Don’t Mess With Mayor Goldman Goodman
[Guest post by DRJ]
President Obama is in Las Vegas at a Democratic Party fundraiser in the home of Palms owner George Maloof. Obama will probably meet many of Vegas’ movers and shakers but one of them won’t be Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman:
“Mayor Oscar Goodman has refused an invitation to meet with President Obama when he arrives in town on Thursday. Mayor Goodman called President Obama a slow learner after he told Americans not to blow money on a weekend in Las Vegas if they were saving to put their kids through college.
“I’ve got other things to do quite frankly for my constituents here in Las Vegas who rely on me to do the right thing as a mayor,” explained Mayor Goodman.”
Goodman is angry that Obama has repeatedly singled out Las Vegas as a place people shouldn’t go if they are trying to save money:
“They say time heals all wounds but not this time. Mayor Goodman is not backing down after the president used Las Vegas the example of where not to go if you’re saving money.
This is strike two for the mayor.
“We are hurting, we have people in foreclosures, we have people having a hard time feeding their families and we can’t stand to have a flippant statement made,” said Mayor Goodman.
“I haven’t heard an apology, I haven’t heard a response, all I do is get invitations,” Goodman went on to say.”
Obama may have met his match in Goodman, a former Mob lawyer who was profiled by CNN during a 1999 election campaign:
“Goodman is a well-known Las Vegas figure, having won cases for such notorious mobsters as Tony “The Ant” Spilotro and Meyer Lansky. He played himself in Martin Scorsese’s “Casino,” a movie about organized crime in Las Vegas.
His clients have included Spilotro, the gangster who, legend has it, put a rival’s head in a vise and squeezed his eyeballs out.
Goodman says his past is a plus with the voters and he is just defending the underdog: “The people love the people that I’ve represented as far as bringing intrigue into the area here.”
Although Goodman doesn’t want to advertise some of his more unsavory clients, refusing to allow CNN’s cameras into his inner office stuffed with mobster memorabilia, he is also blitzing the airwaves with his new Mr. Nice Guy image.”
No more Mr. Nice Guy.
— DRJ
> Obama has repeatedly singled out Las Vegas as a place people shouldn’t go if they are trying to save money
LOL — ‘Cause this isn’t blatantly obvious to anyone and everyone with half a brain.
1) No, if you’re trying to save money, “you have more than half a brain”. Ergo, suggesting “not going to Vegas” is hardly a slap in the face to the Vegas tourism board.
2) While I wouldn’t suggest going to DisneyWorld to anyone seeking to save money, either, Vegas DOES package itself as a place to get away, not as a “bargain tourist attraction”.
This is nothing but a publicity stunt by the Mayor.
IgotBupkis (79d71d) — 2/18/2010 @ 8:55 pmThe President stepped in it big time with his two big anti-Vegas remarks, and Oscar is just reminding Teh Won to wipe his shoes off – and, Oh BTW, just pointing out that Las Vegas has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country, and probably the highest unemployment rate for a destination resort community.
AD - RtR/OS! (2215b9) — 2/18/2010 @ 9:15 pmThose numbers are doing nothing for Searchlight-Harry’s re-election prospects, either.
its the mayor looking after his constituents and his tax base, which is what mayors are supposed to do.
the first doofus helped crimp his economy even further by demonizing corporate expenditures, which crimped travel, which crimped the destinations, which cost j*bs, which hurt the companies that didn’t travel, which cost more j*bs, and so on….
now, having helped cripple the Nevada economy, he’s coming out to campaign for his fellow idiot, Hairy Reed, and wants to photo op in the same town he vilified….. and the mayor is supposed to say “please sir, may i have another?”
not that old shark: if he’s moved in the circles indicated, Ear Leader is as about as impressive as a wet fart in a windstorm to the mayor. he knows weak when he sees it, and that’s all Barney Fife projects.
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 2/18/2010 @ 9:20 pmHow about strike two for the president? Maybe strike 3 will be Nov 2, 2010.
Jim (582155) — 2/18/2010 @ 9:24 pmthis guy did right by his town. he stuck up for vegas and reminded the manchild in chief it isnt in his job description to try and crater an american cities economy.
what if the pResident had used orlando and disney world as his example¿
rumcrook (f7a289) — 2/18/2010 @ 9:40 pmSo who’s this “Mayor Goldman” you refer to in the headline?
[Thanks, Greg. I fixed it. — DRJ]
Greg (55261f) — 2/19/2010 @ 3:31 amIf Obama isn’t used to this kind of high – profile shunning, wait until he continues his swing through the other western states, in a desperate attempt to help the flagging poll numbers of his congressional allies. They’re already starting to run away from him as fast as their legs can take them – should be hilarious to watch.
Dmac (799abd) — 2/19/2010 @ 6:31 amWhy isn’t the mayor a racist?
Jack (e383ed) — 2/19/2010 @ 6:40 amBecause accusing him of that will end up with a horse head in your bed. 🙂
I love that Obama thinks you shouldn’t go to Vegas, but is more than ok with going there and asking for money.
I can’t help but wonder if some of the people going are doing so just to give TAO an earful…
Scott Jacobs (46e187) — 2/19/2010 @ 7:11 amIs TAO an acronym for something, or is it a reference to the restaurant/nightclub in Vegas?
JD (b655f9) — 2/19/2010 @ 7:22 amThe Anointed One.
Scott Jacobs (46e187) — 2/19/2010 @ 7:26 amOh. I like that one.
JD (b655f9) — 2/19/2010 @ 7:31 amGoodman said Obama is a “Very. Slow. Learner”.
He speaks the truth.
GeneralMalaise (9ef36d) — 2/19/2010 @ 7:44 amMob lawyer versus Barack Obama? I think I know who
nk (db4a41) — 2/19/2010 @ 8:11 amwillshould win this fight.Wasn’t it Meyer Goldman who authored that “Fast Lead” report for the U.M. on the Disreli/Hana Barbera dustup in the Gaslight Slip last year? (Norm Cosby lives!)
Ms. Judged (790d74) — 2/19/2010 @ 8:50 am[…] Monitor: Obama slams Las Vegas again — Reid upset again Patterico’s Pontifications: Don’t Mess With Mayor Goldman Goodman Pundit & Pundette: Slow-learning president teaches us about frugality Frugal Café Blog […]
Obama in Las Vegas… Will POTUS Actually Be Snubbed by Mayor When He Arrives Tonight in the City of Lights? « Frugal Café Blog Zone (a66042) — 2/19/2010 @ 10:16 amas a former nevadan i can tell you that many casino workers thought that the mob ran the casinos better than the corporate types do now.no one gets elected to high office in that state that the casinos veto.it is no coincidence that the parties change places on a regular electoral schedule so both owe thier seats to the states main industry.
[note: fished from spam filter. –Stashiu]
clyde (b9834b) — 2/19/2010 @ 10:30 amTAO got shunned in Copenhagen, too. He had “difficulty” meeting with senior Chinese officials.
LarryD (feb78b) — 2/19/2010 @ 11:35 amMaybe Obama should present Goodman a bottle of Bombay Saphire Gin as a peace offering.
Sean P (4fde41) — 2/19/2010 @ 12:22 pm[…] Rejects Obama’s Invite to Meet After Anti-Sin City Remarks Patterico’s Pontifications: Don’t Mess With Mayor Goldman Goodman Pundit & Pundette: Slow-learning president teaches us about frugality Frugal Café Blog […]
Sigh: Obama Logged Another 4,840 Miles on Air Force One for Round-trip to Las Vegas… And for What? Not the Showgirls, That’s for Sure « Frugal Café Blog Zone (a66042) — 2/19/2010 @ 12:42 pmComment by Sean P — 2/19/2010 @ 12:22 pm
If such gifts were exchanged, they would probably be sent to a forensics lab before use – there doesn’t seem to be a great deal of trust on either side.
AD - RtR/OS! (02a1f9) — 2/19/2010 @ 12:44 pmI’m pretty sure the bottle would get broken over President Obama’s head…
Scott Jacobs (d027b8) — 2/19/2010 @ 3:11 pm[…] guest It’s all the Tea Party’s fault Reconciliation, the public option, and Demcare revival Don’t Mess With Mayor Goldman Goodman Linking Jihadists to Islam– Bad… Linking Bush-Hating Marxists to Tea Party– Good Possibly […]
I AM the TEA PARTY Leader! « Temple of Mut (1626c8) — 2/19/2010 @ 5:35 pmScott: Not until the bottle is completely empty. To do otherwise would be heresy, as far as Mayor Goodman is concerned.
Sean P (4fde41) — 2/19/2010 @ 6:54 pmDid Oscar bring his Chorus Line with him to greet the President?
AD - RtR/OS! (02a1f9) — 2/19/2010 @ 7:22 pmWonder what budget item in the Mayor’s Office covers ostrich feathers and fish-net tights?
Sean…
It’s gin, not a good booze like bourbon… 🙂
Scott Jacobs (d027b8) — 2/19/2010 @ 7:51 pmI think if Obama gets pissed off enough he can make Las Vegas just another spot in the desert. And I wish he would. I would like to see which Democrat and which Republican votes for licensed gambling and prostitution (male and female).
nk (db4a41) — 2/19/2010 @ 8:26 pmProstitution is not legal in Clark County NV.
AD - RtR/OS! (02a1f9) — 2/19/2010 @ 9:57 pmYou have to drive to Pahrump to find the nearest legal brothel.