Obama's Big Question: To Go or Not to Go, Copenhagen That is
To paraphrase William Shakespeare's renowned query, made more appropriate since it took place in Denmark, the big question is why there is so much furor posed in the Main Stream Media citing Obama's mostly Republican critics over the president's decision to help Chicago win its bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics?
Obama's choice to attend the International Olympic Committee meeting in Copenhagen, in tandem with wife Michelle and prominent Chicago residents such as Oprah, is in line with other world leaders, such as Britain's prime minister Tony Blair who went much further to Singapore to secure London as the venue in 2012 and Russia's Vladimir Putin who flew an even greater distance to Guatemala when he successfully scored the 2014 Winter Olympics for the city of Sochi in his nation.
It may well be that these government leaders upped the ante regarding the expectations of the IOC delegates and it seems a small price to pay considering the relatively scant time Obama will attend to Chicago's big pitch.
Yet his Republican antagonists insist Obama's action will take time away from what they deem more significant undertakings, such as -- are you ready for a big laugh -- health care reform, which they have been sabotaging from the outset. They assert in their continuing and mostly lockstep reasoning that Obama is wasting time on such a "frivolous" enterprise rather than addressing the nuclear build-up in Iran, our economic quagmire and the continuing mess in Afghanistan.
Indeed, Senator Christopher Bond (R-Missouri) found it "baffling that he (Obama) has time to go to be on (sic) Copenhagen, to be on the Letterman show and almost every other channel except the Food Channel and Fox, but he doesn't have time to talk to General McChrystal."
In fact, as the White House points out, Obama regularly consults with McChrystal, the Afghanistan commander, but what do facts matter when the key agenda on the part of most Republican leaders is to run Obama down at every opportunity? Yet the newspapers (consider today's main story in the Los Angeles Times) and broadcast/cable programs, such as those hosted by Anderson Cooper and Lou Dobbs on CNN, Brian Williams on NBC, Charlie Gibson and Diane Sawyer on ABC, Katie Couric on CBS and Bill O'Reilly on Fox News have allowed what should have been a relatively apolitical and harmless action to be debated as possible irresponsibility on the part of the president.
And why? Obama is expected to be in Copenhagen for only several hours, and during the eight plus hours in the air to and from Washington he will be able to study reports and be in telephonic contact with everyone he needs, which is how he conducts much of his business in the first place.
It's not as if he's suddenly taking a weekend holiday and will be spending the day cavorting at Tivoli Gardens, and another traveling to Funen Island, the home of Hans Christian Andersen. His critics make it appear that, even during his relatively brief trip abroad, he will be totally incommunicado from pleading requests for his time by heads of state, cabinet secretaries and congressional leaders.
This brouhaha is nonsense and the only downside is if Chicago doesn't get the bid. Frankly, I'm not sure it will, considering the superior glamour of chief opponent Rio de Janeiro and the fact that South America has never hosted the games. And if that happens Obama will lose a bit of sparkle, but, as an advance warning to the Limbaugh fanatics and GOP doomsayers, I'd say so what? Obama is not a miracle maker and, hell, he will have tried. However, there's a stronger possibility that Chicago has little chance at all if he doesn't make the attempt.
And during it all he and the government will continue to perform any necessary actions. But this is a point the Republicans continuously deflect, because truth for them is lately in short supply.
Michael Russnow's website is www.ramproductionsinternational.com
Follow Michael Russnow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kerrloy
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Obama is a lightweight and worse.
Is this expensive circus supposed to distract the people of Chicago from the mess around them?
Give the US a boost?
Foreign visitors and newsreaders will see the homeless, the poverty. Or will we exile the people and hide them ?.
Mayor Daley
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Must have some information that motivated the President of the United States to lobby for the city of Chicago. Chicago politics come back to haunt perhaps?
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Posish!
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R/ PRONESE
At least during those 14 hrs you will know where he is and he can be contacted at a moments notice if he has to take a decision. Obama at least is not "hiking the old Appalachian trail" during his danish trip.
And I'd like to say to the mainstream media. aren't there more important things that you could be reporting on rather that the latest manifestation of faux outrage by the presidents Republican critics.
Stop being stenographers and go dig up some real news for God's sake!
And stop letting Fox News be the arbiter of what is and is not newsworthy.
Maybe it's too soon to judge this Administration as being short on substance. But it's not too soon to criticize it for sending the wrong symbols. With the overwhelming problems America faces it needs a President with his sleeves rolled up and taking care of business at home. If attending an emergency Olympic event overseas is a high priority perhaps Mr. Obama underestimates the plight of ordinary Americans and overestimates their patience.
The same ordinary Americans who withstood eight years of brush clearing in Crawford and birthday parties while katrina slammed new orleans.
So you are satisfied with 'a bit better than GWB'
most are not
WAKE UP PEOPLE! The Olympics has historically left host cities in financial ruin while pushing poor people out of their homes, strengthening police forces, increasing violations of civil liberties and human rights, as well as transferring public taxpayer money to the fascist corporations. If you think the Olympics is just a nice set of games, you are seriously delusional.
So why should Chicago, a city with a history of forced gentrification, police brutality, and government corruption be awarded the games? No one is speaking up for the actual people of Chicago!!! Mayor Daley has his hold on the media (who two weeks ago said 84% of Chicago does NOT want the games and is now reporting 74% DO want the games) who refused to report anything but rosy news. The $40 Million PR Campaign funded by Chicago's top corporations (Chicago 2016 led by crook Pat Ryan) has done an excellent job of telling the rest of the world that Chicago wants this thing. Trust me, we don't.
I'm really surprised more liberals aren't seeing through this Nazi-esque national pride for the Olympics...
I hate to agree with the right on anything, but this IS low on the totem pole. It's not important enough to draw all the fire he's getting over it. Never mind that the people of Chicago don't want it or need it.
It is what he does. He travels. He gives speeches. The traveling speech giving president who so far has done nothing more since being in office.
I have an idea for him. How about get out from the spotlight, read the 66 page report from your commander in Afghanistan (or better yet, talk to him since you have not done it in over 70 days) and quit fooling around with Letterman and heart shapped potato's.
WE HAVE BIGGER ISSUES TO DEAL WITH!
U.S. Commander of Afghanistan only talked to Obama Once »
http://politicalintegritynow.com/2009/09/u-s-commander-of-afghanistan-only-talked-to-obama-once/
I have a suggestion for you: Stop being a hater. Haters always hide behind one threat or another. They are mute when it comes to recognizing and articulating the positive improvements the economy has experienced under President Obama. Just put a sign on your butt that says, "I'm an Obama hater, just because..."
Damned if you do, damned if you don't, so you might as well do!
Much Ado About Nothing.
What happened to Obama saying a week and a half ago...
""I would make the case in Copenhagen personally, if I weren't so firmly committed to making real the promise of quality affordable health care for every American."
Repost; From another thread:
President Obama is the right person--but he is doing the wrong job. DON'T bring the Olympics to Chicago, or the USA.
We've hosted them often enough. Let's just take a breather, okay. We are already plenty well-known to the world.
Let's let somewhere else thrill with its "Beijing moment". Remember Barcelona? Mexico City? Athens? Give the world a chance.
The abomination of the Atlanta fiasco needn't be repeated here, again, so soon. Corporate overreach and the inevitable politicization of a process with the US President (or with FLOTUS as proxy) is also too much.
Just chill, America. POTUS, take up the myriad economic, social and political causes which you hold dear. Don't dissipate your impact by becoming embroiled in this mess...
Kids in the hood are bashing their heads open in the streets in Chicago. We have no money for this. AND, is Obama just opening himself up to get attacked if we dont get the games? Whats his upside? Nobody is going to be dancing in the streets if we get the games....yeah, cool, we get the games, but if we don't it makes him look weak. We should have sent Oprah and Michelle Obama.
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Wow, Sonny, you've got a lot of time on your hands, huh?
Are you kidding me? We don't have the money to properly fund necessary proper health care reform and people expect Chicago to pony up the cash for the olympics??
This is absolutely laughable
Why is an American city even in the running? For that matter, considering the global nature of this financial crisis, wouldn't it be the right thing to do to just cancel the event all together?
By the time 2016 comes, our economy will be booming as the Clinton years. Be patient, be positive, be nice to your own country.
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