Gibbons criticizes Obama over denied meeting request

By Las Vegas Sun Staff (contact)

Monday, May 18, 2009 | 2:02 p.m.

Gov. Jim Gibbons said today that President Obama has denied his request to meet with him in Las Vegas later this month.

The governor had sent the president a letter last month saying he wanted to discuss the economic difficulties facing the state's tourism industry. Gibbons said today that he was notified Obama won't meet with him while the president is in Las Vegas on May 26 for a fundraiser for Sen. Harry Reid.

"I am disappointed at the hypocrisy shown by this administration," Gibbons said in a prepared statement. "President Obama is coming to Las Vegas later this month for a political fundraiser, but he will not help the struggling families in Las Vegas and Nevada who are out of work because of his reckless comments."

Gibbons is referring to comments Obama made earlier this year regarding business trips to Las Vegas by companies receiving federal bailout money.

"This is politics, pure and simple, President Obama stood for change, but all he has done is brought negative economic change to Nevada," Gibbons said.