Republicans Suggest Backlash Against Baseball If Soros Group Wins Bid To Buy Nats

[savafan]

http://www.drudgereport.com/flash1.htm

Despite the Washington Nationals' successful start to the season, to some Capitol Hill Republicans there is a dark cloud on the Nats' horizon: the potential that their newly adopted home team could be purchased by billionaire financier George Soros!

Soros has joined an ownership bid being led by entrepreneur Jonathan Ledecky that is angling to take over the Nats, who are currently owned by Major League Baseball.

ROLL CALL reports: Soros pumped more than $20 million in the last cycle into groups seeking to unseat President Bush and elect Democrats and relates that the very prospect that Soros could have a stake in the team is enough to irritate Congressional Republicans.

"I think Major League Baseball understands the stakes," said Government Reform Chairman Tom Davis (R), who recently convened high-profile steroid hearings.

Davis said that if a Soros sale went through, "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 anti-trust laws. Rep. John Sweeney (R-N.Y.), vice chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee that covers the District of Columbia budget, said if Soros buys the team and seeks public funding for a new stadium or anything else, the GOP attitude would be, "Let him pay for it."

Developing...

[Unassisted]

That's what I call hardball.

Selig knows which side his bread is buttered on. Soros won't get approved as an owner.

[RedsBaron]

I don't care for Soros (unlike some here I don't actually "hate" people I disagree with politically), but I have absolutely no objection to his owning a team. His politics should be irrelevant to that issue.

[smith288]

I will not comment on the subject but will on the thread...it wont last the day...

[Chip R]

They enjoy all sorts of exemptions' from anti-trust laws. Rep. John Sweeney (R-N.Y.), vice chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee that covers the District of Columbia budget, said if Soros buys the team and seeks public funding for a new stadium or anything else, the GOP attitude would be, "Let him pay for it."

Sounds OK to me. If this guy's so rich he can damn well build his own stadium. But I think Unassisted is correct. If he scares Congress that much he won't be approved.

[KronoRed]

Government should stay out of it.

Horrible plan.

[RedFanAlways1966]

Soros pumped more than $20 million in the last cycle into groups seeking to unseat President Bush and elect Democrats

Mr. Soros has already shown the country and MLB that he spends like a fool and all that money gets wasted in the end and does not do any good for what it was meant to accomplish. The last thing MLB needs is some owner who spends like a madman and it backfires in his face. Been there, done that. Any person who tries to "buy" the most important election in this country with ridiculous spending is not worthy to own a MLB team IMO. It is his money, but fiscal responsiblity should account for something. Do you think the majority of MLB owners want to see some richman come in and raise the already ridiculous salaries of this league? Utility-guys making millions. That is exactly what a man like Soros would accomplish... all the while winning no championships (he lost the last he paid dearly to win).

It is ironic that Soros wants to buy the only team on the market in today's game.... the Washington Nationals. A town that currently has a Repub majority in both Houses and in the White House. A town where these politicians have major league sway. Guess, as the the saying goes, you make your bed and now you will lie in it. Oh well... hard to feel sorry for a guy who can afford to blow $20 mill on an election and still be filthy-stinking-rich. Good luck in his efforts. No sympathy from this MLB fan. None at all (go figure, eh?).

[RBA]

Mr. Soros is a successful businessman. I see no reason why he couldn't continue to make sound business decisions when it comes to a baseball team.

Washington D.C. is heavily Democrat and D.C. went heavily for John Kerry the last election. His politics reflect the vast majority of the D.C. area.

[registerthis]

Washington D.C. is heavily Democrat and D.C. went heavily for John Kerry the last election.

They did indeed. Politics shouldn't be included in this process, but if Soros is denied in his bid to own the team predominantly because he is a Democrat, there will be a lot of very unhappy people in the District and beyond.

I get the impression, though, that if Jack Abramoff or another successful Repuiblican donee were to place a bid, there'd be very little said about his politics.

[RBA]

They did indeed. Politics shouldn't be included in this process, but if Soros is denied in his bid to own the team predominantly because he is a Democrat, there will be a lot of very unhappy people in the District and beyond.

I get the impression, though, that if Jack Abramoff or another successful Repuiblican donee were to place a bid, there'd be very little said about his politics.

Funny, how Gov. Ann Richards and the Democratic Controlled state house didn't do any belly aching when President Bush was part of the ownership group for the Texas Rangers.

[Chip R]

Funny, how Gov. Ann Richards and the Democratic Controlled state house didn't do any belly aching when President Bush was part of the ownership group for the Texas Rangers.

Probably because he wasn't that active in politics when he bought the team.

[smith288]

Probably because he wasn't that active in politics when he bought the team.

Foresight is 20/20.

Plus Bush was a minority owner and more of a public figure than any administrative role...love how he gets the blame for the Sosa trade... lol.

[M2]

I've now become convinced that politics has become subordinate to political financing, that's what this is all about. Time to blow up the sandbox.

Give 'em no more than two terms in the House and one in the Senate. That way they won't have enough time to act like children.

[RBA]

Foresight is 20/20.

Plus Bush was a minority owner and more of a public figure than any administrative role...love how he gets the blame for the Sosa trade... lol.

But he did make a hell of a lot of money from his initial measley investment.

[Ravenlord]

But he did make a hell of a lot of money from his initial measley investment.

ideally, that's how capitalism works.