By Freddie Mooche

(AXcess News) Washington - The Olympic Committee awarded the 2016 Summer games to Rio De Janeiro Friday, leaving President Obama's trip to Denmark to promote the city of Chicago a political bust.  Obama boarded Air Force One to return to the United States where he faces criticism from GOP leaders who said he had more pressing issues at home - "Obama isn't the Mayor of Chicago", one lawmaker quipped.

The International Olympic Committee released their decision Friday in Copenhagen, Denmark where President Obama had flown into the night before to try and win Chicago the 2016 Summer Olympics.  But his over-confidence was left aboard Air Force One where in a surprise first-round decision, the Olympic Committee snubbed the U.S. president's presence.

Chicago, being America's third-largest city, was a favorite but also up for Olympic Committee consideration was Madrid Spain.  In the past, Rio had lost out in bids for the Summer Olympics in 1936, 2004 and 2012.

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said cities in South America and South Africa where the Summer Olympics had never been held was a 'mission' of the Committee and they were glad to have awarded the 2016 Summer Olympics to Rio de Janeiro when they did.

Apparently Rio's bringing a sports superstar to Copenhagen impressed the Olympics Committee more than the President of the United States.  Soccer superstar Pele told Committee members that Brazil has tried four times and failed while his countrymen supported his efforts to be there in Denmark to impress upon the Olympics Committee how committed the South American country was to hosting the 2016 Olympic Summer games.

It was more than apparent that being a member of the U.S. Democratic Party was not enough to convince the Olympic Committee that Obama's home-city of Chicago was somehow superior and therefore deserved to have the 2016 Summer Games hosted there.

Following the Committee's decision, an AXcess News correspondent overheard one Committee member snidely saying, "there's no 'change' for Mr. Obama here."