IN WASHINGTON, SPORTS AND POLITICS DO MIX!

While enjoying a day off from work after collecting late telephone payments over the weekend, I was enjoying this morning's USA Today when coming across an interesting story in the Sports section.

Apparently there are seven potential buyer groups for the Washington Nationals baseball team. The Nationals, formerly the Montreal Expos, are currently owned by Major League Baseball until one of them --- or another yet unknown --- gets the approval for buying the team. It seems that one of the groups includes billionaire financier George Soros, best known for his very liberal support of various organizations who worked to defeat President Bush last year...to the tune of approximately $20 million dollars.

Republicans in Congress are deciding that it's payback time for Mr. Soros, and have indicated to Major League Baseball that they would seriously consider repealing the sport's antitrust exemption if Soros is involved in the eventual purchase of the Nationals.

House Republican Chairman Tom Davis (R - VA), who chairs the House Government Reform Committee and chaired the recent congressional hearings on steriods in sports, told the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call:

"I think Major League Baseball understands the stakes...I don't think they want to get involved in the political fights."

Providing the counterpoint was House Democratic Policy Committee Charman George Miller (D - CA):

"Tom Davis should be charged with an error for this abusive political power play.
"It should be offensive not just to Democrats, but to all voting Americans that Republicans might manipulate the legislative process for partisan purposes in response to the potential purchase of a baseball team by someone who does not support the current Republican agenda."

“Even baseball, apparently, is not off limits to the overreaching of the Republicans, who believe that winning an election means dictating the political beliefs and actions of all major institutions in this country.

“It is bad enough that they are trying to cut funding for Big Bird and censor public broadcasting. But now Republicans are threatening Major League Baseball with legislative retaliation if the league lets Soros’ group purchase a team. That is an abuse of power and I would hope that Republican leaders would stay out of the game and let the league decide who is eligible or not to own one of its teams."

Agreed! Can't we agree to stop acting like spoiled children and keep politics out of sports. It's one of the few places --- especially within the Beltway --- that individuals who can agree to disagree on every other issue can at least come together as friends and enjoy an evening of action without the aura of business overhead. Hey, if George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton can be friends and boat and play golf together at Bush's summer home in Maine...there is some hope out there...

BTW: Right now, the Nationals lead the National League East by 2 1/2 games over my personal favourite team, the Atlanta Braves. Nice what finally having a real home can do.