Presidents Day and Baseball - Neither Means as Much as it Used to

Presidents Day is coming up on Monday, and as a big fan of both presidential trivia and baseball, I see some parallels between each of them today.

Baseball has been cheapened by steroid abuse. Many of its hallowed records are now a joke (73 home runs in a season?!?!?). Barry Bonds may well break Hank Aaron’s lifetime home run record, but at what cost? Jose Canseco has called the players on it. His credibility may be shot, but he raises so many suspicions that one has to call into question all players’ exploits and achievements in recent years.

George W. Bush has cheapened the presidency in a similar fashion. To be fair, President Clinton cheapened the presidency as well. We all know how, particularly Republicans who are only too happy to remind us. However, just as baseball players have boosted their statistics with cheating and lies, Bush has demeaned his office. To wit:

Baseball players got record contracts because of inflated statistics. Halliburton gets record contracts in Iraq because there is no open bidding.

Baseball players have secret doings in the locker rooms where their activities might be illegal. Cheney had secret meetings with energy companies to devise our nation’s energy policy, which may or may not have been illegal.

Baseball players (though not all) believe it is their God-given right to be arrogant and self-serving. Bush is nothing if not arrogant.

Baseball players often believe they are entitled to perks that come with being wealthy and well-connected. Bush believed he was entitled to the presidency.

Baseball players often make a ton of money despite little education. Bush is wealthy from money his family made and has a good ed-joo-cay-shun because of his family’s connections. Of course, he brags about having been a poor student who partied a wee bit too often, but I digress.

It’s interesting that Bush was the owner of the Texas Rangers when Canseco joined the team. Canseco says that Bush was aware of rampant steroid use on his team but turned a blind eye toward it. Maybe, maybe not. I was not there, and I do not know. I know Bush used the position as a stepping-stone to become Governor Bush. We all know what he did after that, so maybe he didn't want a small matter like mass use of illegal drugs to disrupt his path.

I wish you all a Happy Presidents-Plus-Bush Day. May you be the beneficiary of many sales. If you’re wealthy, you have more money to spend thanks to Mr. Bush, so go knock yourselves out.