Obama Makes Pitch for Windy City’s 2016 Olympic Bid

President-elect Barack Obama’s ban on lobbyists working on his transition apparently doesn’t bar him from doing a little lobbying of his own.

Obama today lent his star power to the campaign to bring the 2016 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games to his home city of Chicago by sending an 80-second taped video message to the European Olympic Committee’s General Assembly meeting in Istanbul, Turkey.

Not surprisingly, Obama touched on some of the themes from his presidential bid, such as shared values, working together and reaching out to the rest of the world, that made him so popular overseas.

“In the coming years, my administration will bring a fresh perspective on America’s role and responsibilities around the world. But if we are to truly meet our shared challenges, we must all work together. By uniting the world in a peaceful celebration of human achievement, the Olympic Games reminds us that this is possible.

The United States would be honored to have the opportunity to host the Games and serve the Olympic Movement. As President-Elect, I see the Olympic and Paralympic Games as an opportunity for our nation to reach out, welcome the world to our shores, and strengthen our friendships across the globe.””

Chicago, which has never hosted the Olympics, is competing with Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo for the privilege of hosting the games.

The Windy City would seem a likely candidate, as the United States has not hosted the Olympics since the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. The 14-year gap between 2002 and 2016 would be the longest lull separating American-hosted games since the 20-year lapse between the 1960 Squaw Valley, Calif. and 1980 Lake Placid, N.Y. Winter Games.

And Obama’s status as an international celebrity certainly can’t hurt its chances, either.