Jan 7, 2008 6:46 pm US/Central
Bush In Chicago Gives 2016 Olympic Bid A Boost
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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While he was in Chicago Monday, President Bush met with members of the Chicago and U.S. Olympic committees to express support for the city's bid for the 2016 Games.
CBS
Chicago's attempt to win the 2016 Summer Olympics got a big boost Monday from President George W. Bush during his visit to the city.
As CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports, the president had requested the briefing by Chicago and U.S. Olympic Committee leaders to check on their progress and make it clear Chicago's bid was America's bid.
"This country supports the bid, strongly," Bush said.
"We've always heard the criticism that the federal government isn't behind U.S. Olympic bids and his presence today dispelled that," said USOC Vice President Bob Ctvrtlik.
Joining the team that had been touting our candidacy since Chicago's selection last April, the president posed with a 2016 hat and T-shirt and promised to do what he could to help.
"I can't think of a better city to represent the United States than Chicago," Bush said.
After escorting the president to the airport Monday afternoon, Daley told CBS 2 that Bush was impressed and committed to pushing Chicago's bid, even though he'll leave office nine months before International Olympic Committee voters make their choice.
"But he can lay the groundwork, the excitement of having of hosting the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic," Daley said of Bush's role in supporting the bid. "And as president as talking to other leaders around the world, just talking about Chicago, about the Olympic and Paralympic bid which again encourages everyone."
Chicago's successfully hosting the World Boxing Championships boosted its amateur sports profile around the world. Its inspired venue plan and beautiful backdrop have impressed many Olympic officials to the point where one unnamed voter this weekend was quoted by a French news agency as saying the 2016 Games were Chicago's to lose.
"You never know where that came from. I have no idea," said Chicago 2016 CEO Pat Ryan. "We don't consider ourselves the frontrunner. It's not ours to lose; it's ours to win. We have to keep working hard to win it and we will. … I'd much rather be the underdog."
Monday's event was less about Bush than about Washington, and the federal government getting behind Chicago's bid.
With Tony Blair winning the 2012 Summer Games for London, and Vladimir Putin the 2014 winter games for Sochi, it's our next president, whoever she or he might be, who will likely lead the Chicago bid team to Copenhagen next year.
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