Obama was told a trip to Olympics meeting may clinch Chicago win

LA Times ^

[Chet 99]

Reporting from Washington - In the run-up to the Olympics vote, the White House was getting a clear message from the architects of Chicago's bid: Balloting would be tight, and a personal visit to Copenhagen from President Obama just might lock in a victory.

Leaders of the Windy City's campaign to secure the 2016 Games had done some nose-counting and were convinced the International Olympic Committee might well anoint Chicago as host, according to White House officials interviewed Saturday.

"The intelligence that we had from the U.S. Olympic Committee and Chicago bid team was that it was very close and therefore well worth our efforts," said Valerie Jarrett, a senior White House advisor. "The message was that . . . a personal appeal from the president would make a huge difference."

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

yeah, 14 out of 94 is Titanical pwnage. /h

[JessieHelmsJr]

lol!!!

[STARWISE]

BTW, dollars to doughnuts, it was the
pressure from the Chicago Machine to
which he submitted, and that means
Valerie Jarrett was the catalyst and
chief pusher.

Not that she likely had something
personal to gain ........

[America2012]

And it did make a huge difference... Chicago went from the frontrunner close to clinching victory to finishing dead last...

Barry snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

[Oztrich Boy]

since the Olympics are in the southern hemisphere in 2016, does that mean they are still the “summer olympics” or are they gonna be “winter olympics”?

1, they are always the Summer Olympics

2. Rio will be in August, just as Athens and Beijing was.

3. This everybody will freeze as the temerature might drop to the mid 70s.

[notaliberal]

I also heard Chicago received 18 votes on the radio in a news report.

[Intolerant in NJ]

Obama was told a trip to Olympics meeting may clinch Chicago win...Hmmm - ya don't suppose he was set up, do ya?!! - Sarkozy did say he was massively naive and egotistical.......

[Pontiac]

BO is the King of Chicago, not the President of the United States.

You can take the kid out of the Chicago machine but you can’t take the Chicago machine out of the kid.

[okie01]

Apparently it was... bad intelligence...

And the last time a President was misled by bad intelligence, was not the battlecry "Bush lied!"

Let's hear it:

OBAMA LIED!

[YankeeReb]

The intelligence that we had from the U.S. Olympic Committee and Chicago bid team was that it was very close and therefore well worth our efforts," [...] "The message was that . . . a personal appeal from the president would make a huge difference."

Wow that should give everyone a warm fuzzy about how Team BamBam would conduct something like say ....A WAR!!! Yeah, heh heh , he probably would let months go by without even talking to the commander in the field. .... Oh wait.....never mind.

[hoosiermama]

Not that she likely had something
personal to gain ........

Maybe she’ll go bankrupt?????cough cough

[fivecatsandadog]

hahahahahahaha I love it

[popdonnelly]

“White House officials” are not exactly a credible source. What are they going to say - “We screwed up”?

[stripes1776]

They're waaay out of their depth when it comes to dealing with global matters of importance, so they try to look relevant by going to Copenhagen to bag the Olympics. Also, they don't care about the war on terror nor our troops.

Agreed.

[Liz]

Don’t you love it when a hair-brained plan fails miserably ?

Love it.

[jws3sticks]

Now that the trip of all the planes, people, expenses, the hanging unanswered questions still need answering.

Olympics for Chicago 2016 - The Cost to the People of the United States:

A - The First Lady:

1. Unhidden cost of her US aircraft to and from Copenhagen?

2. Cost and detailed list of accompanying staff currently on the US payroll?

3. Cost of accompanying staffs' accommodations, food, refreshments, local travel (taxi), Official Transportation, etc. for First Lady's party?

4. Any additional aircraft for First Lady's party, for folks like family, press, dog, Secret Service?

5. Amount Opra is reimbursing the USA for her envolvement and that of her staff for #1 - #4, above?

6. Amount the Chicago Olympic Committee is reimbursing the USA for the First Lady's envolvement and that of her staff for #1 - #4, above?

B - POTUS

1. True and total unhidden cost of Air Force One for the trip to and from Copenhagen?

2. Cost and detailed list of accompanying staff currently on the US payroll?

3. Cost of accompanying staffs' accommodations, food, refreshments, local travel (taxi), Official Transportation, etc. for the POTUS's party?

4. Any additional aircraft for POTUS's party, for folks like family, press, dog, Secret Service?

5. Cost US picking for accompanying Press Corps, including travel, accomodations, food, refreshments, etc.?

6. Cost of flying the POTUS "big black car" and the accompanying Secret Service vehicles, drivers, fuel, staff accomodations, food and refreshments?

7. Amount the Chicago Olympic Committee is reimbursing the USA for the POUS's envolvement and that of his staff for #1 - #6, above?

C - Total net expense for "A" & "B" to the USA Tax Payers?

All I ask for a a true and honest (if that is not redundant!) of this "excercise" to the American Public. I'd be interested to also know who has personal vested interests in the possible favorable outcome for this adventure, specifically relating to the possible sale of real estate and other servicees should the Chicago Olympic Committee - 2016 be successful.

That's all I ask. Starting to think of the length of time a snow flake or many snow flakes can survive in Hell while I await the answer to the forgoing questions.

When will someone in the "main stream" news business address any of these questions and share the results with us.

[boatbums]

Since, we, the taxpayers, PAID for all this “involvement” of said individuals to influence the IOC to select Chicago as the host city, I would think a FOIA request would be totally in line. Wouldn't you?

Heck, I'd like to know how much MO’s little one block veggie hunt cost us!

[STARWISE]

Doubt it .... seriously doubt it .. and you
know what I’m talkin’ about ....... ;)

[hoosiermama]

cough, cough!

[XenaLee]

Maybe Zero needs to get drug-tested. Unfazed seems to be his constant state of being. Must be some really mellow stuff.