Friday, May 27, 2005
Hastert: Congress likely to Impose Baseball Steroid Penalties
I'm back after a few blog-free days...
WLS-AM political editor Bill Cameron had a lengthy on-air chat with U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hatert Thursday night. Among the topics discussed...a bill sponsored by U.S. Senator John McCain, et al, that would impose penalties on major league baseball players caught using steroids.
Below is a verbatim of their conversation on the subject:
Hastert: I come out of the world of athletics…and if somebody is using steroids and not supposed to, they’re basically cheating. They’re breaking the rules. And, people who break the rules…who don’t abide by the rules…have to have some penalties. I don’t know whether it should be federal penalties laid out, or if it should be the baseball commissioner and the leagues policing their own people, but they haven’t done a real good job of policing their own people, so….
Cameron: How long do we wait?
Hastert: We may not wait too long, if that legislation passes.
Cameron: Do you see that passing in the House, if they send it over to you?
Hastert: Well, there’d be a good chance that it would.
Cameron: Why do you think?
Hastert: I think people don’t want to see people who become heroes for our kids doing the wrong thing. The fact is…if people are actually breaking the law, and doing things that are illegal and against the rules, there ought to be a penalty.
Cameron: Do you think the players union is being responsible in this debate with major league baseball?
Hastert: I think the players union – probably as it should be – is trying to protect the players…just like somebody’s lawyer. I think responsible people – from the union and the league – ought to be the people who are trying to enforce this. And, if they can enforce it and be successful in doing it, that’s one thing. But, they haven’t been…and, so they’re going to have to go to the next step, if they can’t prove that they can be responsible.
On another subject, Hastert told Bill Cameron that he does not expect former Governor Jim Edgar to run for governor again in 2006...but he does believe Governor Rod Blagojevich is vulnerable heading into next year's election.
WLS-AM political editor Bill Cameron had a lengthy on-air chat with U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hatert Thursday night. Among the topics discussed...a bill sponsored by U.S. Senator John McCain, et al, that would impose penalties on major league baseball players caught using steroids.
Below is a verbatim of their conversation on the subject:
Hastert: I come out of the world of athletics…and if somebody is using steroids and not supposed to, they’re basically cheating. They’re breaking the rules. And, people who break the rules…who don’t abide by the rules…have to have some penalties. I don’t know whether it should be federal penalties laid out, or if it should be the baseball commissioner and the leagues policing their own people, but they haven’t done a real good job of policing their own people, so….
Cameron: How long do we wait?
Hastert: We may not wait too long, if that legislation passes.
Cameron: Do you see that passing in the House, if they send it over to you?
Hastert: Well, there’d be a good chance that it would.
Cameron: Why do you think?
Hastert: I think people don’t want to see people who become heroes for our kids doing the wrong thing. The fact is…if people are actually breaking the law, and doing things that are illegal and against the rules, there ought to be a penalty.
Cameron: Do you think the players union is being responsible in this debate with major league baseball?
Hastert: I think the players union – probably as it should be – is trying to protect the players…just like somebody’s lawyer. I think responsible people – from the union and the league – ought to be the people who are trying to enforce this. And, if they can enforce it and be successful in doing it, that’s one thing. But, they haven’t been…and, so they’re going to have to go to the next step, if they can’t prove that they can be responsible.
On another subject, Hastert told Bill Cameron that he does not expect former Governor Jim Edgar to run for governor again in 2006...but he does believe Governor Rod Blagojevich is vulnerable heading into next year's election.
