Obama may go to Denmark for Olympics push

CHICAGO, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama may travel to Copenhagen as Olympic officials are meeting there to decide the venue of the 2016 Summer Games, a source says.

Obama's hometown of Chicago is one of the finalists for the games, along with Madrid, Tokyo and Rio Di Janeiro, and the Olympic committee is set to meet in Copenhagen Oct. 2 to make a decision.

An unnamed senior White House adviser told Sunday's Chicago Tribune that Obama has dispatched an advance team to the Danish capital should he decide he can spare the time to lobby for the Chicago bid.

"He wants to preserve his options," the adviser told the newspaper.

The Tribune reported that Obama has told Chicago Mayor Richard Daley his efforts to pass healthcare reform legislation may take precedence over the Olympics effort, but that he still hopes to make the trip to Copenhagen.