What can we blame on Rio?

I think Barack Obama's critics will face an irresistible temptation to Blame it On Rio from here on out and that would be unfair. The Olympic setback is hardly the defining moment of President Obama's foreign policy. But it is a window through which we can see some things a bit more clearly now than perhaps we saw before. With apologies to Fred Barnes, who beat me to the punch on some of these, here would be my quick hit list:

1. The decision shows the limits of soft power and those limits are greater than even soft power skeptics realized.

2. The decision shows the extraordinary influence of the Chicago three -- Rahm Emmanuel, David Axelrod, and Valerie Jarrett -- on matters that cross over into foreign policy.

3. The optics of the trip, which included a quick meeting with Gen. Stanley McChrystal, are very unfortunate for Obama-era civil-military relations: 25 hours for a failed Olympic bid vs. 25 minutes for your battlefield commander in the good and necessary war in Afghanistan.

4. Setbacks (or gaffes) that reinforce an emerging critical frame are more consequential than ones that cut against that frame and, unfortunately for President Obama, this episode fits the former not the latter.

The decision shows the extraordinary influence of the Chicago three -- Rahm Emmanuel, David Axelrod, and Valerie Jarrett -- on matters that cross over into foreign policy.

OBAMA CRONIES LINED-UP TO PROFIT Obama's cronies have too much influence over the office of the President of the United States. That they can literally compel him to expend millions of tax-payer dollars to use two US govt planes, govt personnel, and other govt resources, to make a personal appeal to the IOC in a faraway country, speaks of a terrible, systemic corruption. Also makes one wonder if Obama was getting a cut of the deals.

This needs to be investigated pronto (but don't hold your breath).

David Axelrod's former PR firm did all the upfront work and was paid millions for the project for years to prepare Chicago’s Olympic bid presentation to the IOC (Axelrod is a top WH aide).

Four of the five co-chairs of Obama’sinaugural committee continue to have unpaid leadership roles in Chicago Olympics 2016, including Pat Ryan, the chairman and CEO of Chicago 2016; John Rodgers, the treasurer and director of Chicago 2016; Bill Daley, the former Clinton administration commerce secretary and brother of the Chicago mayor; and Penny Pritzker, the Chicago businesswoman and Hyatt hotel heiress who led Obama’s meteoric presidential campaign fundraising.

Pritzker’s family also owns or manages other hotels named by Chicago 2016 as the accommodations for Olympic workers, press and family members. Ryan and Priztker each contributed $100,000 or more to Chicago 2016.

As did White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers, an Obama family friend, who also served on the Chicago committee. It still counts Obama confidant and vacation companion Eric Whitaker among its members.

Obama family insider in the WH, Valerie Jarrett, a slumlord, owns Chicago property she apparently planned to turn into Olympic Villages (and flew to Copenhagen). Jarrett was replaced as Chicago 2016 vice-chair by Martin Nesbitt, the treasurer of Obama’s campaign, and another Obama family insider.

ASK Public Strategies, the Chicago-based corporate public relations company founded by Obama political guru David Axelrod and owned and run by some of Obama’s top presidential campaign consultants, was paid “in the tens of thousands” of dollars by Chicago 2016 to do “communication management [and] planning,” said former Axelrod partner Eric Sedler, who did not work for Obama's campaign, but was in Copenhagen, along with Pritzker and Jarrett.

“ASK Public Strategies worked on the bid for three years and for 2/3 of that time our work was pro bono,” said Sedler, who would not speculate on whether the company would be in line for more Olympic work if the IOC picked Chicago.

BTW, did you know that Durbin was in Denmark?....... They were so sneaky as to who went. They took two govt planes---so it musta been quite a crowd. Videos aired from Denmark showed a few unfamiliar faces. Oprah was kept under wraps. Mrs Ohaha was shown getting off the plane alone. Only the Ohaha's were supposed to "shine"......er, ah, make that, bomb. LOL.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.