Fifteen questions for our new president

I have 15 questions for Barack Obama when he makes his first presidential visit to Las Vegas on Tuesday.

I wish he'd make time to visit the publisher of the state's largest and most popular newspaper, but since our president usually doesn't take questions from non-fawning members of the media, and he's in Nevada only to try to stop Nevadans from bouncing their unpopular senior Sen. Harry Reid in 2010, my only chance is to get the questions out today and hope for the best.

So here goes:

1. Why did you single out Las Vegas for your admonition against business travel? And, will you today say that Las Vegas is a good destination (if not the best) for business travel?

2. If the election were held today, Sen. Harry Reid would lose. Why are Nevadans wrong about Reid?

3. You advocate the principle of, and enact government policies for, the "once an abortion, always an abortion" rule. This actually happened in Las Vegas: a late-term abortion resulted in a live birth. Nurses rushed the "abortion" to neo-natal, where wanted babies roughly the same age as this "abortion" had been saved. The abortion doctor, upon discovering the life-saving attempt, pulled the "abortion" out of neo-natal and placed it in an empty exam room. The "abortion" cried for hours before dying. How, Mr. President, is that OK?

4. Sen. Reid said under President Bush that the Iraq war was lost. History shows that in fact Bush's so-called "surge" worked, and by the time you took office, many objective observers called the war "won." You are now pulling out troops from Iraq. Is the war "lost" or "won"? Either way, what would you tell the parents of soldiers killed in the Iraq war? Do your policies mean these Americans made the ultimate sacrifice in vain?

5. You say Iraq was the "wrong" war, but Afghanistan is the "right" war. Why under your leadership is the "right" war not succeeding?

6. Why have you not captured or killed Osama bin Laden?

7. You say talking with Iran was better strategy than isolating Iran. Yet, under your watch, Iran has now tested missile capability that endangers American troops and Israel from a nuclear attack. When you talk to Iran, what do they say about this?

8. Your policies seem more sympathetic to the Arab world than Israel. Do you consider Israel the "problem" in the Middle East? Does Israel have a right to exist?

9. Do you honestly think the United Auto Workers can run Chrysler?

10. By what year will solar energy produce 20 percent of America's energy needs? Is it in your lifetime? Your children's lifetime? This century?

11. Do you support, in any way, the rationing of health care in America, as is done in Canada?

12. There is no evidence your policies will ever help Las Vegans who are underwater on home valuation. Is that right, or are we missing something?

13. Should people ever strive to get off welfare? Why? When?

14. You recently said that the deficit spending of President Bush was "unsustainable." Yet you plan to double and triple that debt. Why were his deficits "unsustainable" when your deficits are sustainable?

15. And finally, if you were at my house for a little Memorial Day BBQ with my children and grandchildren, could you explain to them in person why they will grow up indebted up to their little necks because of runaway government spending?

Frankly, sir, I don't have a good answer for them. Do you?

Sherman Frederick (sfrederick@reviewjournal.com) is publisher of the Las Vegas Review-Journal and president of Stephens Media.