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Responding to a reporter’s question today, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said, “Let's be clear about what the president said. I don't think the president said don't go to Las Vegas.”
It may be a question of too little, too late. Las Vegas has been waiting for either an apology or a clarification of President Obama’s recent remarks that, “You can't take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayers' dime.”
Nevada politicians and business leaders claim that tens of millions of dollars-worth of travel to Las Vegas has been canceled by companies looking to avoid criticism. While some major conventions were already in the process of canceling their Vegas meetings, the President’s remarks added to the snowball effect. Some of the larger groups canceling are Citigroup, State Farm and Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs. Further remarks from Gibbs sought to calm the waters by explaining that the President thinks it’s important to have a strong tourism industry, but it’s also important to ensure there is no corporate misues of bailout money.