Why is Congress poking its nose into MLB?

leyton

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Fri Mar-18-05 03:25 PM
Original message

Why is Congress poking its nose into MLB?

Sorry if this has already been asked, but where in the Constitution does it say Congress can regulate baseball players? Or is that covered in the interstate commerce clause? This is a huge farce. I realize the dangers steroids present, but Congress might better spend its time, you know, messing up the country.

Seriously though, what justification is there for congressional hearings about baseball?

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BrainRants

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Fri Mar-18-05 03:26 PM
Response to Original message

1. Autographs for the grandchildren? n/t

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grumpy old fart

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Fri Mar-18-05 03:32 PM
Response to Original message

2. They can pretty much investigate anything, as I understand it....

Edited on Fri Mar-18-05 03:37 PM by grumpy old fart

http://democrats.reform.house.gov/com.asp

Representative Henry A. Waxman, Democrat of California and the committee's ranking minority member, said that baseball had failed to investigate itself, so Congress would do the job. As a precedent, he cited hearings on the 1950's television quiz-show scandals.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30E17FF3C580C738DDDAA0894DD404482

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Hand

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Fri Mar-18-05 03:32 PM
Response to Original message

3. Grandstanding, pure and simple.

Danziger gets it right, as usual.

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grumpy old fart

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Fri Mar-18-05 03:38 PM
Response to Reply #3

5. I damn near forgot.....TICKETS!! Of Course.....lol

Great Cartoon.

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DenverDem

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Fri Mar-18-05 03:38 PM
Response to Original message

4. Congress gave MLB a pass on anti-trust law

so they should be able to check out what their corporate welfare has wrought.

If baseball players are obviously breaking laws and thumbing their noses at management, the fans and the authorities about it, then Congress has as much right to investigate them as they do to investigate other rampant lawlessness like Enronomics.

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Freddie Stubbs

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Fri Mar-18-05 03:41 PM
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6. Because they knew that the TV cameras would show up

At least there is one thing that Democrats and Republicans in Congress can agree on.

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NYCGirl

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Fri Mar-18-05 03:44 PM
Response to Original message

7. Because the music business wouldn't return their calls? NT

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tom_paine

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Fri Mar-18-05 03:54 PM
Response to Original message

8. Because they have nothing else to do and have to pretend

You see, considering they are VERBOTEN from investigated the Emperor or his minions, they have to put on a little calliope music so that the incurious passersby will think something is going on in there.

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Swede Atlanta

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Fri Mar-18-05 04:02 PM
Response to Original message

9. Anti-Trust Issues

MLB has anti-trust immunity. I don't know the details but at some point in time Congress and the President agreed to exempt MLB from our anti-trust laws (not that they are ever enforced anymore). So I think its under this veil that Congress feels they have a duty of oversight. Plus it helps detract from Delay's legal problems, the inhumane bankruptcy bill and the decision to destroy ANWR.

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