Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama spar over gaming


As the Democratic candidates head into the Nevada and California votes, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-New York) says Sen. Barack Obama (D-Illinois) doesn't support the gaming industry.

Clinton told The Los Angeles Times she supports gaming as an economic development engine. She backs an off-reservation casino in the Catskills region of New York -- a proposal the Bush administration rejected this month.

Clinton told the paper "for many places in the country, [gaming] seems to be an important part of what they are trying to do to revive and maintain an economic base."

When he was a state lawmaker, Obama opposed the expansion of gaming, citing its "moral and social cost." The Clinton campaign is circulating documents to Nevada reporters in which Obama said he was "generally skeptical" of gaming as an economic development tool.

At least one tribe has proposed an off-reservation casino in Illinois. It's not clear where Obama stands on the issue.

Get the Story:
Clinton plays gaming card against Obama (The Los Angeles Times 1/18)
pwday