Obama "Takes Shelter" in Chicago for His 50th?

Today is Aug. 4, and Barack Obama turns 50 years old. For his birthday, he went to be pampered in his beloved city of Chicago. The mayor there is Rahm Emanuel, former White House chief of staff, whose position was taken by Bill Daley, brother of the former Chicago mayor. Are you following? Is the president looking for some affection?

Chicago is also the city where Obama’s wife, Michelle, was born and where they met during a legal internship he did at Sidley Austin, where Michelle was working. This is also the location of his 2012 campaign headquarters. For the first time, an American president has separated his activities as a president from those as a presidential candidate.

For the sake of their 2012 candidate, Chicago organized fundraising evenings at the Aragon Ballroom which netted $3.6 million. The events included a concert with seats costing $50 (like his birthday number), for those who love music and his candidacy. Obama continues to lead the race for money collection for the 2012 campaign; in fact, the mirage of $1 billion is still in sight.

Chicago is a place of relief for Obama’s weary heart after weeks of difficult negotiations surrounding the debt ceiling. He should see Congress’s vote with optimism — a gift for his half-century birthday. He had to make compromises on economic weapons that were opportunities for boosting employment. The dream is being nibbled away, more and more — today, the unemployment rate is still 9.2 percent.

However, Chicago has a downside. Republican candidate Mitt Romney insidiously offered Obama a video clip: It is Chicago’s night of triumph in the 2008 campaign, and we hear Obama’s promises in the charged atmosphere of Grant Park. The text reads, “Obama Isn’t Working.” This is no campaign gift.