As Robert Draper’s brilliant portrait of Valerie Jarrett a few months ago made clear for the first time, there is considerable tension between her and the other key members of Obama’s team, including Rahm and Axelrod. Jarrett, because she’s such a good friend of both Obamas, can get the president’s ear on just about any topic she wants, at any time …
The Olympic bid has been Jarrett’s project. She’s been running a special unit devoted to it from inside the White House, the first time a presidency has devoted so much effort to such a bid. Jarrett, of course, breathes and bleeds Chicago - she’s passionate about it, as are the Obamas - particularly Michelle of course, who grew up there and associates it with her parents (she mentioned her late father in this morning’s speech to the committee). Also, American bids have to be entirely financed privately, and Jarrett is peerlessly well-connected in Chicago’s business community.
Jarrett will have been the one who persuaded Obama that it was worth betting some presidential capital on this and making the trip. And I suspect that she she did so against the advice of Rahm and Ax, who are probably thinking that with Afghanistan, healthcare, and the economy all at high levels of intensity, this is a gamble the president can do without. |
