Familiar Face Pitches in For 2016

There has been much ado about Obama's relationship with Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid, but today his formal rival turned ally, Hillary Clinton addressed the IOC committee via video. Many forget that Hillary is an Illinois native and today she spoke about customs and immigration for athletes and other visitors.

The other big story today is that Valerie Jarret (who is a Chicago native as well as a senior adviser and close friend to Obama) said that:

the White House would set up an office to provide support for the Games and oversee a host of federal agencies. They said it's the first time the White House has done so before the final selection of a host city

Again this displays the federal governments intentions to the IOC, which should be seen as a big sign of support (something that has been publicly criticized by the media and Chicago's rivals).

Tonight is the big gala at the new modern wing at the Art Institute. Oprah among other Chicago and international luminaries are scheduled to wine and dine with the IOC committee tonight.