Say what you will about the Tibet protestors, but as an act of brand warfare — tarnishing one of the most carefully cultivated worldwide brands ever created — they’ve done a masterful job. They’ve now got the torch cowering inside buses and cutting short its route, and today PM Brown said he would boycott opening ceremony. Hillary Clinton, of course, has called on Bush to do the same. Why not Obama?
As Ben Smith points out, it may reflect the fact that Chicago is bidding for the 2016 Games.

The bid is a major prize to Obama’s allies in the Daley machine, and one of his close advisors, Valerie Jarrett, is one of three vice-chairs. The honorary chairman, of course, is Richard M. Daley.
And Clinton puts some pressure on Obama on the issue, speaking at an Irish-American event in New York City:
“I wanted to commend Prime Minister Gordon Brown for agreeing not to go to the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Beijing. That was an important decision by Prime Minister Brown and I am calling on Senator’s McCain and Obama to join me in my request that President Bush also not attend the opening ceremonies,” she said.