Las Vegas Weekly

The Gods must be crazy

That tricycle is no match for Bike Force One.

Illustration: Jerry Miller

Barack obama must be something like the Hindu god Shiva. For some democrats, he’s all benevolence—the headliner of Harry Reid’s huge and star-studded political fundraiser at Caesars this week. Or, if you’re Gov. Jim Gibbons, he’s the destroyer of worlds: Gibbons all but blamed the local economy on Obama’s February dis of Las Vegas—a comment he made about executives taking (presumably lavish) trips to Las Vegas on the taxpayers’ dime.

Since then, the LVCVA reported more than 400 conventions and business meetings in town have been canceled, a loss of $100 million to the local economy. Must be Obama’s fault. Gibbons wanted face time with the president; the president refused.

“President Obama is coming to Las Vegas to raise campaign cash for Senator Harry Reid,” Gibbons lashed out in a prepared statement. “Apparently our money is good enough for the President, but our tourism, jobs, and economic future are not.”

Then, on Monday, the president announced he would meet with Gibbons after all. In a move no doubt meant to demonstrate his enormous integrity, Gibbons refused, saying he didn’t want to be part of a photo op, and wouldn’t even greet Obama’s plane as it landed. Careful, Jim—you don’t want to be on Shiva’s bad side.