Obama Snubs the Games

He’s sending his vice-president Joe Biden instead.

Definitely B-team. Biden will enjoy Vancouve's fancy commuter train.

Obama has nothing against Canada.

It’s just that he’s got good reasons to stay home.

Things aren’t going that well in the United States.

Unemployment is at 10 %. People are looking for work. Economic forecasts aren’t that promising.

Americans are angry. They feel Obama hasn’t delivered. Some are turning against him.

This is no time for him to go gallivanting around Vancouver. It’s different for Stephen Harper. He closed down Parliament so he's got plenty of time on his hands.

After all he’s host of the Games. He has to be there. And his Conservative MPs have the best seats.

Obama has to pay attention to the government. U.S. elections come every four years, just like the Olympic Games.

Obama also owes nothing to the Olympic Committee, a bunch of old European geezers who turned down Chicago as the site of the 2016 Games, a city that is close to Obama’s heart.

It could be taken as a slap in the face. It was.

So Obama stays home. Call it Payback Time.

Obama plays hardball.