King of the World

Well, tomorrow Uncle Barack heads to Copenhagen to meet up with his wife Michelle, Oprah and other various folks trying to get the International Olympic Committee to award the 2016 summer games to Chicago. What timing, eh? Chi-town trying to get the games while this guy is the pres. Amazing.

I hear that the town itself is pretty much split on the issue. No surprise there. It was almost the same here in Salt Lake City for the 2002 winter games. I was one of those opposed. I would guess that the reasons are similar for the residents of Chicago. Sure it will create a short lived economic boom, but the games don't seem to pay for themselves anymore. With each passing set of games, it only seems to be about outdoing the last ones. Hotels, restaurants and transport companies get fat, but the regular folks just have to put up with the hassle for about six weeks. Downtown here was a nightmare for that amount of time. I can't imagine what it would be for Chicago.

But let's get back to the trip. Is the US Olympic Committee paying for this? What about Oprah? I'm sure she's got the dough to finance it. But because it's Uncle Barack and Michelle, they need to take the official government planes. don't they? And of course the necessary amount of secret service folks. Plus the aides and nanny's and the so called journalist and a spokesman or two. So I'm guessing that it is we the tax payers that are picking up the tab. Anyone disagree?

I've heard people on both sides of this say their piece. Most that don't have a problem with it say that the president can do his work from the plane via phone and fax. True though that may be, what is he thinking going to Denmark only to be on the ground for four total hours before heading back? Seems like a waste of time and our money to me.

Now if Obama was paying for this out of his own pocket I wouldn't care in the least. Or if this was a side bar to an official meeting of some kind, then again I wouldn't care. But it isn't. He should just stay in Washington and continue to address this country's problems. However much I disagree with his handling of said problems.

I understand that heads of state will be there representing the others in the final four, but we sent Oprah. No one is bigger than she is. At least to her. Now don't get me wrong, I don't begrudge her the success she enjoys. She earned it. I just can't stand her overly inflated opinion of herself. Besides, I really don't have a problem with Mrs. Obama going. It's kind of expected.

But if Chicago gets the games, I can hear Uncle Barack doing his best Ali-esque impersonation saying, " I'm King of the world."

Only he will really mean it.