The chairman of the board for the Truman Library Institute sounded off this afternoon about Barack Obama's decision to skip the Harry S. Truman Library & Museum during his trip to Independence today.

Gayle Holliday arrived late to today's Jazz District Redevelopment Corp. board meeting due to her attendance at Obama's speech at the Truman Memorial Building (she said this speech was much more presidential than the more rah-rah one earlier this year in downtown Kansas City).

William "Bill" Nelson, library board chair, then unloaded. He said Obama should have made a stop at the library before or after his speech and visited Truman's grave.

"He missed an opportunity," Nelson said, adding he was "very disappointed." He said other presidential contenders coming to Independence always tour the library and it was a mistake on the part of Obama's campaign staff to forgo the institution.

Nelson said the library even had U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill write a letter on the library's behalf encouraging Obama to visit the library and museum. Nelson said the staff was willing and able to make the event happen.

Nelson also said Obama should have held his event at the Community of Christ auditorium so that more could have attended.

After Nelson's comments, a couple of JDRC board members said they were sure the decision was made by the campaign staff, which they said had Obama on a tight schedule.