Obama visits Hoover Dam

USATODAY

After a busy day of debate practice near Las Vegas -- perhaps including riffs on a proposed infrastructure program -- where else would a president go?

How about one of the nation's biggest pieces infrastructure, Hoover Dam?

"Its spectacular, and I've never seen it before," President Obama told reporters during his trek.

Obama, who is holding debate camp in the Vegas suburb of Henderson, said he didn't realize Hoover Dam was so close until an aide told him about it.

"I said, 'Well, we've got to go check it out,' " the president said.

Obama is expected to advocate more construction projects during Wednesday night's debate with Republican opponent Mitt Romney.

At Hoover Dam, the press pool caught snatches of conversation between Obama and Rob Skordas, assistant manager for history and operational logistics.

Skordas explained: "We can raise the water up or down depending on how we need it."

Obama asked: "The power generated here, where's it going?"

Skordas: "Mostly Southern California."

Obama: "Not Vegas?"

Skordas: "Vegas gets very little water."

Obama: "I always assumed Vegas got its power from here."

Skordas: "Yeah, you always assume this dam is powering all those lights."

Obama: "How long did it take to build it?"

Skordas said it started in 1931, with 28,000 employees.

Obama asked whether any were killed, and Skordas said yes, but "fewer than you can imagine."