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Published Tuesday, June 1, 2010 | 1:50 a.m.
Updated Tuesday, June 1, 2010 | 2:48 p.m.
First lady Michelle Obama speaks at a rally at Doolittle Park in Las Vegas on Oct. 27, 2008. Her husband, President Barack Obama, was running for president at the time.
Sun Coverage
UPDATED STORY: Michelle Obama promotes child health program in Las Vegas
First Lady Michelle Obama is visiting Las Vegas today to encourage Nevada's youth to participate in outdoor activities.
Obama spoke this morning during the Women's Summit 2010 in Reno and is visiting the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in Las Vegas this afternoon. Public access to the Red Rock area is limited today because of Obama's visit.
The Red Rock Canyon Visitors Center will be closed all day today. The Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive was open from 6 a.m. until 1 p.m., but closed at 1 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. The road will close for the day at its normal time of 8 p.m.
Additional restrictions include the closure of Calico I, Calico II and the Sandstone Quarry to the public from 6 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Motorists will not be able to stop or park along the scenic drive until after they pass the High Point Overlook.
Obama is visiting Red Rock Canyon to promote her Let’s Move Outside! initiative to battle childhood obesity. The Red Rock event will kick off the Nevada campaign, which promotes outdoor activities and encourages people to take advantage of parks and public lands.
Rhea Suh, assistant secretary at the Department of the Interior, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other officials also are attending the event.
GO HOME MICHELLE! You and your husband are not welcome in our city. If I was planning on hiking @ Red Rock today I would really be pissed...
Welcome to Las Vegas Mrs. Obama! Don't listen to some of these angry haters here. I don't agree with your husband's politics, however we WELCOME YOU! and hope you enjoy your visit.
go HOME not welcome.......... Here
Wow, just wow! Such disrespect and childish behavior from some people. I guess they were never taught, "if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all."
Welcome!
Sorry! FLOTUS wants to encourage youth to participate in outdoor activties?
Who will listen to her? Mr. Reid?
Public access is limited during her visit and the Scenic Drive is closed this afternoon.
Did I get sth. wrong?
Anyway, Welcome
Maybe she'll make one of her brilliant statements like "for the first time in my life, I'm proud of America".
The electorate is waking up and this woman and her husband(including lap dog Harry Reid) will be relegated to the ash bin of history.
Is it just a coincidence that the anti-capitalist is visiting "Red" Rock? Just wondering...............
Closing Red Rock just for her? Not worth it...
Not welcome.
so, it's pretty official.
you can call veterans "teabaggers"...a degrading sexual term, but you can't call the first lady anything remotely negative...even if it's the truth.
anyone else find it ironic that mrs. "rich white people are evil" is going to spit out her hate at a place that was built by "rich white people"?
Very much welcome! Ignore the petty comments and enjoy our beautiful city.
I suppose she will have some statement to backpedal on her husbands previous comments about Las Vegas.
So shes going to go to RR " to encourage Nevada's youth to participate in outdoor activities" Perhaps she can talk them into dropping the 3 dollar fee for the kids and the cyclist to hike in there while she is at it. A fee to walk, run and bike in Redrock...that will turn away most families, especially lower income. And i bet it has!
Good thing is, i bet they finally have cleaned out the port-a-potties on the loop! Her vist is good for something!
Sorry Stevem,
Rich white people didn't build the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Your "God" did apparently. But I'm sure in your mind he's a rich white dude too, like Jesus. HAHAHAHA
Welcome to Nevada First Lady Michelle Obama. Senator Harry Reid is your Red Rock tour guide
This is a political trip.
We Nevada voters are going to retire Harry in November
Welcome First Lady,
I just smiled knowing that you were visiting Southern Nevada.
I continue smiling knowing that you will make patronizing comments expressing how great Las Vegas is and LVCA-like promotional statements.
We could use any help to our economy even if some construe what you say as being disingenuous.
Welcome and We Love You.
Good point dhvincent1. Those are the same thoughts I had when reading this article.
I think it's a great idea what she's doing. Aside from encouraging kids to become physically active, hopefully the learn activities that encourage fitness that will stay with them into adulthood. Not to mention as well that participation in outdoor activities leads to economic stimulation as people have to buy equipment for their activities.
@RRcyclist
Get real. Lower Income people don't even take advantage of the parks in their own neighborhoods, let alone are willing to drive all the way out to Red Rock canyon to enjoy the place. And besides that, Red Rock's *amenities* are very limited compared with other places such as Floyd Lamb State Park where you have running water, BBQs, picnic tables, and a place to fish within walking distance. So it's a moot point. But then again since Floyd Lamb is more of a blue-collar place where white, black, and hispanic families all come together to enjoy the outdoors and play, I can see where that would turn away Summerlin-type snobs such as yourself who've never even bothered to go up there for fear of mingling with people without college degrees that own cars more than years old. Floyd Lamb has park entrance fees, and that's not turning anyone away, so your "please think of the poor children so *I* don't have to pay any fees either" argument is invalid.
Otherwise fees are necessary for this and other parks and are totally justified. The fees go to help keep the area clean from the abuse of trashy people. Especially Red Rock which is more of a tourist trap now than an outdoor park. Go up there on any day, and you'll see it's mostly rental cars and out-of-state plates.
The disrespect for our President and First Lady amazes me. She has class, intelligence and is real. I constantly detect racism in many comments. I welcome her and hope it helps the Las Vegas image with her appearance. We need to draw the tourist back to Vegas to help our economy here. I have always supported a President even if I didn't vote for him. This was how I was brought up and I hope my children will do the same.
Welcome to Nevada...
@williamtomany1
Speak for yourself. I don't need nuclear waste in my backyard, nor any more hypocritical scum like Jim Gibbons in ANY political office. You speak for no one except yourself.
Does she not know how hot it gets in Las Vegas during the summer months. She needs to do this at a place that kids can keep cool. We don't need our kid to get heat stroke.
Isn't closing RR standard security for a First Lady? Would the people complaining about Mrs. Obama's visit do so if she was married to a Mr. President who's political views they agreed with?
I find it funny that some would accuse Michelle's trip of being political while in the next line slipping a political (anti Reid) slogan.
lol, rich white people built Red Rock...
dang that's stoopid!
Welcome to Las Vegas, Mrs. Obama. I am honored and proud to have you visit and launch your fitness initiative at Red Rock Canyon.
I am embarrassed and saddened by the racism that still exists today, but please know that so many more people support you and the president, who is doing a fine job despite inheriting eight years' worth of bungling by the previous occupant of the White House. Keep up the great work!
And Harry Reid has my vote. He has done a wonderful job for Nevada.
Hopefully she stays in town for dinner. With one dinner she could cancel out all of the economic damage her husband has caused this town.
Mount Rushmore is full. She is probably going to Red Rock to scout out locations for chisiling Obama's image onto a mountain.
You can go home now Michelle. All of the kids in las vegas are in better shape than they were a year ago. Thanks to your husband, their parents can't feed them as much and they get more exercise since their parents don't have a car to drive them anywhere. I guess unemployment IS a good thing. I was wrong about the Messiah and his wife. He has really helped Las Vegas.
Maybe Michelle can explain the 10% tax on tanning in Obama's health care bill. A tax that only light-skinned people have to pay. Is there also a tax on JerryCurl that only frizzy haired people have to pay? What do you call a tax that only affects people of a certain skin color?
Enjoy your visit Michelle.
Don't forget to pay the fee on all those vehicles!
Thank you for visiting Las Vegas!!
Contrary to many of the disrespectful comments, not everyone in this city is an uncouth ignoramus.
let me be clear............
logic_should_rule sez: The electorate is waking up and this woman and her husband(including lap dog Harry Reid) will be relegated to the ash bin of history.
Would that be the same trash bin that George W. Bush landed in?
(Along with his father and brothers...all of whom, collectively, did more damage to the people of the U.S. and the world during their, yet unfinished, legacy.)
where did the money come from to build the roads in red rock?
to build the visitor's center?
to pay the security staff?
it sure wasn't the welfare moms that this "lady" seems to champion.
Yes, VoutyBlonde, President Obama, Pelosi and Reid belong in the very same trash bin that W. landed in. Obama is turning into Bush III in too many ways.
If you want to see uncouth ignoramouses go to howobamagotelected.com.
"Obama is visiting Red Rock Canyon to promote her Let's Move Outside" ____ Nothing else to do.
Another chapter in, "Can't a guy get a break?" So much negativity cast at a visit to one of our local natural wonders. How is this bad? There's more to Vegas than buffets and pasties, right? Here we have a national figure is shedding light on that. How much do you have to hate someone to negate EVERY action, speech, endeavor... even one as benign as this?
I don't care if racism is part of the reason for all of the negative comments, it's all ignorant.
And another thing, when I was a kid there was trash and broken glass on every dirt road in RR canyon and since it became federally protected it is relatively 1000% cleaner, safer and more pleasant. Another example of the federal gov't doing something right. That might be harder to swallow for some commenters here than being generally civil to a national figure by marriage.
I am sick of Liberals screaming racism just because you disagree with someone.
For all intents and purposes the Obama's are not black, green, white, brown or yellow they are the color of America.
Having said that, I disagree with the Obama's on quite a few issues. Not the one she is here for. I welcome her to Red Rock. It is a magnificent place.
I would suggest a small hike into Ice Box Canyon.....stunning.
Welcome Michelle Obama- a great first lady who represents America with class, grace and distinction.
And for the record, as Nevada's first national park, our federal tax dollars helped build this wonderful landmark- yes, that means all Americans.
For the record I haven't read any racist remarks, so my fellow liberal friends need to back off there.
Racist remarks, no.
Utterly stupid remarks, must definitely- especially the one about closing down Red Rock TODAY, for ONE day, and somehow that being a contradiction to Mrs. Obama's fitness initiative or only whites paid for Red Rock et al.
"That's the real problem facing the nation as a whole as well as California as a state. Until the governments at both levels stop penalizing innovation, investment, and growth, we will see less of all three and fewer jobs being created. The best way to reverse this trend is to start dismantling government interventions and seizure of capital and send strong signals of lower taxes and public debt in the future. The longer it takes the Obama administration to realize this, the worse it will get -- and it will get worse first and most in California."
Axiom, we finally agree on something.
I totally agree with your comments
Who cares, she brings a message of nothingness.
Why don't you go visit the shantytown where Harry is from and will soon be staying ?? lmao !!
logic, agree with you 100%
I can't believe that Mrs. Obama has taken a junket trip to Las Vegas! How dare she come to Las Vegas on the Taxpayers dime! lol. Although I don't like you or your husband, Welcome to Las Vegas, and please feel free to blow your childrens college fund gambling here ;p
Why the first lady matters I've never understood. I don't recall voting for her so why does she matter to me?
"JUST ANOTHER BRICK IN WALL"
"Early into the administration, First Lady Laura Bush made it known that she would focus much of her attention on education."
I think that she really tried to expose the horrors and what a burden on society a large group of illiterate citizens could be. Therefore, she traveled throughout the country lecturing about the importance of a well educated citizen.
The point I would like to make is, after reading most of the posts here today...I have to say what a "COLOSSAL WASTE OF EIGHT YEARS" of the First Lady.
VoutyBlonde --Easy to see that far more agree with me than you.
Many of your socialistic idols will be out on their collective backsides(Reid is toast) after the next election!!!
tell blue lips thanks for nothing
Districts in California have given pink slips to 22,000 teachers. Illinois authorities are predicting 17,000 job cuts in the public schools. And New York has warned nearly 15,000 teachers that their jobs could disappear in June.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan estimated that state budget cuts imperiled 100,000 to 300,000 public school jobs. In an interview on Monday, he said the nation was flirting with "education catastrophe," and urged Congress to approve additional stimulus funds to save school jobs.
we want our children active to in nevada but this is a desert, UV rays not good maybe bring back Wet n Wild that would be sweet. its a good message to the youth get off the nintendos psp etc. Get hot!! what NEVADA kids need it a better school system here 5th largest in nation bottom of every list more educational spending do not cut after school programs there alot of parents who care and are willing to donate an hour or to of our time !!! we need to be more involved S. Nevada Clark County come on!!
What you post ers talkin about Nevada needs the obamas and Reid oh i am a republican GOP has their head between there legs
who cares? glad she followed her husbands advice about Vegas!
Appears the rightwingtuz are out in force as usual.....now back to your hate radio !!!
Bertsos---Back to hate radio? Hmmmm, not sure about that.
However back to school to learn spelling seems to be appropriate for someone who writes a non-existent word:"rightwingtuz".
I love how the NeoComms accuse everybody of racism. YOU are the ones that bragged about deciding to vote for Obummer to "make history" (that in itself is racist). Michelle Obama hates this country. She even bragged about NEVER being proud of it. Her husband took a world tour right after he got elected, trashing our country at every turn. Yes, the Obama's hate this country. We, the people are only returning the sentiment. If you are not offended by people that hate our country, than you are just as unpatriotic as the Obamas'.
If you want our children to lose weight so badly.. add gym class to our schools... duh.. oh yeah... i am going to sing.. i feel the earth move uncer my feet.. just call me carole king for this post a comment thing.. okay dont call me carole king.. just call me.. tiabear.. la la la la loooo i love you all yes indeedy...
uncer my feet? i meant under my feet.. did i sound like a foreigner? sorry if I did..
No matter what change happened in America,The manner showing love is very important as a star president !Welcome !
so many of you surely do need to get lives... do you sit in front of a computer all day, living of your government checks and trying to find ways to just put down the most inane comments that come to your head? yep... you don't want him in office, but will you give up your free money every month that even if it was only social security you earned, you're getting a ton more than you ever put in--so quit your bitchin and get a life, or, get a job capitalists!
The ignorance of some of the comments against Michelle Obama here are astounding!! Again, the low class speaks the loudest. I'm sure your Mothers are just sooooo proud of some of you..... Or maybe she is just as ignorant and narrow minded as the children she raised.
Since she is a Mom first and THEN First Lady, it is obvious Michelle Obama cares about kids. And also realizes we have a generation of kids growing up to be fat, lazy and most likely stupid. This is VERY apparent in the Las Vegas Valley - fat kids. And it has nothing to do with the weather, folks. The parents are probably fat asses themselves and wouldn't know a health meal if you placed it in front of them.
I wish some of YOU ignorant fools had mothers like her then maybe you would show some respect and some intelligence, if not for the woman herself, but for the position she holds.
I guess if it was a First Lady of the OTHER political party - the comments would be different. Oh yeah - and if she was a White woman.
"we want our children active to in nevada but this is a desert, UV rays not good maybe bring back Wet n Wild that would be sweet"
It used to really upset me when I'd see kids, from babies to preteens, walking around WITHOUT sunglasses when they were outside, especially around pools! THe parents had their expensive shades on but forget about the kids. Don't they realize how damaging those UV rays are on the eyes??
Around where I live, we have water parks everywhere! And this is the Midwest! We have public pools everywhere, too, which are very nice. One is in walking distance and just opened this weekend and has this HUGE water slide!!! I saw a commercial this morning for this one place about 2 hrs away which made me think of Wet N Wild and WHY in the hell did they ever tear that down? That was a great fun place for the kids (and adults). Yeah, I know water is an issue, but to have a few more like Wet N Wild (and no not just swimming pools like there are now) would be a nice addition to the Valley. It would get the WHOLE family out and be active.
@Det_Munch;
"The ignorance of some of the comments against Michelle Obama here are astounding!! Again, the low class speaks the loudest. I'm sure your Mothers are just sooooo proud of some of you..... Or maybe she is just as ignorant and narrow minded as the children she raised."
Amen.
We need a new Presidential Physical Phitness Campaign... not a phat pharm. MOOOOO! MOOOO!
Can you get her ugly mug off this page please.
Where are all the so-called 'racist' comments. Oh, that's right - the only thing I see racist on this page is her picture - and if they stood her along side Oprah Winfrey they could run neck-in-neck for racist of the year award. Now THAT'S where you'll see racism - from the person who has no real use for 'whitey' at all... at least not according to her church followings.
Well, no wonder people aren't coming to Vegas!! You are the most disrespectful bunch of naysayers I've ever read about. GOOD GRIEF!!! ANY publicity about Vegas is a good thing. Anything to bring in the revenue.
I hope you negative jackasses do stay home, locked in your bitter, dark houses thinking dank and evil thoughts...YOU'RE NOT WANTED!!!
How can one respect someone who's pushing the nation off a financial cliff?
Question is... Did she bring her own teleprompter to read from or does she have one programmed for her own stupid political statements??
why do you guys get so upset? I really don't understand it. You guys will pick at anything. What causes you so much hatred towards one person that you have to degrade everthing about them? Just because they are a democrat? Seriously replubicans, stop your complaining. All you do is whine about how bad the presidency is but at the same time provide no solutions to the problems of our nation. And by having the tea party group it is only weaking your party. Only so many people will follow such radical ideas. And in my honest opinion, the way the republicans have been acting they could be tried for treason!! You are anti government everything!!!! Everything that democrats do is wrong. Everything!! But yet when it comes to things like getting paid for unemployment, medicare, medicaid, you dont complain about those things. And those were democratic ideas! Man you guys just amaze me at your hatred and down right stupidity. Its childish and you guys have really lost all since of logic. All you do is whine and complain. Its sad!!
<How can one respect someone who's pushing the nation off a financial cliff?>
LOLOLOLOL Yeah, right. Obama, the husband and not Michelle the wife, has been President for HOW MANY YEARS NOW?????
logic-should-rule -- You are just soooooo intelligent and your posts are so witty.
<Question is... Did she bring her own teleprompter to read from or does she have one programmed for her own stupid political statements??>
Another one with an assinine comment. She doesn't need a teleprompter OR does she have to write things down on her hand to remember what she wants to say. She obviously is not as stupid as some who have posted here, and that includes YOU "thevegastourist".
<If you want our children to lose weight so badly.. add gym class to our schools... duh.. oh yeah... i am going to sing.. >
Another one who doesn't know what is going on. Schools STILL have GYM CLASSES!!! It's the music and arts classes that are being cut!!
Read the newspaper once in awhile before posting something you obviously know nothing about.
""Obama is visiting Red Rock Canyon to promote her Let's Move Outside""
Dont worry,Michelle,it wont be long and we will all be living outside wink wink
peace out
Det_Munch- Sorry you don't like my comments but coming from you that's actually a compliment when coming from a socialist. Take a break and "Munch" on some of your Obama food stamps. It would do you some good.....
Welcome, First Lady Michelle Obama.
You are always welcome in our town.
Please ignore the ignorant and rude remarks that
some republicans have made.
Thank you, Michelle.
teamster is correct.....
Welcome, First Lady Michelle Obama to our fine city. Pay no attention to those who have have no manners......
They can't help it, they're Republicans!
Rudeness is all they know! That's one of many reasons why they're on the outside looking in...
We do respect you and your husband, Michelle. After all the two of you have hijacked the country. Not an easy task.
You have hoodwinked the feeble minded electorate into believing that putting the US into Trillions of debt is a good thing even if it means lowering the standard of living for all future generations.
You have made some believe that it's a good idea not to secure our border and have illegal immigrants cost us hundreds of billions of dollars in costs to the honest among us.
You have made some believe that it's a good idea to take the money from the hard working and "spread" it to those who hardly work.
And last but not least, you have made our foreign policy the laughing stock of the world. Neither our friends nor our enemies respect the US anymore.
Yes Mrs. Obama,welcome to the city where your husband has tried so hard to discourage travel as well as business, costing all Las Vegans money.
As First Lady, you and our President has earned our respect for achieving what most of us once thought impossible.
Maybe all you naysayers should leave the country until someone else is elected. You're obviously not happy in Las Vegas, much less America. I've got some empty packing boxes...
Geenab65,
I couldnt agree with that more. If you hate what America and the governement are doing right now then just leave. Because as all of the republicans are mentioning here, The Obama's are destroying our country. Republicans are very narrow minded and have lost all logic. You guys need to stop watching Glenn Beck and Fox News. They mess with your head too much.
Gym and Physical Education classes are, yes, still in the schools, but they have been cut severely as well. I had to take 4 years of PhysEd in High School, now it is just 1 year... I had to take 2 years of PhysEd as an entering freshman at UNLV in 1979... everyone has a million excuses, but sorry folks, I just don't see the children in a city that was almost 2 million people, getting any thinner or healthier. you can hardly find a high schooler that is muscular... some blame it on the hispanic population which is chubby by nature, but I blame it more on Fructose Corn Syrup and Tampico punch, which is just colored water and sugar given to kids as they sit in front of the TV for umpteen hours a day cause it's too hot out to do exercise, or run, or play hide and seek, or swim and play Marco Polo, etc.
No dim-bulbs. It's you who should be watching the news, specifically what's happening in Greece and the European Union.
They have spent far more on social programs than they can ever pay for. Just like your heroes Obama/Reid/Pelosi are doing here. It will wreck those economies and unless we throw our "trash" out in the next elections, it will happen here too.
She needs to be speaking to the parents of overweight kids ... it is mostly their fault that kids are overweight. It is easier to set a childin front of the tv or video games all day then to actually take time to get your OWN kids outdoors and play with them!
Logic, your screen name is quite deceiving. Logic should rule that if you are in a bad situation, do something about it!!! Don't be a dumb @$$ and just continue to babble, rant and rave. Fact of the matter is, you don't want to do anything about it, you would rather babble, rant and rave. Easier to place blame rather than man up and deal with it.
geenab65 --And since you know my thoughts: " Fact of the matter is, you don't want to do anything about it"...Are you a professional mind reader or just as you appear, a bumbling amateur???
She's obviously not practicing what she's preaching, could stand to lose a 20 pounds or more herself.
its2hot,
Are you high? Michelle doesn't need to lose any weight. She's nearly 6 feet tall and weighs 150 lbs. The average American woman is 5'3 and weighs 152 pounds. She's taller and skinnier than most. Racism and stupidity go hand in hand.
Get a degree.
geenab65 --And since you know my thoughts: " Fact of the matter is, you don't want to do anything about it"...Are you a professional mind reader or just as you appear, a bumbling amateur???
----------------------------------------------------
Not a mind reader but seriously dude, find a new recording, the current one sounds a little warped.