WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama staged a homecoming-style Olympic rally at the White House Wednesday, saying the whole country is rooting for his hometown of Chicago in its efforts to host the 2016 Summer Games.

“Chicago is ready. The American people are ready.We want these games,” he said to applause.
“If you choose Chicago, I promise you this — Chicago will make America proud, and America will make the world proud,” Obama added.
The International Olympic Committee will choose a host city during an Oct. 2 meeting in Copenhagen. Obama will not attend the meetings, instead sending first lady Michelle Obama to lead the U.S. delegation.
Chicago is in a tough competition with Rio de Janeiro, Madrid and Tokyo. In recent years, heads of state have traveled to the IOC meetings to help seal the deal — such as Tony Blair for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and Vladimir Putin for the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
“I would make the case in Copenhagen personally,” were it not for his quest for health care reform, Obama said. “But the good news is I’m sending a more compelling superstar to represent the city and country we love, and that is our first lady, Michelle Obama.”
The first lady didn’t return the kudos, describing the president’s dabbling in some of the Olympic sports before the event.
“You should have seen the president in there fencing,” she said to laughter, as Obama stuck out his arm in a mock fencing move. “It was pathetic. But he passed the baton really well.”
Obama said that while he loves Washington, Chicago has been his home for nearly 25 years. He called it a “city of broad shoulders and big hearts and bold dreams, a city of legendary sports figures, legendary sports venues, and legendary sports fans.”
The Obamas appeared with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and a host of Olympic athletes, some of whom staged demonstrations on the South Lawn.