Obama Wants to Go to Copenhagen: Report
Sending the advance team will "preserve the option" of his going
By ANDREW GREINER
Updated 10:43 AM CST, Tue, Sep 22, 2009
A person close to President Obama says the Commander-in-Chief told Chicago Mayor Richard Daley that he wants to go to Copenhagen to wrangle the Olympics for Chicago on October 2.
The latest installment in the will he or won’t he drama comes from White House Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett, who said that Obama told Mayor Daley about his desire to attend the vote just a few days ago.
Jarrett, who is already scheduled to attend the vote ceremony told Crains Chicago Business yesterday that the decision to send an advance team to Copenhagen was the president’s decision, and that it will "preserve the option" of his going.
"(Mr. Obama) would love to be there," Ms. Jarrett told Crains. "He (just) wants to make sure his absence won't be harmful" to the health care push in congress.
Jarrett said a final decision concerning the president’s Scandinavian travel plans should come by this weekend.
"The president has been an ardent supporter from the beginning," Jarrett, who heads the newly created Olympics office at the White House said during the Crains interview. "He cares passionately about bringing the Olympics to Chicago. … It's good for the U.S. and it's good for Chicago. We talk about it every day."
Jarrett and Michelle Obama are scheduled to fly to Copenhagen on September 30, with or without the president.
First Published: Sep 22, 2009 10:43 AM CST
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