I thought this would be a straightforward question to get answered. Who paid for President Obama's suite (pictured in the photo that accompanied the news release)? After all, when you put the president of the United States in a high-roller suite -- until the country elects a high-stakes gambler -- you can expect someone to ask: Who paid? Let me run through what happened when I asked that simple question, and then I will give you my explanation, which will probably disappoint political conspiracy theorists.

I called the PR firm for Caesars that sent the release to ask who paid for the president's 22,000- square-foot high-roller totally fabulous suite. I thought the choices were between the taxpayer and the Harry Reid campaign (the visit was a fundraiser for Reid). But the answer I got did not quite answer the question. Here is the response:

"President Obama’s hotel accommodations were included in the invitation to participate in Sen. Reid’s fundraiser."

To clear things up, I shot off a hastily written but I thought wiggle-room-proof follow-up question:

"Does that mean the Reid campaign paid or that Caesars comped the room or something else. I really only have the one question, Who paid for the suite the President stayed?"

The response, again, does not seemingly quite answer the question. In fact, the response seems to specifically avoid answering the question:

"The particular suite President Obama stayed in is priceless."

What does that mean?

Well, it probably means that Caesars only comps out the room to high rollers and occasionally major celebrities. Therefore the suite is literally "priceless," as the response indicates. (Though really that means the price would be roughly some guy who plays two hands of blackjack simultaneously at $45,000 a hand for three hours straight.) Obama falls into the major celebrity category (meaning Madonna and Oprah would rate the comp as well). Besides, if the suite was priceless before, imagine its singular worth -- being able to say to the biggest gamblers at the casino (and, high rollers are notoriously status- obsessed folk) with the offer of the comp: "The president slept here." How much is that worth to Caesars?

So, I do not think the taxpayers paid for the room. And, if the Reid campaign paid, then Caesars would have to create a dollar amount on a suite that is technically "priceless," which I again interpret to mean not for rent to the public like a regular hotel room.

So, did the president get special treatment? Yes, I think that is safe to say; President Obama was not like another citizen guest registering in the lobby and somehow lucking out on this room assignment. This was a major celebrity. And, of course, the real reason to draw attention to these sorts of rooms is always the whale players. And, the president has drawn a lot of attention to the room, even praising it while here.

Was the president likely comped, because the casino hoped to influence the nation's most powerful politician about, say, online gambling or some other issue? No way. I am guessing the president was likely comped for the most Vegas of reasons: because he is among the biggest celebrities in the world. Now, his name can be invoked and dropped to impress high rollers, leaving a tiny presidential gift to the Las Vegas economy.

Photo: Caesars Palace

The alleged feud between Las Vegas and President Obama has been silly.  It entirely consisted of two politicians, Mayor Oscar Goodman (a Democrat) and wildly unpopular Gov. Jim Gibbons (a Republican), taking comments by the president out of context. The president in passing suggested that banks taking bailout funds should not use taxpayer money to come to Vegas to make whoopee. This was interpreted by these politicians as an attack on the entire Las Vegas convention business, which it wasn't. Of course, the convention business dropped off at once, there being a huge recession and all, but you know whom the local politicians blamed.

I think the message is out there to people who book conventions that Las Vegas is a perfect place for serious conventions. I have covered so many conventions here that I no longer blink at the ones that don't "belong" in Vegas; there is no longer any irony to heading off to cover a convention of  religious leaders or the National Organization of Women on the Strip.  Why? You will not find a better spot in the country with more state-of-the-art equipment for meetings or a place so user-friendly with ways to structure a retreat, meeting or convention. Vegas is an ideology-free town. Conventions are business the Strip works hard to get and keep by arguing the merits of the services available and the ease of persuading attendees from all walks of life to come to Vegas. The Strip has proved its worth over the years as a perfect business destination for any industry or cause. No single comment is going to change that, and in this case, the president's comment was utterly taken out of context.

But obviously there is the other side of Vegas: nightclubs, gambling, nearby legal brothels and the party that never ends. And, Las Vegas proudly offers that to our tourists and indeed defines itself as the only place in the country that offers such a smorgasbord of naughty pleasures without a whiff of judgment. This perhaps came from the local libertarian quirks of Nevada history. But never has Las Vegas been a city that has expected endorsements from the establishment before. Don't tread on me has been a better motto for the view most Nevadans traditionally had when it comes to federal scrutiny and regulation. That obviously has changed. Can you imagine anyone expecting Ronald Reagan or Jimmy Carter to endorse Las Vegas? Maybe they did, as that was before my time. But I doubt it. Here is what Las Vegas got from the president: "There's nothing like a quick trip to Vegas in the middle of the week. Like millions of other Americans, we come to this beautiful city for the sights and for the sounds." I really doubt this will make companies schedule or cancel conventions, but at least this will silence our opportunistic local politicians.

Anyway, the clearest winner of the Obama visit was Caesars Palace, which put out a news release calling the casino the president's "resort of choice." Included with the release was a photo of the 22,000- square-foot suite Obama was assigned for his brief Vegas visit. Vegas being a young city, we have no hotel that can brag that George Washington slept here, like you see in the East. Even less distinguished presidents like, say, Warren G. Harding would have been chronologically eliminated from creating a "presidential suite" on the Strip, as there was no Las Vegas Strip during Harding's term. 

Updated at 10:08 a.m.: There is an Elvis suite at the Las Vegas Hilton, and President Clinton stayed at Four Seasons (that while connected to Mandalay Bay does not have gambling at the hotel). But Obama was in a suite that is meant for high rollers at the gambling resort, and nothing will impress a high roller more than being able to stay in the room that was good enough for the president.

Nowhere is the price the room costs to rent revealed in the news release, probably because room rates change in Vegas and now that Obama has spent the night there, that room is sure to be worth more. But the easiest way to get a room like that is to gamble a fortune and get the room comped or, of course, be president.

Photo: Caesars Palace

Wow, President Obama is no Celine Dion (or Elton John). The president is making a special appearance Tuesday as headliner at a political benefit at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, a room which John and Dion sold out for years, no problem. But despite an opening entertainment roster that includes musical performances by Rachel Yamagata, Sheryl Crow and Bette Midler (a current headliner in the room) along with comedy by Rita Rudner, demand for tickets to see the president apparently has not been overwhelming. For sure Tuesday is not sold out.  I just got this e-mail from the Nevada Democrtatic Party sent out as some sort of spam:

"A limited number of tickets to 'The Good Fight: A Tribute To Nevada’s Senator Harry Reid,' featuring special guest President Barack Obama, are still available for $50, $150 and $250.  You can purchase tickets at Caesars Palace Box Office today, Monday, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m."

What makes this extra weird is that I bet Crowe and Midler could sell out the theater without the baggage of the president. And Rudner does just fine night after night at Harrah's, though in a much smaller room. And while the prices may be high in your hometown, this is rock-bottom cheap for the Colosseum. Certainly in all her years in Vegas there were never any $50 Celine Dion tickets.

The man may be able to lead a nation, but the president (even with a puffed-out roster of opening acts) is obviously not ready to headline in Vegas.

Photo credit: AP

Caesars Palace is celebrating its 40th anniversary on Saturday. The resort is routinely called the best brand name in Vegas. Just five years ago though, Caesars seemed to be coasting on its good name and the place was about as run-down as a high-end property could get away with being.

The Palace was becoming ruins: the conveyor belts and escalators were frequently out of order, the main valet was to be avoided, and a double bill of Chuck Berry and Little Richard was about as hip and new school as entertainment got. I definitely would have bet against Caesars and I would have been totally wrong. Caesars is once again a must for any shortlist of hot properties. How did they do it? By investing in the property (and since Caesars was bought by Harrah's in the midst of these changes there is a lot of credit to go around).

Entertainment was the first to be transformed with "A New Day" (2003) and "The Red Piano" (2004). Celine Dion and Elton John were not the most adventurous choices as headliners; yet both have proven to be fantastic and reliable draws since opening. Elton John's show is even good. And, though success has made everything look easy, the original decision to bring on Celine (and construct a theater for her customized right down to the Wolfgang Puck snack bar) was a far more daring business decision than any of her airless music. It has totally paid off.

Next up was a hip nightspot worthy of a massive resort. In 2005, Pure nightclub filled that bill by offering essentially three separate nightclub rooms (a model becoming increasingly standard) all with wide gradations of VIP access. Meanwhile, the dining, too, has been getting a high-end makeover. In this area, my budget keeps me somewhat ignorant. But the rich folks speak well of Bradley Ogden and these days they're breathlessly excited about Restaurant Guy Savoy, which opened in May.

Restaurant Guy Savoy falls outside the Movable Buffet budget. But after reading this description from the resort's corporate website, I am not that disappointed:

"Van Gogh expressed himself with paint, while Beethoven shared his brilliance with the world through the piano. Guy's canvas is your plate, and he bares his soul with culinary creations..."

Nothing against Beethoven and Van Gogh, but imagining their creations as food conjures thoughts too dark, distorted and brooding for my delicate taste buds. Who is the Diane Arbus of chefs? The Francis Bacon for foodies?

It's almost too much to ponder. Instead, I'd rather share some of my favorite Caesars memories and experiences: