased swill folks ought to be able to speak their mind one way or the other.
George W Bush embarrassed most Americans every time he opened his mouth. His constant demonstration of what damage can occur from years of snorting gobs of cocaine and drinking gobs of booze included not only going after Saddam to avenge the attack on his daddy, Mission Accomplished after a tank pulled down a statue, wrecking the economy which was a surplus when he took over, turning back the clock on international law w/ reference to sovereignty, slowing scientific research w/ his attempt to employ the religious right to do his bidding for him, inviting Al-quaida with his 'Go-it-alone' attitude toward almost every issue on his plate the first 8 months and his constant smirk, illiteracy, inability to speak the only language he knows, and his heaping of tax breaks on his wealthy constituents when we rank and file citizens suffered greatly./
Face it: Bush was the bozo of the bastion of power that time will never forget. The teleprompters were not good enough for W; he needed a spokesman.
and How do you say Corpsman???????? obama what about the food poisoning in South Carolina at our Military base. Why obama have you been hiding this?
Bush was a great president. During 6 years of his administration the economy was great. Bush did not talk crap against Las Vegas, he did not bow down to foreign leaders, he did not apologize for America's "mistakes" (I guess freeing people from tyranny is a mistake according to Obummer). As for tax cuts for the rich, tell me something, when was the last time a poor person gave you a job?
Someone should ask him WHERE IS THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND WHY ARE HIS RECORDS SEALED. Then vote Reid and Pelosi out of office.
utahfred,
they are serving breakfast and meds in the dining room. I suggest you get to it!
cashinhand says,
"Ive been waiting out here at J Street all night. WTF BO! And now I find out your hangin with whitee. Actually, pimpy Maloof really doesnt count as a whitee. So I guess thats ok."
I've seen a few of these inexplicably derogatory rantings; are you white? black? aliens? Dopers? I don't get it.
Air Force One is a beauty!! Can't say the same about its #1 passenger,though.
What an absolute waste of jet fuel(taxpayer dollars) to save reid. Where are the jobs. Loved the Mayor's response several days ago.
TEA party....Taxed Enough Already. Who can disagree with this acronym?
Anybody who thinks their taxes are to low....please feel free to voluntarily pay more this April 15th. If not, please quiet down.
teamester said....
"Democrats care about the welfare of others.
Republicans care only about themselves.
How many republican humanitarians do you know?"
Congratulations, you hit the nail on the head! I'm sure if given enough time, however,(2 years...maybe 5 years..) I can come up with the name of at least one republican humanitarian....
After all, out of 300+ million people, there has to be at least ONE!
I'm not from Nevada, but I visit your Casinos once in a while. A very fine state with good people.
How much does it cost taxpayers for POTUS to go around Campaigning for his cronies. They all do it and it needs to stop. Nevadians are perfectly able to make up their own minds, and according to the polls you are doing it. Don't let this Telepromterinchief change your mind. Vote This bum out.(Reid) You'll be doing the whole country a favor.
Feel good Obama just threw another $1.5 billion to the wind and Harry Reid loves every penny of it.
greg454 said...
"Bush was a great president. During 6 years of his administration the economy was great. Bush did not talk crap against Las Vegas, he did not bow down to foreign leaders, he did not apologize for America's mistakes....."
Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Stop it....stop it! My side is killing me from all the laughing...that borders on "cruel & unusual punishment."
"Bush was a great president...." Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Yep, and Mother Teresa was a serial killer and Hitler was a humanitarian......
I haven't had a laugh like that one in a long, long time....Thank you....Ha! Ha!
Obama = D-
I'm flying to Vegas in another two weeks and plan to drive promptly to another locale due to Goodman's refusal to meet the president. Any mayor who would disrespect our president in this way does not need to be rewarded with visitors spending money in his city.
>>I'm flying to Vegas in another two weeks and plan to drive promptly to another locale due to Goodman's refusal to meet the president. Any mayor who would disrespect our president in this way does not need to be rewarded with visitors spending money in his city.<<
I am flying in April for a week and will go downtown and spend, no, BLOW money gambling! Go Mayor G! The kids need to work for their college money anyway, gives them more self worth than having it given to them, don't you think?
The center speaks.Although I am minority.Vegas is a symbol of hospitality Watching the speech from Aria I was pleased to see so many diverse groups left, right and center assemble as ambassadors of peace.Vegas is elevated, uniting gaming, finance and business leaders from all over the valley. Committing much needed funds to our infrastructure.
I was distressed by the perception of previous remarks had on our industries. But I hope that today's visit and outcome will help to remedy that. Citing the leadership initiatives such as MGM and the commitment to environmental sustainability were key to recovery.No matter what your world view is Republican/Democrat Vegas means business and hospitality.
Not even Obama with this worthless trip can save Reid. Harry will be sent back to dingy Searchlight were he belongs.
Hey petef... Why don't you go to Chicago instead of Vegas. It might do your mind some good. Don't forget to write when you find work...
joanva...go soak your head. please.
People of Navada Take it from a conservative from Mass! the best thing Ted Kenedy did for this great country was to pass away and give Scott Brown a chance to be the 41st vote against this terrible health care bill and stop the insane spending.Now its your chance to Rid the country of this radicle maniac Harry Reid .PLEASE VOTE HIM OUT.PELOSI SHOULD BE NEXT THANK YOU IN ADVANCE, THE COUNTRY IS COUNTING ON YOU!!
hmmm...why should republicans care about the welfare of others?
why should their paychecks to go feed the babies of people that aren't able to afford them?
I. Me. My.
The Republican Mantra will not change.
My my, Obama, there is still a lawsuit pending on your eligibility to be president. I hope it turns out to be nothing because if it does not you have perpatrated probably the greatest hoax on mankind. That can be considered as treasonous as Benedict Arnold.
GW,
Isn't he also the leader of a "secret, New World Order"? I bet he sneaks up to his room at night at the White House and sends secret, coded messages via Ham Radio to the other members...
When do you think they'll start with the internment camps? Do you have a P L A N?
Time to go underground, GW. Soon. Verrrry soon.
Did everybody notice that Harry and Obama did not mention cap and trade or the plan to tax fossil fuels that will hurt poor Nevadaians the most and result in manufacturing leaving the state. Instead they are trying to back door it through the EPA and pretend like they had nothing to do with it.
GW-
The greatest hoax on mankind was when the
republican activists on the Supreme Court
declared George Bush president, after
Al Gore won the election.
The year was 1999, remember?
The greatest hoax on mankind is when the teenster goes on one of his rants about Al Gore winning the election...
larry spinner has no facts, just like the
teabaggers.
Comment removed by moderator. Comment contained vulgar language.
I would ask president for a real effort to make all states responsible to comprehensive think-tank throwing bankruptcy away..
Dont' throw LasV away!
do not pay attention to the man behind the curtain.
barack, steve, barry or whatever his name is will only tell you what he thinks you want to hear. remember being muslim, he is against gambling, protitution or anything else that Vegas entertains. If this man gets his way to socialize this country and to make us veer toward the islamic/muslim culture Vegas will be outlawed.
This man cares nothing about the freedoms Americans of the United States embrace. This man covers the globe to apologize for tha arrogance of the citizens of the U.S. I have learned those that debase are usually talking about themselves. barack, steve, barry or whatever his name is, is the most anti-american resident ever in office. I hope the people are finally waking up to see him as the fraud he is. The proof is going to be when barack, steve, barry or whatever his name is, piliesi, and reid ram the health care bill down our throats. We will then see if any of the democrats have learned the lesson, that we the people dictate not those on the hill.
barack, steve, barry or whatever his name is needs to be impeached, imprisoned and deported to his homeland.
I've noticed heavy security today around the Moulin Rouge. Is this where B.O. is staying ??
udde,
UddeMan.
if liberalism worked, you wouldn't need the evil conservative's money to do it, would you?
you liberals hate people that are successful and earn a paycheck, but boy...you love that money we give you from those efforts.
.... the year was 2000, the year of your birth perhaps....?