CHICAGO (CBS) ―The possibility of what could be a fatal blow to Chicago's Olympic hopes was raised Thursday at the White House.
A spokesman for President Barack Obama said a trip to Copenhagen to meet International Olympic Committee voters is not on the president's schedule.
CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports.
Most signs had pointed to the president's going – until Thursday's White House briefing, when spokesman Robert Gibbs said he wasn't aware that the president would be traveling.
Gibbs backtracked just a bit when peppered with questions from the White House press corps.
"As far as the schedule I had seen, that was not planned," he said.
He didn't rule out the president's attending but sure didn't sound optimistic.
Gibbs spoke as the U.S. Olympic Committee was wrapping up its quarterly meeting here in Chicago. I asked Chairman Larry Probst how he read Gibbs' comments.
"I think there's still probably a lot of debate going on in the White House and discussion about this, and my bet would be that a final decision has not yet been made," he said.
President Obama took a break from the campaign trail to help Chicago celebrate making the final four and looking ahead to 2016.
Even though he's struggling with issues here at home, he remains a rock star abroad and remembers how another world leader wowed IOC voters four years ago.
"Tony Blair came to town, to Singapore, and he sat down and he talked with IOC members for two days straight, in small group meetings and really impressed upon them the support of the British government," Ed Hula of aroundtherings.com said.
London ended up beating heavily favored Paris by four votes. Right now, Chicago and Rio de Janeiro are the frontrunners.
Hula's Most recent Around the Rings Power Rating back in June had Chicago narrowly ahead of Madrid, which was followed closely by Rio and Tokyo.
Gamesbids.com just released its new bid index showing Chicago up from fourth place and closing on Rio, with Tokyo and Madrid trailing. IOC President Jacques Rogge today predicted a race decided by a couple of votes, but said if President Obama didn't come "we wouldn't see that as being negative."
"But I think he has to have some sizable presence there, and physical presence, being there ... if Barack Obama wants Chicago to have its best shot," Hula said.
Chicago could get the games without President Obama leading the bid team to Copenhagen. But it would be a whole lot easier with him than without him.
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/Obama.Olympics.Copenhagen.2.1176729.html
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