United States 0-2 in world sports arena
The United States has now lost out on two huge world sporting events in the past two years. And in each instance to first-time winners.
It may be an unintended consequence of the fight against terrorism. The very security policies aimed at protecting the United States from attack, might be working to bench it in contests to host world sporting events due to some concerns that foreign fans, players, even officials may have trouble entering the United States for the games.
FIFA awarded the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, the smallest country ever to host the soccer finals, over competitors Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States.
President Barack Obama was clearly not pleased, telling reporters: ”I think it was the wrong decision.”
He had sent the top U.S. law enforcement official, Attorney General Eric Holder, to Zurich on Tuesday to help make a last-minute pitch in the bid to secure the soccer games for the United States and presumably to soothe any concerns over security.
At that time, a Justice Department spokesman said it was Holder’s goal “to make clear that the United States has the capacity to host a World Cup that is both secure and welcoming to the people of the world.”
It was the second smackdown in as many years for the United States in the sports sphere, and came after former President Bill Clinton and actor Morgan Freeman also helped try to make the case.
Obama Olympics Ouch!
So. What happened?
President Barack Obama dashed overnight to Copenhagen, waved the flag, praised everyone in sight, and came home with Nothing, Nada, Naught, Zero, Zip, Zilch (couldn’t find the Danish word or would have thrown that in too).
The Olympics Oracle, after much fumbling with the envelope, read the winner and Rio de Janeiro scooped up the 2016 Summer Games.
Chicago — the hometown for Obama, his wife, and close advisers like David Axelrod and Rahm Emanuel — was left out in the cold, not even making it to the T2 (Top Two).
Was it the unbridled enthusiasm in Rio for bringing home the Olympics, compared with the protesters from Chicago who didn’t want the games anywhere near their town?
“I think that the city of Chicago would have welcomed having the Olympics in 2016,” said State Department spokesman Ian Kelly, also a native of Chicago. “I don’t think this necessarily demonstrates that Chicago is not a welcoming place.”
Was it the warmer welcome from Brazil to international travelers, compared with the post-9/11 U.S. security consciousness?
I THINK HE SHOULD BE MORE WORRIED ABOUT WHATS GOING ON IN OUR COUNTRY. HE SHOULD NOT BE ENVOLVED AT ALL IN THE OLYMPICS.I DON’T FEEL HE IS DOING A VERY GOOD JOB FOR WE TAXPAYERS.
Obama as Jedi knight? George Lucas knew it all along
If you’re one of those folks suspicious that maybe, just maybe, President Barack Obama is a Jedi knight, the photos from the White House lawn Wednesday must have been eye-opener.
There he stood, white shirt and tie, brandishing a blue light saber like a true Jedi master.
Speculation has been rife in certain circles. After all, with former Vice President Dick Cheney dubbed “Darth Vader,” people were bound to look for other politicians able to tap the power of the Force.
“Star Wars” creator George Lucas poured fuel on the fire more than a year ago, telling The Washington Examiner it was “reasonably obvious” Obama would be a Jedi.
Since then there have been Photoshopped images of Obama with a light saber, animated cartoons of him performing feats of Jedi mind control and more.
The photos Wednesday — at an event promoting the Olympic Games — led to a whole new burst of Internet creativity.
One picture was edited to portray Obama dueling Republican Representative Joe Wilson, who famously shouted “You lie!” during the president’s healthcare address to a joint session of Congress.
Luke tried to have peaceful discussions with the known gangster Jabba the Hutt and got tossed in the rancor pit, and then sentenced to the sarlac.
Hopefully, Obama Wan’s diplomacy works out better.
Obama brings the Olympics to the White House
President Obama deeply disappointed his hometown Chicago when he announced that he would not go to Copenhagen next month to personally make the city’s case for hosting the 2016 Olympics, so he and first lady Michelle Obama, who is going in his stead, on Wednesday brought the Olympics to the White House instead.
Former Olympic and paralympic athletes, Chicago officials and local schoolchildren attended the event on the White House lawn, where the president and first lady both spoke and watched judo and gymnastic demonstrations. The president even joined in with some of the athletes, earning a gentle jibe from his wife.
“You should have seen the president in there fencing,” she said. “It was pathetic, but he passed the baton really well.”
Obama said he was too busy working on healthcare reform to travel to Copenhagen on Oct. 2 to lobby the International Olympic Committee, but offered an excuse.
“The good news is I’m sending a more compelling superstar to represent the city and country we love, and that is our first lady, Michelle Obama,” he said.
Michelle Obama is hugely popular — her approval ratings exceed her husband’s, which have sunk as he works to push through his sweeping healthcare plan — and it is speculated that she may make the trip to Copenhagen with Oprah WInfrey, the Chicago talk show host and media magnate who is consistently rated one of the most popular and admired Americans. But proponents of the city’s bid worry they will not be enough, as the other three finalists are all sending their heads of state to make their cases to the IOC.
King Juan Carlos of Spain is traveling to Denmark to argue on behalf of Madrid. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is making the case for Rio. Japan is sending its new prime minister and its royal family for Tokyo, backers of Chicago’s bid note bitterly.
Politics is an interesting part of life. The president has time to play on the lawn at the White House but not to go and make a bid for Chicago. I don’t see it as a huge deal but his excuse of being to busy with the health care issue is nothing more than a ploy to draw attention to it. With email, phones, teleconferences and every other way that we have to communicate this is a lame excuse and again a way to draw more attention to the Health Care Issue which seems to be all that there is right now. I wonder how are guys in Iraq and Afghanistan are doing?
The History Man
http://wwwhistoryman.blogspot.com/
Do Americans have ‘Obama fatigue?’
CHICAGO – Are the magazine cover stories on Barack Obama and the blanket coverage of him on television and in newspapers creating voter “fatigue” with the candidate?
A Pew poll released this week suggests the Democratic presidential candidate may be overexposed and Obama himself did not disagree when asked about it on his campaign plane on Thursday.
Forty-eight percent of voters in the Pew survey said they have been “hearing too much” about Obama. By contrast, only 26 percent said they had heard too much about McCain.
Asked during a flight to Chicago whether there was “Obama fatigue,” the Democrat told reporters, “We are going to correct that this week, hopefully with your help.” Obama leaves on Friday for a week-long trip to Hawaii, where he grew up and where the grandmother who helped to raise him still lives.
Obama plans to spend as much of the time as possible out of the limelight as he takes a break from the campaign trail with his wife, two daughters and some family friends. Most of his aides are remaining at his Chicago campaign headquarters. His vacation coincides with the start of the Summer Olympics in Beijing. He will be back in the spotlight in the run-up to the Aug. 25-28 Democratic convention in Denver.
“We had the longest primary in history. And so I can imagine that folks need a break from politics and they didn’t really get one like they normally do,” Obama said.
“I think that the majority of people have been fed a constant stream of political chatter and I’m sure that having a couple weeks off and enjoying the Olympics is probably what the doctor ordered for everybody,” he added.
“OBama bin Lying” maybe untrustworthy and he maybe the antichrist! Maybe? We have no history to tell us who he really is all that we know is that he is constantly disavowing everybody and everything in his life. It stated with his name when he changed it to Barry and then when it was “cool” with his friends to be black he changed it to Barack. He disavows his father and then his mother. He went from being of mixed descent to being black. After 20+ years of supporting a Pastor he disavows him when his teachings finally become public. He first went to this church just because it was the largest congregation in his district so probably his faith is only political too? He says one thing to this group and then turns and says the opposite to the next. I would never follow him into any battle. HE CANNOT BE TRUSTED!
