Why Is It OK to Bash Barry Bonds, But Not Bush?

Posted by Guest Blogger at 12:05 PM on July 23, 2007.

This post, written by Sheldon Drobny, originally appeared on The Huffington Post

Yesterday on Face The Nation, Bob Schieffer had as usual a closing "commentary." The subject was about Barry Bonds approaching record-breaking home-run. Scheiffer had a scathing criticism of Barry Bonds miserable failure of portraying the necessary elements of leadership to deserve being considered a worthy role model. I agree with that criticism as far as it goes. The problems of baseball and the Bonds controversy are a joke when compared with the role model being set by Bush and his criminal administration. So where is the outrage from Schieffer and his colleagues.

Schieffer is not the worst of this MSN crowd. However, the idea that he ends his show with his "commentary" is also a façade, which is probably not of his making. The simple truth is that the MSM has censored its reporters from speaking their minds. And since CBS has no baseball contract, Schieffer was free to take on Bonds. This is hardly a Walter Cronkite moment. I am sure Schieffer and others in the MSM have an opinion about the war, but they never have any commentaries that could really make a difference. Instead, they comment on trivialities like baseball, which is always fun to do.

I am a die-hard Cubs fan and I find baseball is a great diversion for me. However, diversions are entertainment meant to take us away for a brief moment from the realities of life. Commenting on Barry Bonds is a footnote compared to the serious political issues of the day including issues of war and peace. The amount of debate about sports in general is open, refreshing, and entertaining. Sports, is truly a forum in which America has an open an honest debate.

It is a shame that the "game" of politics is not as open for free thinkers as the game of baseball. As usual, the MSM has set the worst example of leadership and is a horrible role model for free and open debate. When Scheiffer has another commentary about role models, he should include himself and his colleagues.

Tagged as: sports, steroids, bonds, bush, scheiffer

Sheldon Drobny was the co-founder of Air America Radio.