Interesting move. You know under the Obama Presidentcy the US and France seem to move together quiet often. While much as been made of Obama's possible indifference to the UK (frankly it's not hard to be indifferent to the current British government) very little has been made of his French connection (if there is one).President Barack Obama? Nope. Vice President Joe Biden? Nope. Current cabinet officials? Nope. First lady Michelle Obama? Nope. The White House on Tuesday announced the presidential delegations to the opening ceremony and closing ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, and the lists are as notable for who is not going to Vladimir Putin's showcase event as for who is.
The United States is not alone. France recently announced that its top officials would snub the games.
Michelle Obama led the U.S. delegation to the opening ceremony of the 2012 Games in London. But Russia has drawn heavy fire over its human rights record — problems Putin fueled when he signed a law earlier this year targeting supposed "gay propaganda."
But Obama seems to be sending a message by making former tennis superstar Billie Jean King one of the key figures in the U.S. delegation to the opening ceremony. The former world No. 1 player is regarded as the first globally prominent professional athlete to come out as gay.
The delegation to the opening ceremony on Feb. 7 will be led by former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, now president of the University of California. Joining her will be King, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul, White House deputy chief of staff Rob Nabors, and Olympic gold-medal winner figure skater Brian Boitano.
At the Feb. 23 closing ceremony, the United States will be represented by Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, who will be joined by McFaul, gold-medal winner speed skater Bonnie Blair, ice hockey silver medalist Caitlin Cahow and Eric Heiden, another speed skating gold medalist.
Course honestly I'm not surprised, Obama has been traditionally preoccupied with domenstic policy given that for 90% of his adminsteration he has been locked in bitter battle with an opposition party who has made his destruction their greatest goal and devoted itselt to making the government as useless as possible. The fact that it's a surprise that we were able to work out a budget is telling in and of itself. This is ironic to me because Obamacare aside, most of Barry's achievements were in foreign policy. He repaired a number of alliances and despite the scandal of the NSA has maintained the European ones quiet well. He has slowly and carefully removed the US from the middles east (his Syrian backslide not withstanding, but one I think can make a good damn arguement there for intervention, as Havoc has done so many times now), overthrown the Libyan dictatior with a bare minimum of force and expense and of course killed the leader of the organization that committed 911 and many other crimes (why yes I'm avoiding certain names on purpose did you notice?).
This isn't what he wanted but given that this was the arena in which Congress wasn't capable or willing to deadweight him into nonaction, this is what he got.
As for sending an openly gay tennis star to the opening ceremonies? I would say Putin has earned some greif from us.
