WHY IS THE PRESIDENT GOING TO COPENHAGEN TO LOBBY FOR THE OLYMPICS?
President Obama has decided to personally attend the International Olympic Committee meeting in Copenhagen this week in order to make a presentation in support of Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 summer games.
President Barack Obama, who initially planned to let First Lady Michelle Obama represent the United States in Copenhagen this week, when the International Olympic Committee chooses a site for the 2016 summer games, plans to travel there too.
The White House, which earlier had announced that an advance team was headed 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 travel to Copenhagen Thursday night, and return following the Friday meeting. The first lady plans to travel Tuesday, and meet with individual members of the IOC on Wednesday and Thursday to make Chicago’s case for the games. The president will join her at the full committee meeting on Friday.
What in the wide, wide world of sports is going on here?
It’s not like the president doesn’t have anything to do, nothing important on his plate at the moment, right?
* An economy that, despite administration claims, is not recovering in any meaningful way and is in severe danger of slipping back into crisis.
* An ongoing, vital review of our policy in Afghanistan with the commanding general threatening to resign unless he gets a massive infusion of troops. The president has asked General McChrystal to “wait” - now we know why.
* The very day he leaves for Copenhagen, a representative of the United States government will sit down for talks with Iran about the future peace of the world and Iran’s ambitions with regard to building a nuclear weapon - a supposed centerpiece to his policy of engagement.
* His continuing problems with his own party in trying to get health care reform passed.
Why was his wife’s importunings to the IOC not good enough? What could possibly have possessed the president to put some of these other, demonstrably more important activities on the back burner and go to Copenhagen and personally lobby the super-annuated, corrupt, and cynical IOC members to bring the Olympics to Chicago and create a bonanza of “pay to play” and other schemes to enrich Daley cronies and perpetrate the obscenity that is the Democratic political machine in Illinios?
In a word, payback.
All through December of 2007, Obama and Daley danced around each other’s political ambitions, each wanting the other’s endorsement - neither wanting to pay too high a price. They met several times at City Hall, feeling each other out about both the efficacy of such endorsements as well as the timing.
For Obama’s part, any endorsement of the corrupt Daley would tarnish his “reform” credentials - a crucial element of his eventual “hope and change” mantra. Obama trotted out these “outside the machine” bona fides whenever it suited him politically. The real Chicago reformers never trusted him - with good cause. He had been known to back machine candidates in the past, stiffing his “friends” in the reform movement.
But Obama was trying to preempt Daley from staying “neutral” which would have helped Hillary Clinton who at the time was a prohibitive favorite to win. The Daley family had very close ties to the Clintons with the Mayor’s brother Bill having served in the Clinton administration as Commerce Secretary and also run Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign. Bill Daley’s rolodex of heavy hitter contributors was the stuff of legend among Democratic politicians.
But Daley was playing coy. He had never endorsed a presidential candidate in a primary before and just because Obama had close ties to the city, didn’t mean he would abandon that tradition. But Daley was also in a spot of political trouble. Hizzoner’s biggest fear was that the reformers would find an attractive minority candidate to run against him in the Democratic primary.
Now Daley prided himself on his cultivation of the large and politically active Hispanic community in Chicago, as well as his stroking of the South Side black community. But a re-election endorsement from the most prominent African American politician in the state would pretty much seal the deal and assure him of another term in office.
Arguably, Daley would be doing the relative unknown Obama much the bigger favor. Hence, the dance for mutual endorsements ended when Daley gave the nod to what appeared to be the hopelessly outclassed Obama within hours of his announcement that he was seeking the presidency. This followed Obama’s own endorsement of Daley that occurred three weeks previously that dripped with a cynicism worthy of any hard bitten machine pol. Obama actually congratulated Daley for his efforts to clean up the city - less than 6 months after two of Hizzoner’s closest aides were convicted in a patronage scheme.
The rest is history. At the time, Daley was probably the best known national Democratic figure to support Obama’s candidacy. And the fact that Bill Daley, with his trusty Rolodex, was installed as one of Obama’s most important advisors was equally significant.
So now it’s payback time as the president travels to Copenhagen to try and get the biggest payoff for the Chicago machine in its long and sorry history. The several hundred million dollars that gravitated to the city and state in stimulus money will be seen in retrospect as a pittance compared to the opportunities for Cook County, Chicago, and Illinois politicians to garner a potential several billion dollar windfall. The opportunities for graft, featherbedding, pay to play, kickbacks, and other business as usual practices of the machine that reward friends, punish enemies, keep the mob happy, and keep the machine’s loyalists in power will be beyond counting.
The machine will benefit through spending to construct the Olympic village, run concessions, realize a fortune in extra taxes imposed on hotels and motels, restaurants, bars, and other travel industry businesses, and generally prosper from the hundreds of thousands of visitors expected in the city during the course of the games.
For starters, as Crain’s reports, let’s take the construction of the Olympic Village:
Chicago and the Obama administration are exploring ways the federal government can bolster the city’s bid for the 2016 Olympic Games with financial support for the $1-billion Olympic Village.
Crain’s has learned that senior presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett and Lori Healey, president of the Chicago 2016 committee, met this month with top officials of the Department of Housing and Urban Development to discuss financing options for the village, the single biggest project — and question mark — in the city’s bid.
The main hurdle facing Chicago is coming up with a long-range plan for an Olympic Village that is commercially viable while meeting objectives of existing HUD programs that could be tapped for funds, such as low-income housing tax credits and grants or loan guarantees for community development, affordable housing or housing for seniors.
“I think it’s premature to talk about what the funding might be,” says Ms. Jarrett, a former co-chair of Chicago 2016 and city planning commissioner who now heads White House efforts to help Chicago’s bid. “A proposal has not been made to the federal government, but the administration is not closing the door” on anything, she adds. The administation “obviously (is) willing to meet and listen.”
Hat Tip: John Ruberry
Lastly - and this is pure speculation with a little partisan twist thrown in - my observing Obama these many years has convinced me that there are few politicians who have such an inflated opinion of their own worth. Obama presiding over the Olympics in 2016 - his last few months in office if he wins reelection - would be his own crowning achievement (and Daley’s ticket to immortality as well as the signature achievement of his family’s 50 year domination of Chicago politics). I think there is a significant element of narcissism in all of this which makes his abandonment of Washington at this crucial time appear even more of a selfish act.
I don’t see much in the way of questioning whether this trip is necessary from too many people - press or pundits. Then again, what would you expect?
UPDATE
Byron York and I are on the same wavelength today.
Michelle Malkin has two additions to the Culture of Corrpution - Olympics Edition.
Malkin also had a piece last week that Ed Lasky pointed me to that has Valerie Jarrett standing to make millions on selling some rat infested apartments.
Gee, so nice we have a president with…PRIORITIES!
What a joke. Our country is going down the tubes, and this yahoo President goes to Copenhagen to lobby for the Olympics in Chicago. And apparently, the people in Chicago DON’T WANT it.
Puke. Libs…I do not understand how you can support this imbecile. You all must be drinking some strong koolaid.
Comment by Charlotte — 9/28/2009 @ 9:28 am
Too bad he doesn’t have some brush to clear out for the weekend…. or maybe he could go to that bastion of civility and the place that represents “middle american values” so well….Belleville, IL.
Comment by Mike — 9/28/2009 @ 9:32 am
So now we’re a Third World country unable to afford to host the Olympics.
Check.
No - not check. You just set up an unbelievable strawman. Please point out the specific wording in this piece that says we can’t afford the Olympics. Chicago can do whatever it damn well pleases but let’s draw the line at placing the burden for financing Daley’s glory on the backs of people who don’t live there.
Or perhaps you have no qualms about enriching the most corrupt political machine in the country with not only money stolen from their own citizens but from taxpayers elsewhere?
Go on - defend them. Makes you look like the hack you are.
ed.
Comment by Richard bottoms — 9/28/2009 @ 10:13 am
In terms of running the government, I’m actually not particularly worried about the trip. AF1 and other support equipment will make sure that the President stays in touch with anything of real importance. The opening talks with Iran are not supposed to involve the President directly; any lobbying on Congress the President feels the need to do can be done over AF1 and other satellite uplinks (lobbying is not even classified information) and what, exactly, would the President’s personal presence in the White House for a 48 hour period do to help revive the economy or improve war prospects in Afghanistan anyway? Bernanke and the JCS both probably would like it just fine if the President left them alone to do their jobs.
No, the real issue is not running the Administration — the real issue is debasing the office of the Presidency to lobby for a vanity project like the Chicago Olympics in the first place. Rick is absolutely right to point out that the corrupt Chicago political machine is a good match for the corrupt IOC process and if Obama wanted to steer clear of getting caught up in that web of corruption, he would have been well-advised to have taken the day off to hang out at Camp David instead.
As for the first, I agree that as a practical and realistic matter, the presidency and those issues will not suffer in the slightest.
But symbolically? Obama off to take care of a routine political chore while he has a pretty full plate at home is, as I said, selfish. Expected cash bonanza to American business as a result of having the Olympics here is going to be no more than $3-4 billion - an unworthy sum for a president who is running a $1.8 trillion deficit to worry about. You are right, this is just not that important of an issue - unless you feel it necessary to pay back a political debt.
ed.
Comment by Transplanted Lawyer — 9/28/2009 @ 10:25 am
Has there ever been a US Olympics in history that was financed 100% by the city that hosted it and zero taxpayer dollars? And no, the Salt Lake City Games weren’t either before you go there:
Why did you change the subject? The issue at hand was your lying contention that I said we couldn’t afford the Olympics. I called you out. You change the subject without a word. That means I won, and you lost big time. In fact, you were never in the game since your comment was total bullshit anyway - as you well know.
Now I remember why I have banned your ass at least twice. You are the very definition of a troll - not interested in engaging in debate but simply throwing out wildly exaggerated notions of what I’ve written and when I respond, changing the subject so fast a reasonable person’s head spins.
Unless you reform, you will be banned again.
ed.
Comment by Richard bottoms — 9/28/2009 @ 10:25 am
http://astuteblogger.blogspot.com/2009/09/obama-to-attend-olympic-vote-astute.html
THIS IS JUST AS RELIAPUNDIT PREDICTED - AND RELIAPUNDIT WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN THE BLOGOSPHERE OR THE MSM OR ANYWHERE ELSE TO DO SO:
Thursday, September 24, 2009
A WAGER: DESPITE THE ECONOMY, THE WEAK DOLLAR, THE OBAMACARE CRISIS, I BETCHYA BARRY HUSSEIN OBAMA JUNIOR GOES TO COPENHAGEN
I bet you Obama goes because the Chicago Machine stands to make a billion off the Olympics:
Obama May Head to Copenhagen, After All
The White House, after initially saying that President Obama was too busy with overhauling the health insurance system to commit to going to Copenhagen to push for Chicago’s 2016 Olympic bid, now says that he “absolutely” might go.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters aboard Mr. Obama’s flight to Pittsburgh from New York on Thursday that an advance team has departed the United States for Copenhagen “to preserve the option for the President to visit Copenhagen and lend his voice to America’s bid for the 2016 Olympics.” But, he added, no final decisions have been made.
Administration officials said privately that Mr. Obama could go if he thought that his presence would tip the favor for Chicago.
Mr. Gibbs said that First Lady Michelle Obama will be in Copenhagen to push for Chicago, whether Mr. Obama goes or not.
The trip, if it happens, would be next Friday, and would likely be a quick in-and-out trip, administration officials said
Obama serves the Machine first and leftist ideology second. America doesn’t come in the top ten.
- Posted by Reliapundit @ 6:11 PM ; Permalink;
http://astuteblogger.blogspot.com/2009/09/wager-despite-economy-weak-dollar.html
Comment by reliapundit — 9/28/2009 @ 10:57 am
“So now we’re a Third World country unable to afford to host the Olympics.”
We are a great country whose Third World-mindset President is focussed on trivia, rather than letting mayors and Governors take the lead on a third-tier item like that.
This is the administrative equivalent of wearing bling. All flash, no substance, no class.
Comment by Freedoms Truth — 9/28/2009 @ 11:03 am
Certainly no other world leader world lower himself to lobby for an Olympics.
Except:
So cut the crap. You just hate the president.
Comment by Richard bottoms — 9/28/2009 @ 11:18 am
Ever since a team of local boosters in Atlanta snatched away the 1996 Olympics from Athens, the semi-annual process of selecting the next host country has been gradually transformed into a global leader begging and bribing festival. While I agree that President Obama shouldn’t be pulling strings for us in Copenhagen, its hard to blame him when Putin and Blair personally helped win the next 2 Olympic locals by appearing in person at the selection committee meetings.
Comment by Surabaya Stew — 9/28/2009 @ 12:01 pm
Actually for some folks, it appears not hard at all to blame and denigrate him for doing exactly what he ought to be doing which competing in the marketplace for the prestige and tourist dollars of this event.
Comment by Richard bottoms — 9/28/2009 @ 12:18 pm
Maybe this all just political payback. Or maybe this is just the head of state trying to use the prestige of their office to land a major event.
Speaking for myself, if Bush had flown off to Copenhagen to get the Olympics for, say, Houston, I can’t say that I’d be upset. It’s not like he’s using the public money for partisan gain. There’s a lot of things I dislike Bush for, but that would have been waaaaaay down the list.
Comment by IanY77 — 9/28/2009 @ 12:59 pm
Ain’t no ’bout a doubt it.
~ GCS
Comment by Richard bottoms — 9/28/2009 @ 1:19 pm
“So cut the crap. You just hate the president.”
Cut the crap yourself. As I said, I would expect a Third World President to do this, but Obama’s misplacing his priorities and lowering USA to the level of Brazil in the process of grovelling for this. Who cares if Rio takes the 2016 Olympics? Who cares if da Silva has nothing more important? We arent Brazil! And Putin’s a bad model on anything.
Japan’s PM was giving a *sendoff* to the delegation…. “The Tokyo Olympic bid committee, led by city governor Shintaro Ishihara, has been seeking to have Hatoyama pitch their bid in Copenhagen but the prime minister did not indicate if he would travel there.”
What a concept! A *delegation*, led by a Governor (oh Wait, Blago isn’t available right now). Maybe they should send that Democrat Statesman Senator Burris (oh wait, he’s a ‘pay to play’ guy). Maybe Obama’s going because anyone else would have the stink of the Chicago Machine. Funny, but they are his friends. Doesnt he trust them to do anything on their own?
Meanwhile, Obama’s only talked to the Afghan commander ONCE in 70 days.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/back-story/2009/sep/28/us-commander-of-afghanistan-only-talked-to-obama-o/
Obviously, to you and the President, the hundreds of American soldiers dying in Afghanistan this year in a war we are starting to lose now is of lesser importance than the bling of Chicago getting an Olympics down the road.
Priorities, my man, Priorities!
Comment by Freedoms Truth — 9/28/2009 @ 1:37 pm
Or maybe it’s a way to bring millions of tourists and billions of Euros, Yuan, Yen and Swiss Francs to the US.
Obviously that lacks a conspiratorial or partisan air.
Far better to let Spain, Brazil or Japan soak up American tourist dollars.
Comment by michael reynolds — 9/28/2009 @ 1:40 pm
And obviously you can’t conceive of a president who likes to think about things instead of going with his gut.
George Bush had seven years to find a strategy for Afghanistan. Obama must of course undo GW goat screw in seven months of be deemed a failure.
And since he’s not in bed by 9pm every night or spending weeks at a time clearing brush at a fantasy-land ranch, he actually can handle more than one problem at a time. Even without the Cheney training wheels.
Comment by Richard bottoms — 9/28/2009 @ 1:44 pm
Richard:
I’m not sure you understand: the Right has a quota of at least one item of manufactured outrage per week. Without nonsense like this they might start thinking about actual issues. Which would not turn out well for the party of Glen Beck.
Comment by michael reynolds — 9/28/2009 @ 1:57 pm
“…the Right has a quota of at least one item of manufactured outrage per week. Without nonsense like this they might start thinking about actual issues. Which would not turn out well for the party of Glen Beck.”
Bingo!
The lack of outrage on your part and Micheal’s and Richard’s that hundreds of millions of dollars is going to end up in the pockets of mobsters, and their political friends, and the most corrupt political machine in America if the olympics comes there is quite telling. It is obvious you are ignorant of Chicago and its stinking corruption. Or maybe, you endorse it. That’s the only conclusion one can draw from your excusing the president’s promotion of this two bit sideshow while what’s happening in the real world demands his attention.
btw - the pittance of a few billion dollars should not engage the leader of a nation that sports a $13 trillion economy. That’s nuts. It is, as transplanted lawyer says above, a sideshow and beneath the dignity of the office.
ed.
Comment by Moltenorb — 9/28/2009 @ 3:38 pm
Certainly one could assume the president would be completely cut off from communications while traveling inside the flying military command center that is Air Force One and that anything that distracted him from an early retiring to bed would tax his constitution.
But I wouldn’t.
Yes stinking corruption is the exclusive province of Chicago and no other city has such problems.
1. I deleted your violation of copyrighted material.
2. So you are saying that New York is bidding for the olympics too? I was unaware of this. New York is not in line to receive a couple of billion for the olympics which shows that you are truly befuddled by what my argument is. Chicago is corrupt. Chicago is receiving the olympic money. Obama is going to Denmark to promote the corrupt city of Chicago’s bid to get the olympics. I would hope even a simpleminded hack like you could understand it now. Your bringing New York corruption into the discussion was just plain weird.
3. Of course Obama can stay in communication with anyone and everyone. Why I must repeat everything twice to you means that either you are extraordinarily dense or you were dropped on your head as a child. The problem is one of perception - Obama dropping everything to attend to a matter that is not worth the weight he is attaching to it.
4. I don’t expect you to answer any of these points but rather to raise additional strawmen. So I would simply request that you not visit this site and comment anymore since I don’t want to make the effort to go to my C-Panel and open the file to ban you. You just aren’t worth the extra mouse clicks.
ed.
Comment by Richard bottoms — 9/28/2009 @ 4:14 pm
The objections in some comments may be overblown, but Rick’s main point seems to stand up: why is the POTUS personally pleading for Chicago if not for some political — or sentimentally personal — reason, hardly an important matter of state.
Sure, Brazil wants it badly, but there has never been an Olympics in Brazil. Indeed, the modern Olympics has been held only once in all of Latin America — in Mexico in 1968.
Somewhat along the same lines, the next Winter Games will be only the second Olympics in Russia — and the first in 1980 was a half-run thing.
But Olympic Games have been held in the US four times in the past 30 years. We can hardly claim neglect or demand recognition as a nation or a region. We can only clamor for the business the games will bring to one of our cities — with our President, formerly thought of as the leader of the Western world, playing the role of chief lobbyist.
I think it demeans his office, and frankly makes us look piggish. Why should we not feel good about the Games in South America for the first time — except for the loss to Richie Daley?
As for all those who belittle qualms about the President appearing to spend time very publicly on a matter that isn’t nearly as important as some others, the issue isn’t whethet he has enough time or bandwidth (although one shouldn’t shrug off that concern). The issue is whether a leader conveys priorities, as they should be.
Comment by John Burke — 9/28/2009 @ 4:52 pm
I read this post and thought this may actually be one where a liberal cannot find something to bash Bush about, that it might just be possible they could go one time without making some stupid degrading unrelated comment about Bush.
But I was wrong.
Comment by Alarm1201 — 9/28/2009 @ 5:00 pm
A few have clearly missed the main thrust of this post - political payback and its ramifications. The issue of the President going or not going is a minor debate without much consequence. The WHY of the President going is a debate with significant consequence.
Would Obama be making this trip if the bid WAS for Houston?
Comment by sota — 9/28/2009 @ 5:17 pm
Rick says:
“It is obvious you are ignorant of Chicago and its stinking corruption.”
Not at all Rick…I’m aware of the history of political corruption in Chicago…I’d just rather see America win…Why would you want to see America lose?
Then Rick says:
“btw - the pittance of a few billion dollars should not engage the leader of a nation that sports a $13 trillion economy. That’s nuts.”
What’s really nuts is anyone who can call billions of dollars a “pittance” under any circumstances…it borders on elitism..
If Obama cut 3 billion dollars from the Pentagon budget, would it still be a “pittance” to you??
Then:
“Of course Obama can stay in communication with anyone and everyone.”
“The problem is one of perception - Obama dropping everything to attend to a matter that is not worth the weight he is attaching to it.”
If “the problem is one of perception”…Maybe it’s your perception of it that’s one of the problems Rick…Maybe the whole matter is worth less weight than you’re attaching to it.
The only people “perceiving” this as a “problem” are those folks on the right…The international community doesn’t perceive this to be a problem, most Americans don’t perceive this to be a problem…You yourself admit that it’s not going to effect Obamas governing ability..
It’s just another one of those perception problems that people have when they’re in the opposition camp…that’s all
So now we’re down to the perception that gangsters and corrupt politicians may line their pockets with some of this Olympic cash…and we both know that would happen in any city, in any country..
So that brings us to the final perception on the right that corrupt lefty politicians will be reaping benefit from this…and that’s the core of this story..
Rick:
“Chicago is corrupt. Chicago is receiving the olympic money. Obama is going to Denmark to promote the corrupt city of Chicago’s bid to get the olympics.”
Look on the bright side Rick…at least now you have satellite tv to watch the games on..
Comment by Moltenorb — 9/28/2009 @ 6:13 pm
Easy answer, Rick. This is fun and all that other stuff is hard.
Comment by MochaLite — 9/28/2009 @ 6:22 pm
Michael Reynolds is spot on, the right has to feed their jones of a faux outrage every week. This is because they have a base that craves some kind of red meat to go on living. Public relations wise I’d probably advise the president to stay home, but I wouldn’t throw a hissy if he went.
Comment by Joe — 9/28/2009 @ 6:25 pm
He hasn’t talked to the commander of forces in Afghanistan for two monthsd, but he will go to pleasure Daley. It is just another way of getting in the spotlight. America elected a rock star and the concert has started but the act is getting old.
Comment by native Son — 9/28/2009 @ 7:01 pm
On April 14, 2007, Chicago was selected by the United States Olympic Committee as the United States Bid City, and on June 4, 2008, the IOC named Chicago as one of four finalists to host the 2016 Olympic games.
Here’s my theory..
According to unnamed experts with inside knowledge, a fortune teller told president Bush that Obama would be elected president next, so he got the Cheney assassination team to strong arm Peter Ueberroth into guaranteeing that Chicago would be the bid city, knowing full well that this would be the impetus for right wing blogs to crush the Obama presidency with accusations of corruption, resulting in a resounding wins for republicans in 2010 and 2012.
Conspiracy hatched!
Comment by Moltenorb — 9/28/2009 @ 7:26 pm
Faux outrage! That is rich. Especially coming from the party that is renewing the “vast right wing conspiracy” to explain their ineptitude and troubles.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45_09YojZYk
And Reynolds why don’t to clam up about Beck being the head of our party. I think the last I read 2.6 million people watch Beck, 3 million when he had Palin. Half of them are probably closet dems with a sense of humor. And it’s fraction of the idiots sucking at Soro’s money teat and swooning over Moore’s latest pack of lies.
Comment by Alarm1201 — 9/28/2009 @ 8:20 pm
[...] Rick Moran should be the Press Secretary, as he has a handle on why Barack Obama feels the need to travel to Copenhagen. In a word, [...]
Pingback by J’s Cafe Nette » It’s Good To Know This Is One Time There Is No Need To Apologize For America — 9/28/2009 @ 11:07 pm
Does anybody know the over/under bet on the murder count of tourists who accidentally wander down to the south side during the Olympics? If it’s 4, I’ll take over, if 6, I’ll take under.
Unless they quarantine the south side, sort of like “Escape from New York”. Except it’s Chicago.
Or lift the gun ban, so its not only the crooks that have them.
Comment by lionheart — 9/29/2009 @ 5:47 am
Go. Stay. It really doesn’t matter, if we win the bid it will be because of King Obama’s brilliant strategy ability. If we lose, well then, he will make it the fault of the Bush administration or better yet he’ll blame it on America itself and schedule another global apology tour complete with an announcement that he plans to send the whole US population to bed without dinner every Friday night for the next 3 years.
Comment by tarkyo — 9/29/2009 @ 8:17 pm
[...] Sic Semper Tyrannis - “Not their kind of town, Chicago!” Cicagoray’s Views and News - “Well, The 2016 Bid Is Officially In…And The Winner Is…RIO” Chicago Argus - “Nerves can relax by High Noon” QandO - “It Is Not Chicago!” Political Castaway Blog - “Rio 2018″ Pambie - “Like a burr under my blanket” Right Wing Nut House - “Why is the President Going to Copenhagen to Lobby for the Olympics?” [...]
Pingback by 2016 Olympics (a Political Blog Weekly special) | U.S. Common Sense — 10/4/2009 @ 3:01 am