Finally, the Chief Executive called the Home Run Hitter. This allays fears expressed throughout the Land of Liberty about Bush not calling Bonds. (link: Larry Brown Sports)
News services and blogs wondered what the President would do when Barry Bonds toppled Hank Aaron as the king of MLB career home runs. After all, private citizen George Bush owned the Texas Rangers, one of the seminal dirty 'roid teams, from 1988 to 1998 when he sold the team for a handsome profit.
During George Bush's tenure as owner of the Rangers, the club became a hotbed of PED use: Jose Canseco, Juan Gonzalez, Ivan Rodriguez, and others. (Texas even added Ken Caminiti in the 2000s, however Bush was Juan Gone by then).
Sports columnist Skip Bayless — who was previously a sports journalist in Dallas — said on ESPN that the Bonds situation is difficult for Bush to discuss because he looked the other way on steroids use as manager of the Rangers:
I was there in Texas during those years, and I knew the President when he was owner of the Rangers. And I heard all the whispers around the locker room and the clubhouse. … I think he looked the other way. I’m sure George heard them also and looked the other way. … I think they [baseball commissioner Bud Selig and Bush] believe that Barry Bonds used steroids. (from Thin Progress)
The President created a stir, when following the initial BALCO releases, he attacked steroid use in his 2004 State of the Union address:
To help children make right choices, they need good examples. Athletics play such an
important role in our society, but, unfortunately, some in professional sports are not setting much of an example. The use of performance-enhancing drugs like steroids in baseball, football, and other sports is dangerous, and it sends the wrong message -- that there are shortcuts to accomplishment, and that performance is more important than character. So tonight I call on team owners, union representatives, coaches, and players to take the lead, to send the right signal, to get tough, and to get rid of steroids now. (Applause.)
Thus, it seemed interesting to see how the Chief Executive would treat the Chief Alleged Juicer upon his 756th home run. The President must be aware of the BALCO documents, although we hear he isn't an avid reader.
According to Think Progress, the President called up Barry Bonds, to congratulate the slugger today.
President Bush called Barry Bonds to congratulate him for breaking Hank Aaron’s mark as the all-time homerun king. The White House was apparently in no rush to make the call. “It was after noon before the president finally called, spending about three minutes on the phone.” Why the delay? The Swamp speculates:
Might this have had anything to do with the suspicion of steroid use by the San Francisco Giant who has batted his 756th homer?
“Right now, there is a leaguewide investigation going on in regard to steroid use,” Snow, said, and the president encourages the pursuit of that investigation and also thanks senators for pressing it.
Ah, politics. Maybe President Bush can get this economy on some steroids...
Update after the jump
ABC News carries an update on the Bush-Bonds-Bash:
United States President and former pro baseball team owner George W Bush has congratulated Barry Bonds for smashing baseball's hallowed home-run mark, but avoided the controversy on Bonds's alleged use of steroids.
Mr Bush told Fox television that he had "politely waited until the appropriate time on the Pacific Coast" - which is three hours behind Washington - to call and offer his congratulations to the San Francisco Giants slugger...
"He is a great hitter. He broke the record of another great hitter, Hank Aaron. And I congratulated him on breaking that record," said Mr Bush, a longtime fan of the game who once was part owner of the Texas Rangers club...
"There is a lot of speculation about Barry Bonds and my only advice for people is to just let history be the judge. Let's find out the facts, and then everybody's opinion, one way or the other, will be verified or not verified," he said.
"In the meantime, however, it's appropriate to recognize this man can hit the baseball."
Mr Bush said that if Bonds was proven to use such drugs, it would be up to baseball to decide how his record is treated.
"There will be a lot of disappointed people, and baseball and the baseball writers will have to make the determination as to whether or not he would receive the highest accolade of all, which would be to be admitted into the Baseball Hall of Fame," he said.
"As you know, I love the sport. Obviously, I'm dead-set against steroids being in baseball. I think it's bad for the game.
"But in terms of how baseball reacts, it really depends on what the facts are."
Actually, decent remarks from our President. We too feel there remains quite a bit of game on this Game of Shadows thing.
Gary Bonds #756
Posted by: Check it out | 08/08/2007 at 19:43