Republicans in Congress threatened Major League Baseball on Monday with repeal of its antitrust exemption if billionaire financier George Soros is involved in buying the Washington Nationals.
Soros, who contributed more than $20 million to groups in an attempt to unseat President Bush last year, recently joined an ownership group led by entrepreneur Jonathan Ledecky.
Seven groups have submitted bids for the former Montreal Expos franchise, which has been owned by the other 29 major league teams since 2002.
"I think Major League Baseball understands the stakes," House Government Reform chairman Tom Davis, R-Va., told Roll Call.
"I don't think they want to get involved in the political fights."
Davis, who convened the recent congressional hearings on steroids, added, "I don't think it's the Nats that get hurt. I think it's Major League Baseball that gets hurt. They enjoy all sorts of exemptions from antitrust laws."
Richard Levin, spokesman for Commissioner Bud Selig, responded, "We make decisions based on the best interests of the club and Major League Baseball."
Said Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., chairman of the House Democratic Policy Committee, in a statement: "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."
Go Republicans!
_________________ Deep below the dunes I roved Past the rows, past the rows Beside the acacias freshly in bloom I sent men to their doom
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
Democrats are going to shut down Congress unless the Nationals are in the World Series.
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 10:46 pm Posts: 9617 Location: Medford, Oregon Gender: Male
Green Habit wrote:
Who, anti-trust exemption? That's not good. Go GOP, indeed.
That's not the point though Nick. The point is that they're big fucking babies that have to have their pudgy white fingers in everything, or they'll punish you. Sounds more like the mafia than a conservative government to me.
_________________ Deep below the dunes I roved Past the rows, past the rows Beside the acacias freshly in bloom I sent men to their doom
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 10:53 pm Posts: 20537 Location: The City Of Trees
towelie wrote:
Green Habit wrote:
Who, anti-trust exemption? That's not good. Go GOP, indeed.
That's not the point though Nick. The point is that they're big fucking babies that have to have their pudgy white fingers in everything, or they'll punish you. Sounds more like the mafia than a conservative government to me.
I thought the would have implied how lightly I was saying that comment. It really wasn't worthy.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
towelie wrote:
Green Habit wrote:
Who, anti-trust exemption? That's not good. Go GOP, indeed.
That's not the point though Nick. The point is that they're big fucking babies that have to have their pudgy white fingers in everything, or they'll punish you. Sounds more like the mafia than a conservative government to me.
That's true. If an anti-trust exemption is the wrong thing, than toss it. Don't use the threat of it to control your enemies.
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
punkdavid wrote:
If Osama bin Laden wants to buy the Nationals, I couldn't fucking care less as long as he invests enough to make the team competitive.
What if he changes the name to the Washington Jihadists?
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
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worthy. 
