Las Vegas Weekly

May 28, 2009 · 8:14 AM

Photo Gallery: Celebrities and VIPs meet with Obama at Caesars Palace

By Robin Leach

Harry Reid and Barack Obama, just a couple o' buds.

Photo: Leila Navidi

A troubled world weighs heavily on the shoulders of President Obama, but even the nation’s chief executive can take time out to follow a basketball game. In fact, when he was backstage at Caesars Palace for the Sen. Harry Reid benefit Tuesday night, he not only asked three times for score updates from the nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers playoffs thriller, but he also turned away for updates on his Blackberry!

Obama also talked basketball with our hometown hero singer Clint Holmes, who performed the national anthem, and Sacramento Kings owners George and Phil Maloof. Others talking privately among the 50 major donors attending the photo meet and greet included Elaine Wynn, Jenna Morton of The N9NE Group and our fearless leader Brian Greenspun and his wife Myra.

Twice over the two-day visit, the president gave a slight tip of his hat to Las Vegas. In February, Obama had upset our Mayor Oscar Goodman and Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons by blasting corporations who had accepted government bailout money and had scheduled junkets here.

He complimented Las Vegas, saying: “It is good to be back in Vegas. Everyone should have a piece of the Las Vegas dream and the American dream. Washington’s OK, but it’s nice taking some time to talk to Americans of every walk of life outside of the nation’s capital. And there’s nothing like a quick trip to Vegas in the middle of the week. Like millions of other Americans, we came to this beautiful city for the sights, the sounds and the sun.”

Clint told me: “It’s really thrilling to meet him. He’s a cool, fun guy, and we made some nice small talk that touched on the basketball game. Although I’ve met previous presidents -- LBJ, Bill Clinton and George Bush Sr. -- Obama is special. We not only have a lot in common but also friends in common, and I was proud to be involved with his historic campaign.

“I’m still feeling the emotion a day afterwards. It makes an impact when the president remembers you from a previous event I sang at, and he thanked me for that, too. I performed the national anthem once before for him along with my original song ‘Who Will Stand.’ … It’s a real thrill you take with you when you know the president is applauding afterwards and then he thanks you!”

Clint added: “Bette Midler performed about 30 minutes of her own Caesars Palace show, including ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ and ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’ with her Caesars Salad girls. Sheryl Crow sang four songs with her band, and Rita Rudner from Harrah’s was very funny with two five- to 10-minute acts in between the singers. She’d written special material for the occasion, and everybody laughed.”

While on the campaign trail, Obama was a guest at Caesars Palace, and he noted: “I thought I had a pretty nice room, but now that I’m president, they upgraded me. It’s a really nice room now.”

He was originally set to stay in Oprah Winfrey’s suite, but he was moved to a 22,000-square-foot mini-palace in the newly renovated Forum Tower. It features gorgeous views of the Las Vegas Strip, an exterior patio and a private pool. The president went to Qua Baths and Spa for a workout and shook hands and thanked the staff. He also made a surprise visit to room service to thank the staff for his meals.

Backstage, Bette Midler, who like Obama grew up in Hawaii, gave him a ukulele for daughters Sasha and Malia, and Rita’s 7-year-old daughter Molly was introduced to the nation’s commander in chief.

Click HERE and HERE for our Editor Johnny Kats’ takes on Obama’s visit, and click HERE for a photo gallery from our colleagues at the Las Vegas Sun.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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