Even Obama prefers Chicago for his library

The site of the Obama library has not been officially announced, but the president himself has made his preference clear, telling the Chicago Tribune, "I hope it goes to Chicago." It’s his library, right? So it would seem to be game over.

But it’s not that simple. The Obama Foundation is waiting until after the April 7 runoff in the Chicago mayor’s race, to see whether Rahm Emanuel is re-elected. Emanuel, Obama’s former White House chief of staff, promised to "move heaven and earth" to bring the library to Chicago, according to the newspaper. His challenger, not so much. Honolulu has positioned itself as a potential adjunct to the main site, able to collaborate with whichever location gets the primary nod.

The committee has spoken, but has it been heard?

Who will be the next University of Hawaii athletic director? An eight-person search committee settled on David Matlin, executive director of the Hawaii Bowl and the Diamond Head Classic, as its final choice.

But a person who wasn’t interviewed by the committee, Keith Amemiya, a state Board of Education member and former head of the state high school athletic association, also was supposedly among the two favorites to succeed Ben Jay.

Without passing judgment on either of the candidates, the process has raised questions about how big a role the advisory committee will play in the final decision. In any event, may the best candidate win.