What should we expect him to accomplish over four years as President?

But there is a standard attack on Sanders that he can’t work on bipartisan legislation.

You do know that minor league teams are frequently an important pillar of community life outside cities, right?

Not huge cities, but cities all the same. We have one such team here in St. Paul, MN. Now, St. Paul is not a major city, but it's a sizable one. We have the St. Paul Saints, an unaffiliated, independent minor league team.

With the support of the City of St. Paul, that team recently built a new ball field in downtown St. Paul. It's a great place to watch baseball, if that's something you like to do. A few thousand people show up for every home game, and the team is thriving. My wife and I have even attended a couple of games, one time paying $35 a seat to sit directly behind home plate in four seats set up like a big porch swing. We invited a couple to join us for the game.

But, we're not baseball fans, and one game a year is enough.

My point here is that the St. Paul Saints is a business. It has managed, through good publicity and advertising to make its games popular as a diversion on a warm afternoon. The food is great at the concessions. The field is easy to get to and parking is cheap. The company is moderately successful, and the play is entertaining.

That is what will save minor league baseball, not machinations in Congress.

I know you are now officially against any legislation, but the point is that a) it has bipartisan support, and b) MLB is effectively a federally chartered monopoly and as such it is entirely appropriate for the charter grantor - congress - to 'machinate' in order to protect minor league teams.

any MLB organization. While St. Paul is a mid-sized city, a light rail line terminates right at their new stadium, which brings people to games from a 3-million population in the metro area.

My point, once again, is that baseball teams can be successful if they are able to attract a crowd at their games. The team here is an example of that, despite its non-affiliation with MLB or any MLB team.

No legislation will convert an unsuccessful minor league team into a successful one. MLB operates a system of farm teams that act as training grounds and holding pens for the players needed for its primary teams. The financial success of those minor league teams is not really a factor in their existence. Some do well. Others do not, but they are all essential for the purpose they exist to serve.

It is my opinion that it is not the responsibility of Congress to legislate anything having to do with professional sports teams. They are, as you say, a monopoly sanctioned by Congress. I find that noxious, frankly.

Professional sports should be solely funded by the audience for them. They should thrive or fail on their own merits. I object to any taxpayer participation in building their stadiums or other facilities. I object to their monopoly status. I object to their influence on our public schools at all levels, as well.

I do not offer kudos to any politician who spends any time perpetuating the support of professional sports teams.