>>Sorry for going off into the wider ranging thoughts about the Afghan strategy debate, which is ongoing. My original point remains that whether President Obama was in Washington or Copenhagen yesterday is a complete non-impact non-issue.
>>
>>GRATUITOUS PARTISAN REMARKS START BELOW ---
>>
>>I think you know I dislike reflexive political responses but here's a mention only in passing that his predecessor spent over 1/3 of his time in office at Camp David or in Crawford.
>>
>>For which, I hasten to add, I am grateful ;-)
>
>Commentary over here is that he would have got attacked in the US fox media either way (if he had or hadn't gone) and its indicative of how polarised things are there. You'd think from the tone of some coverage that he was half way through a second term. There was also some interesting pieces about how much the health industry there has spent lobbying against reform. No wonder your bills are so high.f
>
>BTW I think the main factor in the Rio choice must have been that South America has never hosted the Olympics. FIFA has a policy of rotating the World Cup around the different regions maybe the Olympics are doing the same..

The moving finger writes and moves on. Here are current headlines (not obscurities) from the Tribune web site. Yesterday and for weeks before it was all 2016 Olympics all the time. This may come from our heritage as a melting pot and a world city. There is a permanent festering sore among some Chicago immigrants, epitomized by Mike Royko, our poet bard.

You don't have to imagine America as a melting pot to appreciate Chicago. But it helps. Just drive through the neighborhoods. This used to be German, then it went Hispanic, now it's Korean. (A literal quote from the Chicahgo who my best friend in college was lucky enough to marry; 39 years now).
Say seen (fill in)? He's not answering his call. That's the real Chicago.