More friends in high places for Chicago 2016 Olympic bid
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President-elect Barack Obama’s ties to the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid were reinforced even more this week.
Four of the five co-chairs of Obama’s inaugural committee announced Wednesday have roles in the Chicago bid.
Two are on the 13-member board of directors for Chicago 2016: bid committee Chairman Patrick Ryan and John Rogers.
William Daley and Penny Pritzker are part of the Chicago 2016 Committee, a 250-person group providing advice to the bid in several areas. Another Chicago 2016 board member, Valerie Jarrett, recently was named an Obama White House senior advisor.
Obama spoke at a June rally in Chicago when the International Olympic Committee cut the list of bidders from seven to four, and he recorded a video that the Chicago bid team used in last week’s presentation to the European Olympic Committees in Istanbul.
After the Chicago folks finish with all of the upcoming inaugural balls, maybe they will want ballroom dancing added to the Olympic program -- if their city wins the 2016 Summer Games.
-- Philip Hersh
