No one ever really thought that President Obama would not travel at the last moment to Denmark for some high style diplomacy to insure that Chicago might have the Olympic Games in 2016. The President has every right, and I think a duty, to work tirelessly for an Olympic bid. In addition for the national gain comes the fact that Chicago is his home, and the pride inherit in that alone is more than enough reason to work for this prize. I have not yet heard any carping about this trip. I hope I have not missed something, but instead just trust that it is not ‘out there’. This is an American moment that can be won, and President Obama is the man to bring this victory our way. His personality and skill with people make this trip a must-do’, and all of us wish him well.
If Chicago wins, so does Wisconsin.
Madison is due to become a cycling hub of the 2016 Games, with the time trial, road cycling and mountain biking events held in and around the capital, and the city serving as a base for the cycling competitors.
So this is important for President Obama to travel to Denmark.
He will join his wife, Michelle, and other administration members at the International Olympic Committee meeting in the Danish capital on Thursday.
Chicago faces opposition from Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo in the vote.
Brazilian, Spanish and Japanese leaders are also expected to lobby IOC delegates at the meeting.
He will be joined on Friday by Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who are both from Illinois.
“President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama symbolise the hope, opportunity and inspiration that make Chicago great, and we are honoured to have two of our city’s most accomplished residents leading our delegation in Copenhagen,” Chicago Mayor Richard M Daley said on Monday.
“Who better to share with members of the International Olympic Committee the commitment and enthusiasm Chicago has for the Olympic and Paralympic Movement,” he added.
CAFFEINATED POLITICS 
I hope Chicago gets the games!
Scruffy: If Chicago get the games, please feel free to move to Cook County and help the property tax payers pay for this boondoggle. Chicago will become a “Disneyland” of patronage jobs, patronage vendors, political cronyism and graft.
84% of the people in Chicago do not want the Olympics for this reason.
The only thing it will accomplish is to bring Richie Daley’s wet dream to life.
Olympics in Rio 2016.
http://www.chicagoansforrio.com/
FG writes….”Chicago will become a “Disneyland” of patronage jobs, patronage vendors, political cronyism and graft.”
I ask……and this will be different from any other day in Chicago?
With the 2016 Olympics in play the corruption and cronyism will be as Chef Emeril Lagasse says “Kicked up a notch.”
The City of Chicago currently has a $500 million budget gap. Chicago public schools are being closed and the CTA is crumbling. The city is staggering from one budget crisis to the next – and the Mayor’s Office is already predicting that the 2010 budget will be worse than 2009.
Meanwhile, Chicago’s City Council has put the taxpayers on the hook for any cost overruns that would occur if the city gets the Olympics. And Olympics and cost overruns go hand in hand. Currently, the City of Vancouver, host of the 2012 Winter Olympics is on the hook for $6 billion in Olympics cost overruns – which may bankrupt the city. The 2012 Summer Games in London are 4-times over budget, with a total bill of at least $20 billion.
So, Mr. H., can you address the comment by FG? A lot of Chicagoans don’t want the Olympics. Historic buildings will be torn down and the games would probably cost the city billions. It’s really easy to sit back and make fun of the Machine, but how about addressing the issues that the commenter brought up? It’s really easy to sit back and talk about Obama’s “duty” when you have nothing to lose by the games coming to Chicago.
I do not agree with FG’s assumptions. I think all summer games have a track record of being profitable. I also know there are always those who will bark about whatever is proposed be it a highway, power line or in this case the Olympics. There are many economic models that show Chicago will benefit from this grand production. They are the ones that all cities wish they could produce to have such an event. The games will be needed to be played somewhere. The publicity and money the city will gain will far out-weigh those who claim otherwise. I truly think that will be the case if Chicago were to have them occur there.
I also think it will have national appeal too. Midwestern city famous for so much will have THE OLYMPICS! The naysayers will calm down after this deal is struck I think and the cement starts being poured and the jobs starts being filled…….This is a winning hand for Chicago!
Deke, I agree. If it’s done right, the Olympics could really help. Of course, we’ve seen other cities in the past screw it up royally…