Originally, the Persuasion Party was just going to be Michelle her ownself and a few staff. Then the Chicago natives started getting restless so a little Obama-power will be applied to the mix:
The White House, which earlier had announced that an advance team was heading to Copenhagen to prepare for a possible presidential trip to Copenhagen, confirmed this morning that Obama will travel Thursday night. The IOC meets Friday.
A senior administration official told the Tribune Washington Bureau this morning that Obama will make the trip, returning following the meeting Friday. Chicago is competing with Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Madrid.
Mayor Richard Daley and the Chicago 2016 chief executive Pat Ryan immediately issued statements praising Obama’s decision.
“President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama symbolize the hope, opportunity and inspiration that makes Chicago great, and we are honored to have two of our city’s most accomplished residents leading our delegation in Copenhagen,” Daley said.
However, the Swamp says that the Magic Twosome will have competition in Copenhagen:
Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, confident in Rio’s bid, will travel to the Danish capital ahead of the IOC’s vote.
“This is a fight,” Silva said on his weekly radio program today. “And if we don’t win, we’ll have to prepare for another one. But I think we’re going to return from Copenhagen with a victory.” Brazil deserves the Olympics, Silva says, because South America has never hosted the games. “For the other nations, it would just be one more Olympics.’’
I agree with Brazil’s president: South America has never hosted the Games. How about sharing? How about sending it to Rio in a gesture of good will?
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Fat chance. The Cook County political machine that put Obama in the Oval Office wants that plum, and Obama has to deliver. There are millions to be made by the COO - Cronies of Obama. Can you say “payback time”? Never mind that Chicago itself will suffer. What else is new?
May the President learn the hard way that the gravitas of his office belongs not to the person currently in power. It belongs to the office itself and as such is not supposed to be used as a bashing tool for provincial purposes. You’re not a state Senator anymore, Mr. President.
Pity the poor Queen. She has to meet with these people:
The American president and first lady also plan to meet with Queen Margrethe II and His Royal Highness, the Prince Consort. The president also plans a meeting with Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen.
Oh my. I hope that our First Lady doesn’t happen upon Crown Princess Mary during her visit. We don’t need any more pictures like the one with Mrs. Sarkozy.
I first saw that photo several weeks ago. IMHO, it’s a sad tribute to the power of envy. You can snuggle up to power, but you can’t undo your own nature. Mrs. Obama will never be willowy and lithe, no matter how many trainers she has. And while most of us learn to live with our physical limits, Michelle seems unable to settle for who she is.
Let’s just hope the Princess can avoid the evil eye given Carla Bruni. Maybe she could arrange a quick trip to Australia to visit the family?
Meanwhile, the Danish media are excited at the prospect of Obama’s visit, though I have the sense that this excitement is not a thoroughly trickle-down affair:
The Danish media are chasing suggestions that Obama might get out for a walk-around as well, though the time-frame of the president’s planned overnight trip for meetings and return Friday afternoon don’t leave a lot of room for tourism. They’re hearing that the president’s whole presence there may be limited to five hours.
Soo…five hours of his time to twist some arms. Two separate plane flights for this family. How many security guards and at what cost? Not to mention staff, hairdressers, ladies-in-waiting, and the usual dozens of hangers-on. All of this just so Obama can apply a little Chicago pressure to the Olympic Committee.
I hope the city of Copenhagen will be reimbursed for its costs for being forced to host this vanity trip.
And, as I said before, Send It to Rio!
By the way, take the time to read the variety of comments from that second link, the website “Swamp Politics”. I’ve chosen just one remark; it fits my sentiments were I, like he, an Illinois citizen:
Let’s see Iran is launching missiles, we need an answer on sending more troops before we lose the war in Afghanistan, people are STILL losing their homes, we are suppose to be having a jobless recovery (and direct contradiction in terms) therefore we will still have as many unemployed at the end of this depression, spending is out of control with our government and Obama is taking off the morning to spend more money increase his carbon foot print to get the Olympics.. does anyone know how to say inept leadership all over the place??
Obama, like Gore, has a carbon footprint bigger than Sasquatch could ever leave. Buncha hypocrites.
7 comments:
"I think I shall fly down to Rio..."
with apologies to Michael Nesmith.
Dymphna,
I don't know why the citizens of any city would want to host the Olympic games ,they are a colossal waste of the poor suffering taxpayers' money. The whole circus should be privatized.
Re your comments about President Obama-
To non-Americans Obama seems,so far, a welcome change after Bush,is your attitude typical of many Americans?I realise there are domestic policies involved and I assume President Obama is "Leftist" by American standards.
mace--
My sentiments regarding our current President reflect the right and right of center of the American electorate. IOW, those who vote.
I never liked him, but I didn't like McCain either. However, of the two I though McCain was less corrupt and beholden to the political machine.
He had also been severely tested for 5 years' torture in a POW camp and wouldn't let the Viet Cong release him early so they could score a coup by giving special treatment to an admiral's son.
McCain had many years in the Senate and remains a foe of special earmarks that are put into Senate legislation and increase our debt.
Most of all, McCain would never ever have advocated that Stimulus waste (the unemployment rate for those between 20-24 is over 50%), nor the Cap and Tax monstrosity, which will make the US, as one wag said, "the cleanest third world economy in the world".
On the minus side was the McCain Feingold Act, a law which helped undermine political activity. Only a politician would've thought it was going to help.
George Bush cynically signed it because he thought the Court would strike it down as unconstitutional -- which it is. But the Court set the snooze button on that one.
Obama was raised to sneer at the American ethos and it shows. He doesn't like this country and it shows.
He has no real job experience of any kind unless you count his stint as a "community organizer". And look at the train wreck he left behind in Chicago thru his efforts.
Same goes for his lovely wife and what she did to the poor being served by the University of Chicago.
The Cook County political machine in Chicago groomed him, put him in the state Senate, and then in the national Senate. They didn't expect to cash in their chips nearly this soon, so they're jubilant about his unexpected, out-of-turn election.
I think he's going to ruin us past redemption. America is not by design or by character a socialist polity, but Obama's mentors and trainers have all been Communists or socialists. He is also. It's all he knows or cares to know.
Many questions remain about Obama's background, but he has sealed his past pretty thoroughly. It will all come out when he's been out of office for 25 years or so but by then it will be of academic interest.
Yes, Obama is a Leftist...by any standards. Unless there are people who think socialism is a right wing invention. My greatest fear is that his actions will destroy the middle class. The only jobs will be in some form of government work.
Random thought: In that picture we can see how much beautifull the U.S. First Lady is in comparison to that plebeian women.
Or not.
... because maybe she's the queen or something... yeah... that's it...
Clarification:
when I said:
My sentiments regarding our current President reflect the right and right of center of the American electorate. IOW, those who vote...
the IOW referred back to all the electorate, not just those voters from the Right. Obama was elected by the far Left, left of center, and moderates who felt McCain rain a poor campaign, which he did.
Obama's stance on various issues have left him with less than 50% of the populace who trust him.
If you want a good look at how American voters think, see the Rasmussen Report. It differs from most polls in that it only queries those who are likely to vote, not samples of the whole adult population. Today his popularity is minus 9.
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Hey, Afonso, is that what you think the picture shows? Interesting, but I can't use up a third comment in replying to you should you respond.
Thanks for weighing in, though.
Dymphna,
Interesting,thanks.
I think the Olympic Games and the politics behind them fit Chicago perfectly ;)
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