NYT/AP: Selig: Remarks (re. Soros) Not a Factor in Nationals Sale

[DeepModem Mom]

Selig: Remarks Not a Factor in Nats Sale
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: July 12, 2005
Filed at 6:50 p.m. ET


DETROIT (AP) -- Baseball commissioner Bud Selig says remarks by a congressional committee chairman against billionaire George Soros won't be considered as the sport weighs offers for the Washington Nationals.

Rep. Tom Davis, a Virginia Republican who chairs the House Government Reform Committee, told Roll Call last month that "major league baseball understands the stakes" if the group Soros is a part of purchases the first-place team.

"It has no affect on how we select the ownership in Washington," Selig said Tuesday during a pre-All-Star game question-and-answer session with the Baseball Writers' Association of America. "This is a baseball decision. It is not a political decision, nor should politics interfere with any decision we're making."

Soros, who supports liberal causes, and his Soros Fund Management are partners in the Big Train Holdco Bid, headed by former Washington Capitals part-owner Jon Ledecky. Davis chaired congressional hearings critical of baseball's steroids rules and has pushed for federal legislation to override them.

"I don't think they want to get involved in a political fight," Roll Call quoted Davis...."I don't think it's the Nationals that get hurt. I think it's Major League Baseball that gets hurt. They enjoy all sorts of exemptions," he said, referring to the sport's antitrust exemption....


http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-BBN-Nationals-Sale.html

[StevieM]

1. This is so despicable. There is an ideological test for.....

owning a baseball team.

Steve

[Lindsay]

2. Repugs have an ideological test for pretty much

everything.

But you've probably noticed that.

[bluestateguy]

3. If Marge Schott could own a team ,then Soros should have that right too

I believe Selig is a nominal Democrat, but he's first and foremost a businessman.

Selig's donations:

http://www.newsmeat.com/sports_political_donations/Allan_Bud_Selig.php