Obama dings Las Vegas — again

President Barack Obama once again used Las Vegas as the punch line in a crack about wasting money.

The Hill, a Washington, D.C., publication, quoted Obama warning an audience in New Hampshire against the danger of wasting "a bunch of cash in Vegas."

The remark was reminiscent of a statement last year in which Obama said companies getting government bailout money shouldn't use it in Las Vegas.

That remark generated strong rebukes from Las Vegas boosters and criticism from convention industry people who said it unfairly marked the destination as a wasteful location for events.

"When times are tough, you tighten your belts," The Hill quoted Obama saying today at a town hall meeting in New Hampshire." You don’t go buying a boat when you can barely pay your mortgage. You don’t blow a bunch of cash in Vegas when you’re trying to save for college."

U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he spoke to the White House following Obama's comments.

“While the President is correct that people saving for college need to be fiscally responsible, the President needs to lay off Las Vegas and stop making it the poster child for where people shouldn’t be spending their money," Reid said in a statement.

“Nevada is the nation’s top destination for tourism and conventions," the statement continued. "It is more popular than any other place in the country, and for good reason: it’s affordable, easy to get to from anywhere and the weather is perfect.

“To truly re-energize our economy, we need people to travel to Las Vegas. I would much rather tourists and business travelers spend their money in Las Vegas than spend it overseas.”