McCarthyism Witch-Hunt Against Major League Baseball Players

[Itsthetruth]

CounterPunch
March 11, 2005

Kucinich: from Peacenik to Grand Inquisitor
Neo-McCarthyism Slugs Major League Baseball
By DAVE ZIRIN

Now, as Cubs manager Dusty Baker says, a new "McCarthyism," is being imposed on Major League Baseball. A congressional committee, already preening for the nearest cameras, has been tasked with "getting steroids out of Major League Baseball." Current and former players Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, Curt Shilling, Frank Thomas, Jason Giambi, Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco, have all been subpoenaed to testify under oath.

Major League Baseball and the Players Association have pledged to fight the subpoenas, taking the unprecedented step to unite under one attorney, Mr. Stanley Brand. Brand is arguing all over TV land that this congressional committee has no jurisdiction, is violating the player's first amendment privacy rights with no purpose but to "satisfy their prurient interest into who may and may not have engaged in this activity." Brand has also made the point that forcing former and current major leaguers to answer questions or risk prison will accomplish nothing since baseball just adopted a far-reaching steroid testing plan. Brand argues that the MLB program, like any drug testing plan in any work place, has a confidentiality agreement that would be worthless if players feel compelled to accept immunity, name names, and rat out teammates.

Because Congress does not want their hypocrisy highlighted, there is one slugger whose absence from the subpoena list speaks volumes: Giants outfielder Barry Bonds. Bonds, poised this year to become baseball's all-time home run king, is the player around whom "performance enhancing drug" rumors swirl and the player whose ascension has stoked the anti-steroid furies.

While most players will either plead the fifth or cut a deal, Bonds would probably tell them to go straight to hell. The future Hall of Famer seems to have been deeply politicized in recent years by the recent steroid controversy coupled with the death of his father a former Major League player and staunch unionist. In recent interviews, Bonds' pose has not merely been his normal surly and rude, but surly rude, and political. As Bonds said recently to a group of reporters in Arizona, "You want to define cheating in America? When they make a shirt in Korea for a $1.50 and sell it here for 500 bucks. And you ask me what cheating means? I'll tell you how I cheat. I cheat because I'm my daddy's son. He taught me the game. He taught me things nobody else knows. So that's how I cheat. I'm my daddy's son."


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[meegbear]

1. Oh boo fucking hoo

make the junkies testify.

[Jesus Saves]

2. "You want to define cheating in America?"

The best way to define it is with two words: Republican party.

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. Oh, puhlease. Make them earn their millions.

[ClassicDem]

4. I have serious issues with

the federal government getting involved with this.

[TahitiNut]

8. Ever since MLB was exempted from Anti-Trust laws ...

... they've been a government-protected monopoly. Lie down with dogs, get up with fleas.

[Eric J in MN]

5. I trust Dennis Kucinich over this guy who calls him

a "Grand Inquisitor."

[Jesus Saves]

6. I didn't realize Bonds was such a cool guy

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. Millionaire entertainers in trouble? Another sideshow.

Right up there with Michael Jackson's slippers and Martha's microwave.

Actresses enhance their breasts, jocks enhance their biceps. Big deal.

[donsu]

9. however, kids on steroids is a huge problem

what the adults do to themselves is one thing, giving steroids to kids is child abuse

[Itsthetruth]

10. Dennis Kucinich Should Not Participate.

Dennis should at least withdraw from participating in this Congressional "investigation". If he proceeds, his credibility will be severely damaged.

If they want to go after millionnaires, they should target the corporate crooks who are destroying this nation and let the ball players play baseball.

[Walt Starr]

14. Millionaire entertainers allowed to skirt the drug laws

that you and I would be rotting in prison over had we done the same.

More class warfare where the rich poiss on everybody else.

[CornField]

11. In a way I think it is worse than the HUAC

At least the HUAC thought they were seeking out something which could destroy our nation. (Communism)

I'm not exactly sure how our Congress can explain the time they spend interviewing baseball players. This 'interest' in the running of MLB is a direct slap in the face to each and every soldier serving in the God-forsaken wars Bush* has started. It is an abomination before each child that goes without adequate food and health care.

In short, it is one of the most stupid things I've ever heard.

[Itsthetruth]

13. Please Urge Dennis To Not Participate:

Please write or call Dennis and urge him to not participate in the hearings at:

Lakewood
14400 Detroit Avenue
Lakewood, OH 44107
Phone [phone]
Fax [phone]

Parma
5983 West 54th Street
Parma, OH 44129
Phone [phone]
Fax [phone]


Washington, DC
1730 Longworth
Washington, DC 20515
Phone [phone]
Fax [phone]

[tinonedown]

12. I feel so sorry for these millionaires

NOT. There are things I want the govt. to stop doing (Bush has created a list a mile long) I am not going to pick my battle by defending privaleged millionaires. This is just another Michael Jackson sideshow.

[Itsthetruth]

17. Sideshow?

And who is organizing and leading that "sideshow". It looks like some very nasty bi-partisanship here.

Rather than go after the millionnaire corporate thieves it seems that Congress would rather pick on some ball players who they believe the public can be taught to hate because they have money.

Well, the ball players didn't steal it and they didn't make it by exploiting cheap labor so they make a perfect target!

[Jesus Saves]

15. I'll tell you what this stupid committee will be

It will just be a bunch of hypocrital congressmen preening for the cameras.

I hope they do try and drag Bonds in there. He'll call them out.

As both Bonds and the authors of the article point out, this is the same Congress that writes laws that favor corporate America, allows millions to go without health insurance, and strikes deals with sweatshops.

And they want to preach about cheating?

[Walt Starr]

16. I'm glad they got subpoenaed

and I hope every last one that refuses goes to jail for contempt of congress.

[Itsthetruth]

19. You Want Congress To Put Ball Players In The Slammer?

"I'm glad they got subpoenaed and I hope every last one that refuses goes to jail for contempt of congress."

That kind of view demonstrates just how effective the right-wing has been in affecting the consciousness of normally progressive minded people. I expect to hear exactly those words from right-wing commentators who hate the baseball players and their union.

I urge you to think carefully about what you just wrote. I'm sure that on many, probably most issues, we are in agreement.

[Walt Starr]

21. I've thought about it carefully. Pampered millionaire entertainers

who violate laws that would put any one of us away for 20 years or more should not expect special treatment.

[Jesus Saves]

20. Yeah they're really tackling the tough issues

It's all about protecting the 'chilrun'. Yeah right, it's about face time, and striking 'moral' poses in front of a nation filled with corporate crooks and corporate cheaters.

This is the same Congress poised to pass the Bankruptcy bill.

[Walt Starr]

23. Yes, but the millionaire entertainers brought it down on themselves

They're the ones who took illegal performance enhancing drugs to drive up revenues while the owners looked the other way and they expected to get away with it and suffer no consequences.

Boo-friggin-hoo.

[Jesus Saves]

28. "entertainers"

An athlete is different than a sitcom actor.

The whole system was corrupt. As soon as one player started doing it, they all had to, just to keep up. You're right the millionare owners looked the other way, and their buddies in Congress did too, all the while basking in the reflected glory.

The only hypocrites here are the corporations and the politicians.

The athletes were trying to survive.

I guarantee you, guarantee you, this will be a witch hunt. A few players will be sacrificed. The corporations, the owners, the politicians, they'll be the ones left standing.

So don't give me that preachy bullsh*t, ok?

[Walt Starr]

31. "The athletes were trying to survive."

because it's just so damn tought to get by on 4 million bucks a year for five years.

Give
Me
A
Break

:eyes:

[havocmom]

18. McCarthyism was about a person's politics

Steroids are a controlled substance, the abuse of which is illegal. This is about crime, not politics. Not a witch hunt.

I do, however, think there are more pressing issues the US Congress could be spending their time and efforts on at the present time. This is just one more in a long line of diversions for the national attention while the foxes finish off the birds in the coupe.

[Itsthetruth]

22. Baseball Is Now Drug Free

The baseball players union reached an agreement with the owners on random testing for drugs, all drugs, including pot. The sport will now be drug free. Case closed.

There is no need for nor a public outcry for a congressional investigation of baseballplayers.

[Walt Starr]

24. Oh for crying out loud, it's the RICH BASEBALL OWNERS

who want this to just go away. They are the ones who looked the other way and they are terrified that the players will say something like they were encouraged to do this by management.

[havocmom]

27. They agreed to be drug free?

Like bush agreed to defend and protect the Contsitituion? Gee, so agreeing to be good in the future after being caught in the past is enough? Pish posh, if there was criminal activity in the past, they can take their medicine just like some poor guy who gets busted for shoplifting.

Besides, the junta needs more diversions from what is really going on with the robbing of the treasury and the moves to give corporations ore rights and less responisbilities than real people get.

I do think past criminal activity should be investigeted and the guilty punished. I do not think it is a worthwhile activity for the Congress, considering all the other pressin matters they could be attending to.

[Shakespeare]

30. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!

And we all believe that, right? Just like they promised the last time? MLB's testing protocol is a joke. I'm skeptical the new testing protocol will be any better.

:eyes:

[tx_dem41]

25. Why Kucinich is involved with this confounds me?

There is no role for Government in this issue (except to get rid of the damned anti-trust exemption Congress gave MLB originally).

[tx_dem41]

26. Self-delete

Danged double post.

[rinsd]

29. Great someone who defines McCarthyism....

...by what they saw in Dazed and Confused.

[Itsthetruth]

32. They Are Protecting Us From Raging Baseball Drug Addicts!

I can just hear the House Committee members now:

"Are you now or have you ever been a drug user?"

"Have you ever associated with anyone who uses drugs?"

"Name ball players who you think might have used steroids or any other drugs."

"We want names. If you refused to provide us with names you'll be held in contempt of Congress!"

A McCarthyite type witch-hunt? Of course not. They are just protecting the little children from rich ball players. How nice and noble.

[K-W]

33. It isnt a witch hunt, but it is an abuse of power.

Our government is such a joke.

[LoganW]

34. I think this is mostly an attempt

to get votes & free PR...