Embarrassment for Rahm: Obama’s G-8 Economic Summit Abruptly Moved from Chicago to Camp David
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on March 6, 2012
Embarrassment for Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel - White House has suddenly decided to hold G-8 summit at Camp David and not Chicago
I’m all for having the G-8 summit at Camp David in Maryland, since we’re paying for it whether Pres. Zero uses it as a presidential retreat or not.
Guess Chicago’s mayor, former Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, couldn’t guarantee that the Occupy Chicago movement of miscreants, rapists, and thugs wouldn’t set up a tent city and defecate on the limos of world leaders.
From Washington Post, Obama shifts location of G-8 summit from hometown of Chicago to his Camp David retreat:
WASHINGTON — The White House abruptly announced Monday that it had scuttled plans to hold the upcoming G-8 economic summit in Chicago, and would instead host world leaders at the presidential retreat at Camp David in Maryland.
It was an unusually late location change for a large and highly scripted international summit and came with little explanation from the White House. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel — the former White House chief of staff who personally lobbied President Barack Obama to hold the summit in Chicago — was informed only hours before the official announcement.
White House national security spokesman Tommy Vietor simply said that Camp David, the rustic retreat in the mountains of Maryland, was a setting that would allow for more intimate discussions among the G-8 leaders. He said security and the possibility of protests were not factors in the decision, noting that Obama would still host the NATO summit in his hometown of Chicago from May 20-21.
The White House said the G-8 summit would take place May 18-19.
The White House announced plans last summer to hold both summits back-to-back in Chicago, giving the president a high-profile opportunity to tout his foreign policy and diplomatic credentials on his home turf in an election year.
The idea of moving the G-8 to Camp David was raised to the president a few weeks ago, a senior administration official said, adding that the president was intrigued by the novelty of the idea and asked staff whether they could pull off the change.
From CBS Chicago, White House Moves G8 Summit From Chicago To Camp David:
After learning of the decision to move the G8 summit to Camp David, the mayor’s office offered a positive spin.
“We wish President (Barack) Obama and the other leaders well at the G-8 meeting at Camp David and look forward to hosting the NATO Summit in Chicago,” a prepared statement said. “Hosting the NATO Summit is a tremendous opportunity to showcase Chicago to the world and the world to Chicago and we are proud to host the 50 heads of state, foreign and defense ministers from the NATO and ISAF countries in our great city May 19-21.”
As CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports, Emanuel learned of the decision to move the G8 summit when a White House aide informed a mayoral aide Monday morning. The mayor was surprised by the call, but Emanuel’s office did not consider the decision to be a slap in the face.
Others said the White House move Monday is a black eye for the Emanuel administration.
“Rahm Emanuel has mud on his face, and deservedly so,” protest organizer Andy Thayer said at a small “victory” rally held by OccupyChicago Thursday evening on Daley Plaza.
Terrorism authority Tom Mockaitis of DePaul University was surprised by the switch but says it could be related to tensions heating up in the Middle East and concerns about how protesters might respond.
“On the other hand, they may have looked at Chicago and said we’re not confident you can provide the security without it being sufficiently undisruptive of the proceedings,” Mockaitis said.
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