Obama in Las Vegas Next Week, Passes on Carson City Forum

Barack Obama waited for Hillary and Edwards to commit to the Carson City AFSCME forum before he decided to pass on it, citing scheduling conflicts. However he will be in Las Vegas a couple of days before the forum. The AP:

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama won’t join Democratic presidential candidates at a Feb. 21 forum in Carson City later this month, although he plans to be in southern Nevada just before the event, his campaign said Thursday.

The Illinois senator will be campaigning in Iowa, and could not work in the Nevada forum, the first of five leading up to the state’s Jan. 19 caucus, into his schedule, campaign spokesman Dad Pfeiffer said.

“It was a difficult decision. He very much wants to spend time getting to know the people of Nevada, talking about how we move the country forward, but there are only so many days in the calendar,” Pfeiffer said. “He has a vigorous Senate schedule, it makes it very difficult to do all things he wants to do.”

Obama will be in Las Vegas on the 18th, though no details have emerged yet. Basically, we already know what the story of the Carson City forum will be: Obama's absence.