Rocket 86'd

photo NY Times

My confrere IOZ, has been tisking the task of Henry Waxman and his hearings on steroid use in Baseball. Proper Libertarian thought says who cares what athletes use to improve their performance? It's certainly no business of elected officials, etc.

Consider, though, like it or not, baseball was granted a special immunity from anti-trust laws in one of the Supreme Court's dumber decisions eighty some years ago. Consequently its status makes it fair game (haw!) for a Congressional committee bent on investigating the workings of an enormous actor in interstate commerce, one which also benefits greatly in many places from public funds.

And, gee, who got caught but one of its paragons, a very conservative Texan, lawyered-up enough to make you think he's fighting for a future in politics more than his place in the Hall of Fame. Looks like the rugged individualist had a little bottled help to make him walk so big. What we saw come apart in Washington yesterday was the budding career of one more brain-dead GOP politician (Jim Bunning, your starting job is secure!) a man who apparently had little understanding, use or respect for the protocol of the Legislative.

UPDATE: I was not aware that certain committee Repups, seeing their potential colleague from Texas in such a fix, went overboard with the stupid. Niiice. (C&L: don't miss the clip of Francessa and "Mad Dog" Russo tearing into Shays.)