More of the Same, Or A Little Change?

On Monday night, President Barack Obama gave his first prime-time press conference. It was a sobering event, dominated by discussion of the ever-worsening economy. Then, sandwiched between questions about the comments made by Vice President Joe Biden and Pakistan's role in harboring terrorists, came this question from Michael Fletecher of the Washington Post:

"What is your reaction to Alex Rodriguez's admission that he used steroids as a member of the Texas Rangers?"

Any doubt that the "national pastime" still matters? Anyway, here's Obama's response:

"I think it's depressing news on top of what's been a flurry of depressing items when it comes to Major League Baseball. And if you're a fan of Major League Baseball, I think it -- it tarnishes an entire era to some degree. And it's unfortunate, because I think there are a lot of ballplayers who played it straight. And the thing I'm probably most concerned about is the message that it sends to our kids.

What I'm pleased about is Major League Baseball seems to finally be taking this seriously, to recognize how big of a problem this is for the sport. And that our kids, hopefully, are watching and saying, you know what, there are no shortcuts; that when you try to take shortcuts, you may end up tarnishing your entire career, and that your integrity is not worth it. That's the message I hope is communicated."

Hmm, where have I heard this before? Yes, that other president, during his 2004 State of the Union Address:

"The use of performance-enhancing drugs like steroids in baseball, football, and other sports is dangerous, and it sends the wrong message -- that there are shortcuts to accomplishment, and that performance is more important than character."

Uh oh. Look folks, this isn't just about "the kids." If it were, we'd ask the president about football and basketball players, or Hollywood action movie stars, or pumped up musicians like Henry Rollins or 50 Cent. Instead, this is about preserving the essential myths of American identity: that we are innocent and virtuous, and that our national game embodies the best of our ideals. It doesn't matter that baseball isn't our most popular sport anymore. It matters that remains our most powerful sporting metaphor.

President Obama's comments would seem to have set the stage for yet another round of Congressional inquiry. If we nabbed Palmeiro, made Clemens squirm, and will now bust Tejada, well, why not go after A-Rod, too? Thankfully, the new Chair of the House Committee on Governemnt Oversight and Reform has other ideas. Said Edolphus Towns:

"The American people need leaders who will focus on stemming job losses and getting credit to flow in the marketplace before hearing from yet another person who cheated both himself and the game of baseball."

Nice. Maybe this reflects a little of the change we've been looking for.