When our president does something stupid, I am often the first person to speak out against him.

But when he does something great – like call Kanye West a “jackass” or hold a “beer summit” – I’m also the first to give him props. And I think that his mission to bring the 2016 Olympic Summer Games to Chicago is gold medal-worthy as well.

In his Tuesday column “U.S. not economically ready for Olympics,” Michael Fitzpatrick criticized President Barack Obama. His qualm with the president was his desire to bring the Summer Olympics – what he considers “a two-week party of glitz and gluttony” – to the United States.

Party pooper.

Fitzpatrick cited the cost of holding the Olympic Games as his primary reason for hanging up the proverbial torch. But the morale boost Americans will feel, coupled with the tremendous positive economic effect the spectators and athletes will impart on struggling businesses, will far outweigh the financial hiccup.

Restaurants, hotels, the construction industry and the tourism industry will all feel the positive effects of the millions of visitors expected to descend on Chicago. Spectators holding one of the more than 7.5 million tickets to various Olympic games are sure to give the Windy City a much-needed economic boost.

It cost Beijing $43 billion to pay for the 2008 Olympics – but Beijing lacked many amenities that Chicago already boasts. Chicago’s planned budget isn’t anywhere close to Beijing’s. You are comparing apples to (mandarin) oranges.

According to the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid book, the operating budget would be $3.8 billion. To put this in perspective, last year’s Emergency Economic Stabilization Act came with a price tag of $700 billion. And though the budget of the Olympic games could run over – some projections are saying the total cost may go as high as $5 billion – I highly doubt it will multiply more than 10-fold to equal Fitzpatrick’s unfounded projections of $40 billion to $50 billion.

Additionally, the $49.3 million in bid costs were borne exclusively by the private sector. And as of April – a full six months before this Friday’s decision to officially name the winning city – $48 million in cash and goods had been pledged. Clearly many Americans are in support of this endeavor. In fact, a 2007 Zogby poll indicated that number was around 77 percent.

According to the Huffington Post, past leaders have been able to schmooze judges in favor of their cities.

Former U.K. prime minister Tony Blair went to Singapore to meet with International Olympic Committee members. The 2012 Olympics will be held in – you guessed it – London.

Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin did the same for the Sochi, Russias bid for the 2014 Winter Games, which was also awarded the Games. And here’s to hoping Obama will do the same for Chi-Town.

The other contenders for the 2016 summer games?

Madrid. Rio de Janeiro. Tokyo.

Let’s ask Delta Air Lines how cheap it might be to fly to these potential locales.

Since Delta doesn’t have itineraries planned for 2016, let’s see how much it would cost to fly out on July 22 – the date the Olympics begin – of next year.

Madrid: $1,165.

Rio: $1,277.

And Tokyo would cost a whopping $2,108.

Sorry, Fitzpatrick. But not all of us have parents who work for airlines and can get cheap airfare.

Bottom line: we have a president who is very popular in Europe. He wants to give the American people a renewed sense of pride in our country. And let’s face it, the Obamas know how to throw a party.

I am all for fiscal responsibility, but in the midst of the recession, the American people deserve to celebrate the ideals of sportsmanship and patriotism right here in the United States. America needs something to rally around again as one collective voice; we have been divided on too many issues for too long.

Life is a party, and it’s too short to be a curmudgeon, pessimistically putting a price tag on what promises to be a great experience.

- Daniel Burnett is the associate news editor of The Red & Black