Steele Rips Obama For Making Chicago Olympics Push

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele criticized President Obama on Tuesday for traveling to Copenhagen to pitch Chicago as a host site for the 2016 Olympics.

Steele said that sending Michele Obama, which was the White House's original plan, would have sufficed. "I think the First Lady would have been and should have been the lead here," said the RNC Chair. "Let her go and sell Chicago. But the goal should be creating not job opportunities seven years from now but job opportunities today. And I think that what the president is doing is not necessarily helpful and doesn't, in my view instill the confidence in the American people that the focus is there on jobs, wealth creation and moving us beyond a recession to prosperity."

Steele accused the president of leaving Congress directionless on health care. "This administration has been pushing like hound dogs on getting a health care bill passed pronto," he said. "And if it is that important, Mr. President, then stay at home and get it done. But don't then push the members of Congress to blindly go about this process, not reading legislation, not putting legislation up on the Internet for the American people to read, not giving the kind of I think leadership that is necessary to get your health care bill done."

Steele refused to call the president's decision a "mistake," saying such a description was "in the eye of the beholder." But, he added: "I think at a time of war, at a time of recession, at a time where Americans have expressed rather significantly their concerned and frustrations over the course of spring and summer about health care, about the economy, about a host of domestic issues and even international issues, I think that this trip, while nice, is not necessary for the president."

Attacking Obama's last-minute decision to fly to Copenhagen in person is suddenly a popular refrain from Obama's GOP critics. Sen. Kip Bond (R-Mo.) also accused Obama of neglecting his presidential duties by focusing his time on Chicago's Olympics bid; to which White House spokesman Tommy Vietor, replied: "What does Sen. Bond have against the Olympics coming to America?"

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Comments

[Bushwhacked]

11:17 PM on 09/30/2009

I'm a Democrat who voted for Obama and want him to succeed. I think, generally, that the Olympics would be good economically for the country. But as a former Chicago resident I have to say that Chicago does not deserve the Olympics. The leadership there has failed to stem the tide of violence for years and years and Chicagoans have re-elected the same people year after year. I love the architecture, Millennium Park, the Crown Fountain and the many other lovely aspects of the city that draw tourists in the summer. I like the new red and brown line platforms. But the traffic is still AWFUL on the expressways and who wants to celebrate in a city where teen gun violence account for so much violence - more than Los Angeles, a much bigger city. Chicago condo development exploded in the 90's and early 2000's. Lots all over the city that formerly held single family homes turned into multi-story condos. So, where did all that NEW tax revenue go? Or rather, who did it go TOO?

[Carolyn207]

09:22 PM on 10/05/2009

That happened everywhere; not just in Chicago. Fact is, jobs would have been created during the preparation for the olympics and that would have been a benefit. It takes some years to prepare.

[Tifito]

06:02 PM on 09/30/2009

The two days away is not going to move the health care issue any further (really). It took the country decades to f**k it up, and it will take a long time to fix it (Yes, it needs a lot of fixin'). If you think that health care is good just the way it is, then you are either part of the mob that's profiting from the sick and the poor (oh! we do have that too... poor people not being able to afford good decent health care)..., or they got you [with their scare tactics]. The policticians of yester-year never let anyone read their memos on health care before and all of us were always and are still getting the foot in the anus for this. Why is it one of the determining factors now? Stall tactics, you say... it may be. I am not saying that we shouldn't know what we are getting ourselves into with all the spending, but just saying that memos and proposals have to pass 200,000 hands before everyone could agree on a final workable solution is just BS. What needs to be done is for both parties to honestly find out what is not working, wasteful and unnecessary spending without the "greed" factor, and really see what will benefit the PEOPLE... WE THE PEOPLE!!!

[Tifito]

06:00 PM on 09/30/2009

You've got to be kidding me... What is is that the republican party looking at next? (btw, I am not a democrat, republican, nor anything else for that matter... I vote for the best candidate!!!). What is it that Mr. Obama can do right in the eyes of the GOP... Nothing! Nothing at all? Do Mr. Steele really think that the couple of days Obama took off to use his influence to gain a bid that would bring millions and millions of dollars into a city "SEVEN" years later is meaningless? Did he mean that Obama's absence for two days would have been better spent creating thousands of jobs immediately? Uh Uh, Yep! IMMEDIATELY! Or, is he blind to the fact that what he plants today, others can harvest IT big in seven years even when he no longer works on the farm (Yep! it's a farm in Washington alright). For a long time it hasn't been about the people, but now it is even more obvious than ever. This dude (Mr. Steele) is looking for "lights, camera, and action" time, which he knows that he would never have gotten by agreeing with the president's decision to just take a couple of days for something that is very important not only for Chicago, but (really) the country as a whole. By the way, all other countries bidding for that same Olympic sent their star power pack to try and win the bid, and their people applaud them for it!!!

[Noggy]

04:33 PM on 09/30/2009

Why is it that Republicans have yet to offer the American people any new ideas or solutions for the problems we face in this country? Every time they are up to bat...all they do is bitch and moan about Obama or some other democrat. Are they totally devoid of any constructive ideas for this country. If they continue with this pattern of politics it will be only a matter of time before people stop listening. I compare it to someone who nags so much that you just tune them out. As for Michael Steele, the token man of color for the GOP is no more than an empty suit and will do little or anything to restore the party to its former standing. As for this flap about Obama meeting with the IOC...Clinton did it and I don't recall anybody making a fuss. I personally mixed emotions about having the games in Chicago. Yes the city can use the revenue and its jobs for hundreds, but it will also make Chicago a target for terrorism. And now that we seem to have a growing number of home grown terrorists...that is a matter of concern. Question is does Chicago have what it takes to host the Olympics?

[wdancer]

11:58 AM on 09/30/2009

THERE IS SO MUCH DISRESPECT SHOWN AMONG AMERICANS THAT WE ARE BECOMING THE LAUGHING STOCK OF A LOT OF OTHER COUNTRIES. WE NEED TO TAKE TIME AND LOOK IN THE MIRROR TO SEE IF WE LIKE WHAT WE SEE. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS REGRESSING INSTEAD OF PROGRESSING.WE NEED TO CLEAN UP OUR ACTS AND BE THE GOOD EXAMPLE IN INNOVATIONS AND EXPERIMENTS AS WE USED TO BE.WE ARE TEACHING OUR KIDS HOW TO HATE AND IT IS WRONG.AS PRESIDENT OBAMA SAYS GOOD EXAMPLES AND JUDGEMENT NEED TO BEGIN AT HOME AND EXTEND TO THE TOP OF THE HILL- CONGRESS-CAPITOL HILL -THE WHITE HOUSE.WE NEED TO LEARN TO BE AGREEABLE AND TO DISAGREE IN A MORE HEALTHY WAY.TEARING DOWN EACH OTHER IS NON-PRODUCTIVE AND VERY DEMEANING.

THOSE WHO KNOW BETTER PLEASE, DO BETTER. THE REWARDS ARE FAR GREATER.THE HATING IS SO FAR GONE, CAN THINGS OR ATTITUDES CHANGE?

[pbfishtaco]

10:36 AM on 09/30/2009

What exactly does Michael Steeeele do exactly for the RNC? Draft misspelled Hispanic Heritage Month materials? Carry John Booooehner's hankies around for him?

Oh, only pithy comments about the opposition party. That'll show them in 2010.

[PoliticalAmazon]

02:09 PM on 09/30/2009

He gives speeches, which is about the extent of what Obama does as president, unless you count vanity trips to the IOCC and lavish trips to vacation spots, all on the taxpayer dime.

Oh, the Obamas love to throw parties, too, also charged to the taxpayer.

[susanava]

03:29 PM on 09/30/2009

Bush took more vacations than any president in history. He also gave us a lovely war we may never get out of, squandered Clinton's budget surplus, destroyed our economy, personally made Iran a superpower, and helped set the table for what may amount to WWIII in the middle east. And through it all, over 8 yrs, he never faced the kind of scrutiny and derision that Obama has in the past 9 mos.
I think there is a touch of repressed racism here, and I also think the rights want him to fail to try desperately to make history forget about there own abysmal record. God help us if we do!

[Carolyn207]

09:43 PM on 10/05/2009

Then it must really frost you that Bush spent approximately two years of his eight year term on vacation. No wonder the country landed in a ditch. Your tax dollars are still at work digging us out.

[Kindheart]

10:17 AM on 09/30/2009

Mr. Steele, as a former resident of Maryland, I don't remember what YOU have been elected to by the public except as Lt. Governor on the bottom of the ticket. Your senate run was quite successful, was it?

[Harrier]

09:39 AM on 09/30/2009

Do you think there are people who would publicly argue the perfect way to give good news?

[twopac]

09:15 AM on 09/30/2009

Chicago has a chance to host the Olmpics, then let all of us as Americans stand behind Chicago. Why does the Party Of No always goes against whatever the president does or what America wants?

[twiggy2]

04:40 PM on 09/30/2009

because as their mascot rush limbaugh said , he wants obama to fail . and they will do everything within the law to make that happen!
but note, you can not curse what God has blessed ! continue to pray for our president and his beautiful family - protection, wisdom, integrity.

[yankeegirl69]

09:10 AM on 09/30/2009

http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0929/p02s01-usgn.html
This is horrible!

[NHGranite]

10:16 AM on 09/30/2009

Oh my bleeding heart. Take a look at the street children in Rio. Similar conditions, hundreds of thousands more kids. Living on the streets. A country with one of the biggest discrepancies between rich 1% and the rest of them. This is more horrible.

[yankeegirl69]

10:42 AM on 09/30/2009

Are we considering having the Olympics in Rio? NO!

[RockinDiva]

08:23 AM on 09/30/2009

If President Obama were trying to get world peace, he'd probbly say that was unnecessary too. Anything to be contrary.

[DCBarrister]

08:42 AM on 09/30/2009

That's the problem.
With President Obama it's always "if this, maybe that"...when will the guy actually keep a campaign promise or get something done other than late night comedy show appearances?

[take10]

11:38 AM on 09/30/2009

You poor grieving soul! Are you applying for Steele's job? I alway knew there were more Steeles around with brown stinky stuff running down their chins. You people have turned arse kissing into an Olympic sport! It's no wonder you don't want the Olympics to be held in Chi Town for all to see how well you apply yourselves. Is there a Gold medal in your future?

[PoliticalAmazon]

02:11 PM on 09/30/2009

Exactly. He's big on mouth, short on work.

The midterm elections are going to be ugly for the Democrats.

[Redheadwithopinions]

05:12 AM on 09/30/2009

Oh my, did Mr. Steele forget that it is going to take literally YEARS to prepare for the Olympics? Does he know how many jobs it will create just to build all the necessary buildings and an Olympic stadium? Does he know how many people will come to Chicago just to see where the Olympics will BE if they get to be there? The place has not been chosen yet! Steele is grasping at straws..and invisible ones at that. If the Olympics come to the USA the number of jobs created almost immediately just for preparing the sites will be phenomenal for the economy..and not to mention the merchandising opportunities which will create more jobs, the logo contests which will help local artists, the food menu items which will help local restaurants..etc. The Olympics are a boom for any economy that has them in it well before the actual event. Does he know how many veterans will get security jobs from this if it happens! My Gods man..get real or just get out...sigh..RETHUGLICANS....you want to just get out a really big stick sometimes and chase them about to make them scatter!

[prthatrocks]

03:24 AM on 09/30/2009

A black man pimping for the Republican party in 2009... that's as bizarre to me as a Rabbi endorsing a comeback of National Socialism.

[markdolph]

03:46 AM on 09/30/2009

I think its the other way around...the Republicans are pimping Steele. Doesn't it remind you of when the republican party ran Alan Keyes in the Illinois senate race against Obama in 2004. ...so obvious, it went beyond insulting.

[mockley]

04:56 AM on 09/30/2009

Michael Steele = Uncle Tom.

[PoliticalAmazon]

02:12 PM on 09/30/2009

How about we get past race?

Steele is an a$$hat, no matter what color he is.

Obama is a promise breaker and a poor leader, no matter what color he is.

[medic628]

02:35 AM on 09/30/2009

Why do they keep letting this man out of the house?

[hopelesslynaive]

02:18 AM on 09/30/2009

He should get flak. The family and friends who lost a young student full of potential needed a ray of hope, as did the rest of Chicago.

Obama's undisguised allegiance to his financial backers is truly disgusting in this case.

[DCBarrister]

08:40 AM on 09/30/2009

Isn't it interesting that more and more Americans are seeing through the media hoax and seeing Barack Obama for the GW Bush clone that he really is?

Keep the change.

Hillary 2012

[bluestatelib]

02:39 PM on 09/30/2009

You're either a horrible joker or seriously deranged. Either way, get it together man. Get it together.