Remember when President Barack Obama lobbied passionately to get the 2016 Olympics to Mogadishu Chicago? The Olympics were eventually awarded to gang-torn Rio. Republicans pounded Obama. Chicago’s got about seven weeks to lobby for LeBron to pick the Windy City as his free agent destination, and Obama has chimed in (no overtly public pleas – yet): “I don’t want to meddle. I will say this: (Derrick) Rose, Joakim Noah it’s a pretty good core. You know, you could see LeBron fitting in pretty well there.” When is Obama’s main man Reggie Love going to whisper, “hey Barry, Ohio is a swing state we will need in 2012, and Cleveland is hurting, and, well, perhaps you should steer clear of LeBron?” In a way, we’d feel bad if Cleveland lost its most prized athlete since Jesse Owens. Unless LeBron to New York, of course. [Trib]