From White House advisor Valerie Jarrett:
“The intelligence that we had from the U.S. Olympic Committee and Chicago bid team was that it was very close and therefore well worth our efforts,” said Valerie Jarrett, a senior White House advisor. “The message was that . . . a personal appeal from the president would make a huge difference.”
Mr. Obama has received criticism from the right about Chicago’s failed bid. Whatever. I’m with Arianna Huffington: “One sure sign that a political party has completely lost its way is when it finds itself cheering that an American city will not be hosting the Olympics.”
And Andrew Sullivan: “Hoping he [Barack Obama] fails – even to the point of celebrating a national loss – is a sign of partisanship that has become pathologically blind to any sense of perspective or patriotism.”