Sen. Obama issued the following statement concerning the Beijing Olympics this evening:

If the Chinese do not take steps to help stop the genocide in Darfur and to respect the dignity, security, and human rights of the Tibetan people, then the President should boycott the opening ceremonies. As I have communicated in public and to the President, it is past time for China to respect the human rights of the Tibetan people, to allow foreign journalists and diplomats access to the region, and to engage the Dalai Lama in meaningful talks about the future of Tibet. I am also deeply concerned about China’s failure to support efforts to halt the genocide in Darfur. Regarding the Beijing Olympics this summer, a boycott of the opening ceremonies should be firmly on the table, but this decision should be made closer to the Games.

The Politico brings up the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid as an angle on Obama’s cautious approach.  Maybe.

What does this statement tell us? Well, Obama’s desire to make the call on skipping the ceremonies at a  later time suggests something…but what precisely?  On the one hand he’s not outright opposed to a boycott.   Maybe he is trying to signal to the electorate and the Chinese that he is not going to have knee-jerk/opportunistic reactions in engaging China but instead prefers a more deliberative, consistent and comprehensive approach.  At least that is what his past comments indicate.