Rio puts President Lula at heart of Olympic bid

Rio de Janeiro's bid to host the 2016 Olympics has put Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the center of its campaign.

Sidestepping questions Tuesday about the effect President Barack Obama's presence could have on Chicago's bid, Rio's team said Silva had 80 percent approval ratings in Brazil.

Bid leader Carlos Nuzman said the president _ …