Chicago Throws Hat Into Ring(s)

Pound suggests Chicago mayor try twisting Obama's arm ahead of IOC vote

(NEWSER) - President Obama's absence will definitely be noticed as the International Olympic Committee meets to pick the host city for the 2016 Olympics, IOC member Dick Pound tells AP. "I don't think there's an IOC member on the planet who wouldn't love to meet your president. He's a transformational figure in the world today," said Pound, a Canadian. Obama, a vocal backer of Chicago's bid, has said he is too busy with health care legislation to attend the Copenhagen meeting, but that Michelle Obama will be there. More»

Golfers, ruggers seek Olympic gold in 2016 for first time in 100 years or more

(NEWSER) - Medals for golf and rugby will be awarded at the 2016 Olympics for the first time in a century or more. The IOC voted today to reinstate the sports for the Rio de Janeiro games and provisionally accepted them for the 2020 Olympiad. Golf has not been played at the Olympics since its first appearance, in 1904, and ruggers haven’t been able to seek gold since 1924. The vote was 63-27 for golf, 81-8 for rugby, the AP notes. More»

(NEWSER) - It's a big disappointment for Chicago, but how big a hit was yesterday's Olympic Committee put-down of the US's 2016 bid for the president, who stuck his neck out to go to bat for it? Of course Rush Limbaugh said it was huge, the "worst day" of Obama's presidency, and Obama had "wasted his country's time, and his prestige." Democrats, even some who advised against the trip, said it was "a stumble, not a fall," and the president should get points for trying. More»

IOC shows us the world still likes to thumb its nose at American power

(NEWSER) - The first-round knockout of Chicago’s Olympic bid speaks to an unpleasant fact, writes Mike Lopresti: “A lot of people out there don't like us. They don't care if President Obama is eloquent and the first lady is charming.” If it had come down to just Chicago and Rio, with South America never having hosted the games before, that would’ve been one thing. But “to be the first city eliminated speaks to something deeper. This was a repudiation.” More»

1-2 punch of job stats, Olympic decision gets a third stage

(NEWSER) - From worse-than-expected unemployment numbers to Chicago’s foiled Olympic bid, today was a lousy day for America, but Republicans reacted as if Christmas had come early. Soon after the jobs numbers hit, Glenn Thrush of Politico got a slew of GOP press releases. “Rep. Mike Pence literally hit the send button at 8:30 am, the moment the announcement” hit, says Thrush. More»