Durbin, Obama pledge to help Olympic bid

By Christi Parsons
Chicago Tribune/The Swamp

With Chicago newly selected as the U.S. nominee to host the 2016 Olympic games, top lawmakers from Illinois say they'll do all they can go strengthen the bid.

U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) says he and U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) will push for changes at the State Department that will make it easier for international athletes to get permission to enter the country.

In the past, he said, some competitors have had a difficult time getting into the country because of the immense amount of paperwork involved.

"We have plenty of time to get this done if we start now," Durbin said in an interview. "We should be prepared to expedite this."

Mayor Richard Daley was the only elected official to participate in the final presentation to the U.S. Olympic Committee on Saturday, but both Durbin and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) spoke on the city's behalf in previous discussions with the committee.

Obama also pledged his continued support for the project on Saturday.

"I look forward to continuing to work with them on behalf of our bid," Obama said. "I believe that a Chicago Olympics can help restore our nation's standing as a source of hope and opportunity around the globe while bringing lasting benefits to the residents of our region."

Durbin said he thinks Chicago has a good shot at hosting the games, for reasons that go beyond any point-by-point analysis of its formal bid.

"There are some intangibles," Durbin said. "It's the spirit of Chicago. It's a great place to live and visit, and people all over the world know that."

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