Obama To Attend 2010 World Cup?

By: Prerana Swami
Topics: White House

(CBS)

President Barack Obama may be attending the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Reuters reports.

FIFA President Joseph Blatter said that Mr. Obama accepted an invitation to attend the soccer event next year, given that he has time.

"He accepted," Blatter said, the New York Times reports. "But you know that heads of state are extremely busy. Hopefully his schedule will allow him to attend."

The world soccer tournament will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, next June and will be the first in World Cup history to be held in Africa. Blatter said that although there are some doubts about how successful a World Cup in Africa could be, this is a long-awaited opportunity for the continent.

"There are too many people who don't have enough confidence in Africa and I don't know why," Blatter said Monday, FIFA reports. "It is a continent that has given us so much and it's time to give it something in return. And look, our economic partners have shown their confidence, and television too. They will be there in 2010. It's only right and I believe that it was a moral obligation of ours to give the World Cup to the Africans."

Update 6 p.m. ET: This afternoon, the White House said Mr. Obama has not made a decision about whether to attend the event, although he has agreed to meet with Blatter, the Associated Press reports

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by tchristopher November 25, 2009 11:41 AM EST: As the summer of 2010 draws near, this president will prepare himself to take center stage at the world?s biggest gathering of sports enthusiasts. President Obama will embrace the ?world?s game?? at the pinnacle of its spectacle, and will shine brightly as the biggest star at the world?s biggest game in its most unusual of settings. As the Cup ventures to Africa for the first time in the competition?s history, the first African-American President will take full advantage of the opportunity to share his message of a ?changed America? with an audience of 700,000,000+ who will tune in for the Final and the more than 5 billion viewers who will watch the full slate of games. For a President committed to ?restoring? America?s image in the global community, the World Cup will be his greatest moment. World-wide ?apology tours? and UN speeches reach only a limited audience, but the pulpit that is the World Cup will be limitless.

So yes, he will go. He will go and the world will embrace him. He will take with him his message of hope, of change, and of a nation recast in the image of a new and refined face on the world?s stage. He will arrive in Johannesburg not as a conquering hero but as a returning son, and he will attempt to undue the atrocities envisioned in his own mind by bowing at the alter of the world?s greatest game. The only question is whether once the applause stop and the cheers go silent, will anyone truly listen to the Chosen One and his message? Africa embraced Ali because he was a smooth talker and promised big results, upon which he delivered. South Africa rallied around Nelson Mandela because he personified much needed change and his very freedom generated hope, which has helped sustain the country?s march to actualized equality. Will President Obama finally find his moment of redemption where he will for the first time connect with citizens of the world and generate tangible results, or will this simply be another love, apology, and appeasement tour that will do little more than generate hype, big crowds, and adoring audiences but only succeed in diminishing further the nation?s position in the global community? Perhaps a more fitting question to be posed regarding our prognosticating Chief Executive would be ? as he fills out his tournament bracket as he did with the NCAA Basketball tournament, will he bet on the United States when he picks a winner or will he think such a choice will represent exceptionalism and lead to yet another apology tour if we should win?

http://republicanredefined.com/2009/11/25/world-cup-2010-obamas-next-global-initiative/; Reply to this comment


by starleo146 June 22, 2009 8:19 PM EDT: Obama To Attend 2010 World Cup?President Barack Obama may be attending the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Reuters reports Which is it . . now all the haters can plan right . the good ole press the operative word is MAY. in the headline it is Obama TO ATTEND.; Reply to this comment


by gravyboat3000 June 22, 2009 7:43 PM EDT: by ereHsdadhgaB-2009 June 22, 2009 1:15 PM PDT
Obama must watch his wallet and his pockets.Robbery in South Africa is high.
_______

Aww, Baggy's concerned for President Obama, I may swun!; Reply to this comment


by gravyboat3000 June 22, 2009 7:33 PM EDT: Attendance by the President of the United States could be a boost for U.S. Soccer, and it's fans.

That is, if the U.S. team can get into the world cup.

As for Joe, and Rowdy's comments, LMAO.

Stupid is, as stupid types.

Because GW NEVER used Air Force One, right?

Again, LMAO.

(america is on high alert, as republicans and the hillary dems,{Rowdy}, continue to be angry, and feel disenfranchised)...

hehehe; Reply to this comment

by mattcat25 June 22, 2009 5:07 PM EDT

Didn't George W. Bush attend the Olympics (as President) in Bejing China?

hmmm...

Reply to this comment


by speakinup22 June 22, 2009 6:05 PM EDT: As a lame duck yes.

But Barry has a rogue nation threating to bomb the US, an Iranian issue with which he seems to be completely out of ideas, a few local agendas on the burner (Health care comes to mind), not to mention an economy that he claims we will all need to sacrifice some things in.

Oh well, Nero did fiddle while Rome burned, didn't he ?

Good Socialist !


by mattcat25 June 23, 2009 9:21 AM EDT: Maybe President Obama should go clear some brush instead?


by speakinup22 June 22, 2009 5:04 PM EDT: Why not it will only cost the taxpayers a coupla million. Sure, a play on broadway, a few junkets to Europe.... Why not a football game or two ?

He's out of touch anyway - why not milk it ?; Reply to this comment


by NY-Joe-10 June 22, 2009 4:49 PM EDT: Another worthless tour at our expense.....what happened to tightening our belts ??? all of us middle class have to do with less, and this clown is jetting around on his hate-america "sorry,we're bad" tour....no plenty of money for Gaza, Abortions and trips to watch soccer, but still no middle-class tax cut.....NOTHING ? what happened to the big middle class tax cut he promised ??? oh, right, he played you like fiddles and played you hard.; Reply to this comment


by mattcat25 June 22, 2009 4:43 PM EDT: President Obama continues to set GOOOOOALs!; Reply to this comment


by credibility2 June 22, 2009 4:42 PM EDT: Gee, a perfect opportunity to take Michelle and the two girls along so they can spend time in another part of the world nearly all other kids have had a chance to visit.; Reply to this comment