Olympic Embarrasment For Bush

Former Olympic Champion swimmer Mark Spitz has raised the possibility that the USA may withdraw from the Athens Olympics. Spitz asks, "Would it be political suicide to send a team there if you were the Bush administration? "

Imagine... Athletes wearing black arm-bands in protest at the War in Iraq, crowds at every event holding anti-US banners, booing the US flag and anthem, even US athletes making personal protests... The US public will finally realize what a pariah state they have become under Bush, and how massively anti-US feeling has grown under his incompetent, oil-grabbing administration.

On the other hand, if the USA does not withdraw and there is a terrorist attack which kills US athletes, will the US public blame Bush or the Greek organizers? With the Games scheduled just a month before the US elections, and Greece geographically on the doorstep of the Muslicm world, it looks like a gamble for Bush either way. My tip is he will pull the athletes out.

As Spitz says, ""If that does happen it will happen in the 11th hour and 59th minute."

No wonder the IOC has just taken out its first-ever cancellation insurance policy.