Filed Under: Anything Peaceful
Tags: Barack Obama • Chicago Olympics • Desiree Rogers • Machine Politics • Mayor Daley • patronage • Valerie Jarrett
Barack Obama Stumping for the Olympics
For those of you who don’t live in Chicago and find yourself wondering why Barack Obama would take time off during a missile crisis, an economic recession, and an critical healthcare debate, just to go stump for the Olympics, let me explain.Barack Obama’s career is a project of the Richard M. Daley Machine. As such, it is subservient to Mayor Daley’s wants and right now, Daley has only one want: The Olympics. One of biggest issues surrounding Daley’s Olympic bid is the cost of adding new transportation lines to the cities aging rail infrastructure. No problem, Obama passes a stimulus bill that includes billions for high-speed rail centered in Chicago. Daley needs someone to close the deal? It’s really no surprise that Obama would go make the final pitch. It couldn’t be any other way.Let’s also remember that many in Obama’s inner circle are invested in the Olympics coming to Chicago. David Axelrod, a former advisor to Mayor Daley, sold his partnership in the consulting firm ASK Public Strategies after Obama was elected. One of ASK’s clients at the time of the sale was the Chicago 2016 Olympic committee. It seems pretty obvious the sale was an attempt to avoid the appearance of impropriety, but it isn’t as obvious whether that impropriety exists.Also reported is that Desiree Rogers, White House Social Secretary, has given $100,000 to the Olympic Committee. Valerie Jarrett, perhaps Obama’s closest advisor, also has deep ties to Mayor Daley and the Chicago machine.I am not suggesting there is any impropriety on the part of the President necessarily, but there are enough connections between the Daley Machine and the Obama Administration to have no naivety about what is going on.
Comment by Flavio Ortigao on 28 September 2009:
I am a supporter of Rio de Janeiro for host of the Olympic games. But I do understand that Obama should support the bid for Chicago. Olympics are a one in the lifetime opportunity to reshape a City landscape. The economic impact of realizing the games is enormous. The amount of investment it and the social glues it can catalize can have a lasting and profound effect on the City’s future development. These are exactly the reasons that I so whole hearty support the bid for Rio de Janeiro. Would tough fully understand the interest of Obama in wanting the same for Chicago.
Comment by Jacob Steelman on 28 September 2009:
United States Presidents all funnel money to their home states and hometowns as do all Members of Congress. Here in Australia the transparency is a bit more obvious since it is a smaller country. It is quite apparent that politicians like to play in the real estate game since they have the ability to control land and its use. The Olympics represents an opportunity to cash-in on real estate speculation since there is so much money utilized to develop the Olympic venues. This is just another example that politicians are not the benevolent altruistic individuals that some interest groups and political pundits like to paint them as being. At the end of the day the politicians use their power to obtain money just like any other human being who has to work for a living the only difference is the politicians are able to extract their money at the point of a gun – just like any bank robber or common thief.