U.S. Sen Barack Obama last week sent his regrets for the Democratic presidential forum being held in Carson City in a week, saying he'd be busy in Iowa at the time.

But what he neglected to mention was that he'd be flying right over Nevada right around that time.

Obama is scheduled to hold a Los Angeles fundraiser next Tuesday night, Feb. 20, then fly to Iowa for undisclosed obligations Feb. 21, the day of the Carson City forum.

"There's a fundraiser and rally in South Central Los Angeles that day," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said. "That's no secret. Then it's off to Iowa." He said he didn't know whether Obama was flying from California to Iowa Tuesday night or Wednesday and that details of Obama's schedule in Iowa on Feb. 21 were "not available yet."

Hollywood bigwigs Steven Spielberg, David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg are reportedly throwing a $2,300-a-ticket reception for Obama at the Beverly Hilton Hotel the evening of Feb. 20, with a private dinner with top donors to follow.

The Carson City event, sponsored by the national public employees' union, is scheduled for noon on Feb. 21. All the other known Democratic contenders, including U.S. Sen Hillary Clinton, are signed up to attend.

The forum will be the first venue to bring candidates together in the 2008 race, although under the format, the candidates will not interact with one another.

"This is a hard decision. There are a lot of tough decisions that have to be made in a campaign," Burton said of missing the Nevada forum.

Obama is scheduled to hold an event in Southern Nevada on Sunday. Burton said it would take place in the late morning, but other details, such as location, were not yet available.

University of Nevada, Las Vegas political scientist David Damore said statements from the Obama camp about missing the forum had created the impression that Obama would be far away from Nevada at the time, rather than a short detour away.

"If he's already on the West Coast, and he has to fly over the state, what is he doing in Iowa (on Feb. 21) that he couldn't do the next day?" Damore said. "It is a bit disingenuous."

Burton said Obama would be "meeting with a series of community leaders, and there will also be a public event or two on the schedule" in Iowa on Feb. 21.

In a conference call Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he had assurances from Obama that his fellow senator would mount a campaign in Nevada, not ignore the state, which was recently moved up in the Democratic nominating process to join Iowa and New Hampshire among the first contests.

"Barack's not coming, and I'm disappointed he's not coming to the forum," Reid said. "But I'm glad he's coming to the state, and I look forward to him coming to other forums and debates in Nevada."

On the same conference call, Gerald McEntee, president of forum host the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said the union wouldn't hold a grudge against Obama.

"He called us and said he'd love to be there, but he had other events he couldn't change," McEntee said. "But he was very keen on the West and very keen on Nevada. ... I don't think it will have an effect on our AFSCME members, the fact that he's not going to be able to attend. He showed a great deal of courtesy by calling us."