Did The TSA Kill Chicago’s Chance At The Olympics?

Published on October 3rd, 2009

Did Chicago lose the chance to host the 2016 Olympics because of airport security issues?

Among the toughest questions posed to the Chicago bid team this week in Copenhagen was one that raised the issue of what kind of welcome foreigners would get from airport officials when they arrived in this country to attend the Games. Syed Shahid Ali, an I.O.C. member from Pakistan, in the question-and-answer session following Chicago’s official presentation, pointed out that entering the United States can be “a rather harrowing experience.”
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“It’s clear the United States still has a lot of work to do to restore its place as a premier travel destination,” Roger Dow, U.S. Travel’s president, said in the statement released today. [...] International travel to the U.S. declined by 10 percent in the first quarter of 2009 according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

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# 1 pedro said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 4:28 am

If so, can we say that the IOC finally has learnt a thing or two from the ‘36 Olympics?

# 2 Alfred1 said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 4:31 am

If so, then President Obama’s judgment is an issue, he was oblivious to this…

He flew to Copenhagen, sending his wife and Oprah, with full confidence he cold bring the games to Chicago.

He failed, miserably.

The entire calls into question Obama’s judgment as he risked his own “political capital” against the good advice of everyone, even pundits against him…

Like refusing to admit the surge worked, or his stimulus failed, facts on the ground do not sway our Doctrinaire Community Organizer in Chief Obama, from his leftist lunacy.

# 3 Mr. Fusion said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 4:50 am

The pedro and Alphie show never ceases to troll.

Suggestion, why don’t you trolls try thinking with your brains for awhile.

# 4 Alfred's Mom said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 5:06 am

Warning – this is the kind of child that results from butt sex.

# 5 qb said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 5:16 am

#3 Fusion

That’s because they’re fundamentalists. The TSA has a problem, it must be Obama. Cats mating with dogs, it must be Obama.

Anyway, back on topic. Traveling into the US is not a bucket of yucks, especially if you’ve travelled to a country the TSA and US Immigration at any time in the past that they consider undesirable. That includes most of Africa, half of South America, and huge swaths of Asia. I work in a company of travelers, and everyone keeps thinking “it can’t get any worse”, and somehow it does.

The thing we’ve seen in the last couple of years is the increase in hostility towards Americans returning. We’ve seen the usual idiotic problems with say Italians who have dark skin so they must be Muslim terrorists bullshit. Now, we see Americans getting grilled for 2-3 hours because they visited Indonesia or Turkey.

# 6 Alfred1 said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 5:19 am

#3 Precisely my point, Obama doesn’t think about facts, he acts according to doctrine…

He is predictable regardless how events play out.

He is an open book to our enemies…we are all in danger.

Recent events prove my premise…confirming it is the “stimulus package” we had to pass or it was “armageddon.”

It hasn’t worked…it did nothing to increase consumer spending…it did nothing for small businesses…therefore nothing happened on the jobs front…

Rather than creating or saving jobs, millions were and continue to be lost.

Does President Obama, seeing the utter and complete failure of Government spending, cause him to change course?

Or course not…rather, he proceeds with his leftist agenda IN SPITE OF THE COLLAPSE of our economy.

Spend spend spend…trillions more for health care for everyone…take it from Seniors and the young, give it to middle age ACORN and illegals…

Brilliant plan if you want democratic voters…terrible if you want our economy to recover.

We cannot afford to ROB the economy, for leftist entitlements….our country is already bankrupt… maxing out our credit with the world cannot result in anything good.

# 7 pedro said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 5:22 am

#3 Oh, conFused had his ego bruised again

Now tell me, how did what I wrote insults, bemoans or otherwise tarnishes your god Obama’s persona? ‘Cause you had to think that in order to moo the way you just did.

It was a direct poke at the IOC, not your beloved leader, get it?

Now, if you thought it was about him, it means it hit your inner insecurities about him, which explains why you reacted with that aggressive defense mechanism.

Tell me, do you think it had something to do with your precious?

# 8 Alfred1 said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 5:26 am

#4 I think your Mr. Fusion in the drag…probably the kid featured in that cross dressing video TIDES created to indoctrinate our young.

However, I do not say you are a perfect idiot…no one is perfect.

# 9 pedro said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 5:46 am

#5 So that’s what conFused thought, huh?

Well, since you got the same insecurities about your god, here are some talking points and remember, it was you two who brought Obama to this thread.

- The current TSA attitude & policies were introduced by Dumbya.

- Obama offered change.

- The TSA hasn’t change, ergo…

Conclusion number two (the one I think it really hit you hard in your insecurities), which takes conclusion #1 as a starting point.

- Dumbya put those TSA policies
- Dumbya is a fascist.
- Obama was going to change that.
- Obama hasn’t changed a thing about the TSA (maybe I’m reading Uncle Dave wrong…NOT!), ergo…

I leave the conclusion for ya lefty loons here.

Although I know you will not publicly recognize you reached such conclusions, much less recognize ‘em as true facts, I’ll know it when you start showing your insecurities again, just like conFused did.

# 10 Alfred1 said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 5:50 am

#9 Elementary deduction is not a moonbat forte…I think you should spell it out for them.

# 11 Ralph, the Bus Driver said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 5:51 am

#3, Fusion,

LOL, how true.

#4, Alfred’s mom,

Please practice safe sex next time the Seventh Fleet is in town. Remember, if you like ‘em, spit. If you love ‘em, then you can swallow. Just keep those panties on.

# 12 Alfred1 said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 5:55 am

President Obama is full of himself…he believed he could seal the deal by the power of his persona…

Its pathetic…in spite of all the sage counsel he not make this personal, he went…and now has egg on his face…

Like Drudge headlined: “the EGO has landed.”

Crashed and burned.

Unfortunately, its we who pay the price in a failed economy…

Tax payers can be glad we don’t have to shell out billions to the corrupt Chicago machine, Obama’s handlers, to host the Olympics no one will watch…if we are still in this Depression.

# 13 truthup said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 5:58 am

Ahh, so it wasn’t Obama’s fault, or even a failure for Obama…it was the Evil TSA, created by Bush, and apparently still controlled by Bush (apparently Obama has no control over them).

Get real, American immigration has sucked for many many years…I dread my American trips and Obama has changed nothing.

The fact is that Rio was a chance for the IOC to “make history” and get good press for choosing South America. Had nothing to do with the TSA or Obama’s cheerleading…the IOC had made up its mind long before.

# 14 Mr. Fusion said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 5:59 am

#7, ‘dro,

Now tell me, how did what I wrote insults, bemoans or otherwise tarnishes your god Obama’s persona? ‘Cause you had to think that in order to moo the way you just did.

No one said you did, well at least in this post. Go read #3 again. See where I alluded to Obama or even his administration.

This is what I mean by your trolling. You and Alphie are plants, designed to drive up hits. Posting under pseudonyms when we really know who you are.

# 15 Alfred1 said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 6:00 am

#11 Both you and Mr. Fusion are gross…the picture a troll hacking away with his claws on a keyboard, arises naturally when one reads your posts.

You both must be very tolerant…otherwise you couldn’t live with yourselves.

# 16 iseethings said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 6:06 am

The IOC knew that if it chose Chicago, it would get good tables in the best Italian restaurants….but in Rio they would get the very best tranny callgirls and the most perfectly plasticized real girls.

Chicago never had a chance.

# 17 Lou Minatti said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 6:21 am

Yes, Bush did it. Senator Roland Burris (the guy who was given Obama’s seat) said so.

# 18 Alfred1 said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 6:29 am

To get away from Narcissist President Obama is why they chose RIO…

They couldn’t get away from him fast enough, hence they dropped Chicago in the first round.

After hearing all that dribble about him, his dreams, his wants, his plans, his hopes, we all felt like puking…

And recall, Obama convinced them America is a bad country…and perhaps they felt Obama’s apologies didn’t fix the problems he himself referred to.

# 19 Alfred1 said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 6:31 am

And he had to drag his kids into it…what an ass.

# 20 bobbo, actually an expert Chef AND health care Executive said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 6:46 am

We’ll have to go back and check the stats but I think in years past when the value of the dollar has been weak, tourism INTO the USA would go up?

So to me the important of this “sports” item is ” “International travel to the U.S. declined by 10 percent in the first quarter of 2009 according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.” /// So–declining economy, cheaper exchange rates, no highly advertised serial killers targeting tourist, and tourism goes DOWN? Maybe it is just our border guards but certainly our own self imposed idiocy can’t be helping. I wish the Olympics would give express reasons why/how they chose. It would give another objective measuring standard for the USA to rant about how we are world leaders WHILE being rejected by everyone else.

#1–Pedro==I thought that was funny and thoughtful at the same time. Shows how hard a country or a person has to work once they gain a reputation.

# 21 Alfred1 said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 7:00 am

#20 Perhaps Obama’s World Apology Tour soured folks on America, they began to see America in a different light, with each apology he made.

Prior to that, they didn’t realize how evil and disrespectful America was.

Indeed:

President Ahmadinejad says Iranians’ “Down with the US” slogan is a result of the “ugly behavior” of the United States governments.

So the world agrees with Obama, Down with the US, hence RIO gets the Olympics…

They dropped Chicago in the first round in order that our Apologist in Chief, the Community Organizer, could go back to the hood…

# 22 dusanmal said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 7:05 am

@20: “Maybe it is just our border guards” – Unfortunately discussion above departed heavily from this main point of the article. But, if anyone have been traveling a lot abroad lately (and I unfortunately did), the point would be obviously false. Every single country has very similar Tub Stacking Agency. Some, like French, with their heads even further up dark places. On every single flight they placed me under insane steps. Worst one? I almost missed my flight, detained about 45 minutes at Paris CDG Tub Staking Agency counter because they couldn’t decide if 35mm film I was carrying (for fun I still shoot completely mechanical cameras with old fashioned film) is allowed on board… ):(

# 23 bobbo, how quickly we adapt said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 7:12 am

#21–Alfie==why do you hate America? Half Black American got you down? Keep walking lock step with your sould brother Ahmadinejad.

Sad you supported Obama until he went off the rails with announcing we would not torture suspects anymore. I assume you thought he was perfect until he did that.

# 24 bobbo, how quickly we adapt said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 7:17 am

#22–dusanmal==You Lie!!!! Film Cameras? What—have you got a freezer in your garage filled with KodaChrome? I haven’t traveled overseas in a while but for years the USA was the only place in the world that required film to go thru the xray machines with a 30% chance of damage. Every where else allowed a physical inspection of the film bad. Thankfully, the morons would allow your stored film to be within a lead lined bag. That always amused me, but I kept my mouth shut.

How much longer do you plan to shoot film?

# 25 MikeN said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 8:24 am

I don’t like the Olympics to be in America, and I also don’t like the IOC throwing Chicago out on the first ballot after the President went there. This is a direct contradiction that I can’t resolve. However, if it was because of the TSA, that settles things. At least now the TSA has accomplished a good deed.

# 26 Santa Maria said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 8:50 am

Syed Shahid Ali put himself on the no-fly list!

# 27 Jägermeister said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 9:00 am

#3 – Mr. Fusion – The pedro and Alphie show never ceases to troll.

LMAO

# 28 pedro said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 9:42 am

#27 What are you laughing at, the ‘36 Olympics?

# 29 sargasso said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 9:51 am

The President shows up in a surprise visit to the IOC conference, with an entourage of diplomats, advisers, protocol staff, armed secret service security guards, tactical response team, ten bullet proof cars and backup armored vehicles, Airforce One and airborne fighter escorts. And the IOC then immediately decided, Rio.
Hasn’t the Whitehouse heard of GoToMeeting?

# 30 Uncle Dave said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 10:06 am

#27: I finally figured it out. They suffer from a severe case of ODS (Obama Derangement Syndrome).

# 31 pedro said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 10:50 am

#29 You left Oprah out

#30 Which has about the same symptoms as CAOS: Compulsive Apologist for Obama Syndrome.

# 32 sargasso said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 12:03 pm

#31. How could I have forgotten Oprah.

# 33 amodedoma said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 12:46 pm

Actually here in europe they made a big deal of the death of Derrion Albert. Kids beating a 16 year old to death in the streets of Chicago, a shocking image to say the least. I’d say that was the moment Chicago lost.

# 34 Cap'nKangaroo said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 1:23 pm

Chicago lost when an IOC committee tried to get somewhere in Chicago in under an hour. The CTA, a real crapshoot. The expressways, HAH. The TriState Tollway, they ran out of money halfway to O’Hare.

The mere thought of all that Olympic traffic competing with steel-haulers, the container haulers, the UPS and FedEX and YRC doubles, the dump trucks, garbage trucks, and RVs makes me cringe. Add in all the Ohio and Michigan plates heading to Wisconsin and all the Minnesota and Wisconsin plates heading to points east. And I ignore all the local Illinois and Indiana residents driving around everyday of the week at all hours.

Seriously, I’ve driven thru and around every major city in the lower 48 as well as Toronto and Montreal. The only two I despise are NYC and Chicago. New York because of the awful condition of the roads and Chicago for the traffic and the idiots who drive there. I’d rather do two weeks in LA at rush hour than two days in Chicago.

# 35 pedro said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 2:54 pm

#33 True. That has a bigger weight than the TSA thing thrown in here.

# 36 Ron Larson said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 4:07 pm

It gets worse, thanks to private industry and the US government who doesn’t care.

Now visitors to the US are being scammed by a fake immigration agency that is bribing overseas travel agents. An Aussie friend of mine was suckered into this until she complained to me and I told her it was a scam.

This site charges $100+ for filling out the electronic immigration landing cards that are free. Yet to the uninformed, it looks and feels like an official US government site.

Visitors are told they must file out a ESTA before flying to the US, which is true. However, the real site is here. But travel agents are sending customers to the fake one, and getting a nice kick back.

The traveler thinks the US government is screwing them even more and hate us even more. And the US does NOTHING about this, letting these scamsters operate this thing.

Pathetic. Any other country would refuse to accept applications submitted from this “private company”.

# 37 Alfred1 said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 4:09 pm

#23 I love America, that’s why I hate Obama…and never liked him…

Bill Ayers, Rv. Wright, B. Gates, indicate who Obama is…part of the Chicago corruption machine…Valerie his own little slum lord.

It was hilarious he made such a fool of himself…too bad the jackass had to do it in front of his kids…I feel sad for them.

I laughed out loud when Drudge had the photo of him, looking dazed and confused…”the EGO has landed!”…crashed seemed more like it.

Har har har!

Lets impeach this socialist Joker, before its too late.

# 38 Animby said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 5:21 pm

So what is it with Oprah? Has she been appointed to some special czar position or does the cabinet now include a Secretary of Inane Chat Shows? I get it that she is the US’s Goodwill Ambassador to Martha’s Vineyard but how does she get to go to Denmark on the public dime? When all is said and done, will anyone report on the millions of dollars this hopeless junket cost Americans? Can we send the bill to Chicago?

# 39 Doodie said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 7:13 pm

Finally the TSA gets publicly bitten back by it’s own idiocy, maybe now the government will force them to start using their brains a bit more instead letting them call everyone a terrorist… nah, who are we kidding.

# 40 Animby said, on October 3rd, 2009 at 9:49 pm

Doodie: Howdy. The TSA has some pretty lame rules and regs. But the biggest losers are the brain dead high school drop outs who are the front line and who actually come into contact with travellers. The worst is the asshole at the security check-through screaming at people to take their shoes off and remove their laptops. As long as these morons with badges are allowed to represent our government and, thusly, you and me, foreign travelers will continue to lose respect for America. I travel extensively and have run into some strange security but never anything as fascist, intrusive and unpleasant as my own country.

# 41 Rick Cain said, on October 4th, 2009 at 4:01 am

#2 So comrade Alfredi, did you buy your tickets to Rio ahead of time? Nice patriotism there.

Are you now going to demonstrate how much you love america by going to afghanistan and kill some G.I.’s?

# 42 pedro said, on October 4th, 2009 at 4:29 am

#39 As I think had been said before here. The TSA is not the only moronic airport force you’ll find. Europe is full of them. And you’re most likely to lose a flight in Brazil with their idiotic screeners then you would in the US.

# 43 MikeN said, on October 4th, 2009 at 11:58 am

I wonder how the 2014 Olympics in Russia will treat visitors.

# 44 Guyver said, on October 5th, 2009 at 4:56 am

The IOC was probably getting payback because both Obama and Clinton insisted on boycotting the Beijing Olympics.

# 45 billabong said, on October 5th, 2009 at 6:34 am

They didn’t come to Chicago because it is the most mobbed up city in America.

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