NATO summit video gets facts wrong about Chicago

The lilting voice of a Scottish woman talking about the NATO summit in Chicago later this month doesn't mask her errors. For starters, While Illinois has had three capitals in its nearly 200-year long history, Chicago was not one of them. Springfield has been the capital since Abraham Lincoln and the Long Nine made it so in 1837.



Another untruth: President Obama didn't grow up in Chicago--he moved there a year after he graduated from Columbia University.

Chicago's population may be diverse, but sorry, Scotty, it's not "the one place in the United States where Europeans can feel at home." The architecture and feel of Washington, Boston, and even St. Paul, Minnesota are more European. Boston's Euro-mix of people is just as diverse as Chicago's.

Also, there is no "Chicago's city center." It's either known as "the Loop" or downtown.

Chicago expert available for hire

While there is a jazz scene in Chicago, the city is better known for blues. You can find jazz in any major European city, but what blues clubs? No way. When I saw bands such as The Who or the Clash perform in Chicago, they made a point to offer a musical tribute to "the home of the blues."

And finally, the Lori Healy, the executive director of the Chicago Host Committee, says there will be "a significant number of temporary jobs" when the NATO summit is held.

Hmm...you don't have a solid number, Healy? How many of those "significant number of temporary jobs" are three hour bartender gigs?

A big hat tip to Publius Forum's YouTube channel and his Prairie State Blog for the video.

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