Oh my!

Shocker! Chicago eliminated in 2016 voting

Lobbying by Obamas goes for naught; Rio, Madrid remain alive

BREAKING NEWS

COPENHAGEN - In a stunning development, Chicago was the first city eliminated on Friday in IOC voting to be host city for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Earlier, Chicago, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Madrid made final pitches to the International Olympic Committee, with President Barack Obama and Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva pitting their star power against each other in emotional pushes for their cities.

Never did I believe that The One would put everything on the line for something that now seems as though there was never any shot at winning. How could he be this stupid? He flies over, Michelle flies over with Oprah. And they get eliminated during then first ballot? How embarrassing!

I wonder if this had anything to do with it from September 29;

Chicago's Olympic bid hurt by Daley's remarks?

COPENHAGEN -- Could Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Games be hurt by Mayor Richard M. Daley's comments about the competition with Rio de Janeiro?

Daley's comments last week about Rio's capabilities to host both the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics are being taken by Rio as critical of Chicago's presumed main rival in Friday's International Olympic Committee vote for the 2016 Games. (You can read our original story about that by clicking here.)

What Daley said about Tokyo and Madrid also could be viewed as critical of those two other finalists, since he minimized their chances based on geographical factors.

The IOC prohibits bid cities from criticizing their rivals.

Questions about whether Daley's comments had breached that prohibition were raised at both the Rio and Chicago media conferences here this afternoon, and a Brazil bid leader promoted that idea.

Responding to a question today about Daley's comments, Rio 2016 bid chairman Carlos Nuzman said, through a translator, that such issues are ``in the hands'' of the IOC ethics commission.

``It is not on myself to make any comment about the mayor of Chicago,'' Nuzman said.

But Catherine St. Laurent, a spokesperson for the Rio bid, said in a text message that ``there was no official complaint filed by the Rio 2016 bid committee to the [IOC] ethics commission regarding Mayor Daley's remarks.''

IOC spokesman Mark Adams also said no formal complaint has been filed with the IOC ethics commission, though the IOC was aware of Daley's comments ``because they have been in the media.''

``We won't be taking any further action,'' Adams said. ``With two days to go before the 2016 vote, we would simply remind all cities to refrain from any comment that could be construed as critical.''

You can read more by clicking here.

And this is Tony Harris on CNN upon hearing the announcement that Chicago has been eliminated in the first round;