you point out the problem with priorities and abuse of power quite well Stone - thanks and welcome!

Stone,

I agree that for the most part, there was quite a bit of grandstanding yesterday but if I can, a few points:

1. I don't believe that Congress is solely targeting baseball. They may eventually strive for standard testing in all sports including the Olympics, as quoted below from an article on bloomberg.com.

``Maybe one thing we ought to look at is one standard for all of the athletic teams, maybe the Olympic standard,'' Representative Henry Waxman of California, the top Democrat on the government reform committee, said on NBC's ``Meet the Press'' on March 13.

2. Where has it been said that the hearings are a priority over the nation's security and its war against terrorism? Have you watched the news for the last twelve months? You and I may agree (or disagree)that Congress has overstepped its boundaries on baseball, but I believe that the Government is capable of performing more than one task at a time.

3. Again with regard to substandard schools (as quoted by you), do you actually believe that the Government wants our children to be dumb or uneducated?

Really, do you?

Have you heard of the No Child Left Behind Act?

Take a moment off your soapbox and read this link to find out what President Bush has done and proposes to do about education for our nation's youth.

Here's just a few highlights:

The President's Fiscal Year 2006 budget will provide $1.5 billion in funding for a new High School Initiative to help states hold high schools accountable for teaching all students and to provide effective and timely intervention for those students who are not learning at grade level. This initiative includes requirements for state assessments in high school to ensure that diplomas are truly meaningful.

In addition, he proposes programs to enhance math and science achievement (including proposing in 2006, $269 million for this alone), increase reading skills by proposing to increase the President's FY 2006 budget which will provide $200 million, an increase of $175 million, eight times the 2005 level to improve the reading skills of these high school students.

Is this not enough?

4. Substandard health care? Please forget about the Clinton's and their plan for universal health care. The Govenment is not your Daddy and shouldn't have to pay for all of your medical bills.

However, the Government should create situations where more affordable healthcare is available for everyone. Again, check out this additional link. for more detailed information on the President's plan for healthcare.

Some key points are:

President Bush on January 26, 2005, visited the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, to highlight his plan to help all Americans gain access to affordable, high-quality health care.

The President has proposed a comprehensive, consumer-driven plan to address the problems of rising health care costs and the uninsured, which:

Makes health care coverage more affordable for Americans at all income levels;

Provides new coverage options, targeted to those who need it most -low-income children and families, employees of small businesses, and the self-employed; and

Provides real help to small businesses that are struggling with the high cost of health insurance.

The President also has put into legislation, the creation of Health Savings Accounts where based on the size of your family and your income level, you may receive additional funds from the Government to pay for medical expenses.

Also, he hopes to help small and medium size businesses offer affordable health care to their employees by uniting them and giving them greater buying power.

Finally, he wants to establish health centers in every poor county in the country.

Still not enough?

The problem with the Bush-haters out there is just that, you hate Bush and thats it. You are blind to the achievments he has made with regard to the global climate and also to those achievements he has made or proposes to do for the United States.

Best said, when the President says he is tired and it is hard work, he is not kidding. What have you done today?

Error on the health link:

Here is the link:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/education/

Sort of stealing my own thunder, the bloomberg link is broken as well

LINK

Stone

And one more thing, Congress doesn't appear to be looking to hurt baseball or any other type of conspiracy you have in your head. Their aim is to set an example for the children of our nation that:

Cheating is not tolerated.

Steroids and the like are unhealthy and harmful to your body (just as drugs are).

Is this such a bad lesson? Mark McGwire doesn't appear to be much of a role model today after his "disappearing act" yesterday.

Eating STEAK as dangerous or worse than STEROIDS!

Why isn't congress doing a huge investigation into all the inherent physical damage that factory produced hormone injected MEATS definitely do to the human body?

We can inject hormones and steroids into beef, etc---then eat THEM---but it's "bad" if WE inject it into ourselves ..???

Sounds like someone has a vested financial interest--as usual!

Please go away OLIVER STONE and your left-wing, 'Government is out to get ya' attitude.

And Tristan,

Not that you will take the time to educate yourself on hormones and beef or should I say the false message given out by PETA and other organizations, but please check out this link.

In 1999, this was released by the U.S. Interagency Task Force on Beef Hormones and contains very informative material.

link

DRINKING PUS !!!!


WHAT !!!!


richard porter quotes: "Their aim is to set an example for the children of our nation that:

Cheating is not tolerated.

Steroids and the like are unhealthy and harmful to your body (just as drugs are)." ~~~~~~~~

Uh~~excuse me but--- playing professional football, hockey, etc., is NOT HARMFUL to your body~~???

And on "CHEATING" and "setting a good example for children"-----

Out of "nowhere"--for some "unknown reason"-- steroid use in pro sports is outlawed... but I've noticed it's still abundantly prescribed by medical doctors in many cases, eh??
I guess if a medical dpctor "prescribes" it----then it doesn't cause any harm to the human body, right?
And after all---all those huge immensely wealthy pharmaceutical companies that did a major percentage of subsidizing every doctor's medical school---thus making almost every doctor "indebted" to them---can't have anything to do with this either, right???
The AMA will do anything to make anything illegal that we can use on our own without having to pay to visit a DOCTOR to get the same thing prescribed....

This is what's going on right now with the new Congressional legislation promoted totally by all the pharmaceutical companies to BAN the sale of all herbs and nutritional supplements currently available at all the health food stores!
If they pass it--and the AMA is THE largest lobby in the nation and the biggest dollar contributor to politicians---- it will be illegal for any store to sell anything over the counter that has any content higher than the RDA dosage- (which by the way has been set by--guess who: the AMA!!!) ---
Let me tell you a big surprise very few people not dieticians or in the medical field are well aware of: The RDA-- Reccomended Daily Allowance --- is seriously at just a level to keep you from getting SICK-----maybe! --it is NOT a level that is designed to "keep you in great health" . Case in point--and they are ALL like this: RDA for vitamin C is 60mg; I take 2 2000 mg tablets of C -1 in am --1 in pm; and Dr Linus Pauling--who was a staunch believer in the healing properties of C---took 8000 mg of C every day and never got sick!!!
So this pending legislation will make it illegal for any store to sell any Ctablets higher than 60 mg....
Seems very perplexing and "strange" to us-the general public. On the other hand--if you were a DOCTOR or involved with the AMA and/or pharmaceutical companies---what position would YOU take if you knew that the more legally available vitamins and supplements people took---the less SICK they would get---thus cutting down on their need to GO TO THE DOCTOR and either get prescriptions for stuff from the pharmaceutical companies-- and/or have to undergo VERY expensive chemo and/or radiation treatments--along with many other very costly treatments that would not be needed if you were allowed to take care of yourself without a doctor...........
Doctors, pharmaceutical companies, and the AMA all hate to see information like this disseminated, and also anything urging people to stay away from meat & dairy--which is at LEAST as big a cause for cancer as tobacco--probably even MORE!
Did you know in the RARE instance when a USDA inspector DOES actually show up at a cattle, pig, sheep, chicken factory and does a test on a "random" animal and finds a cancerous tumor in that one animal--what then happens?
They must cut the tumor out of the animal....ok--then WHAT? Hmmmm...good question! Then........they go ahead and finish processing that same animal---and eventually --- that animal ends up on a bunch of people's dinner plates!!!
Yes--that's right--the same animal that had cancer--they simply cut a piece out that they could visibly see was a tumor--and passed the rest of the carcass on to us to eat---Yummmiii!!!
And MILK and dairy--oh my! The milking machines they use in the factory farms are so rough on the cows that they cut them and as they are being milked--many things other than "milk" are going into what you will later drink and/or eat as milk, butter, ice cream, etc---including PUS---that's right: PUS!!!
Why doesn't the dairy industry have ads out with celebrities drinking a glass of milk with the caption: "GOT PUS" ! (maybe that might not make people want to run out and buy more milk/dairy....ya think..???

Iused to hate soy milk--when I found this out about pus in the milk I went and found most major supermarkets now carry several good soy milk products---there is one that's awesome-- a vanilla soy milk! Yummmm!!!! (and no PUS~!!!! I like THAT---PUS was never one of my favorite beverages...)

Tristan

First of all, MLB placed this very large spotlight on their head, not the Government.
Ten years after their strike, we are still feeling the effects of how baseball shot itself in the foot a long time ago and then chose to look the other way, the homerun way, all for the sake of full stands and a cash flow of money pouring in.

Bud Selig is nothing more than a controller for the league. He basically lit up a trashcan and the Federal Government has taken notice. Do not blame the Government.

Secondly, the natural products industry has basically been unregulated since FOREVER! Vitamins are not meant to be a treatment, they are meant to be a preventive form of treatment. True, there are many drugs and treatments that do more harm than good however do not paint the entire drug industry, the AMA and the Government as trying to keep you from being healthy. I have been part of the dietary supplement industry for over 15 years so please don't pontificate on how the Government wants to underwhelm our vitamins with low dosages to keep us sick. And then what? Like Stone, you probably would think the Government doesn't want its citizens to have affordable health care.

It is about time the industry gets regulated since too many companies are out there putting pills (unregulated) in bottles that are not even what the label claims. For that matter, the low carb craze that swept everyone (and made many hundreds of millions) had a large number of companies also putting out false label claims with regard to carbohydrate count and the true effect of certain, if not all sugar alcohols with regard to weight loss and insulin stimulation.

Steroids are a harmful treatment even under a doctor's care. However, under a doctor's care, you can be monitored, have your dosages increased/decreased or be taken off of it all together. Birth control pills are steroids for that matter!

Tristan, I have met many people like you during the supplement trade shows and just as in person, you scare me and blow my mind with your conspiracy theories. Did you like the movie JFK?

Heh, I'm glad to see I've started some lively discussion:

First of all, I don't hold any "government is out to get ya" conspiracy theories and I don't think that government is out just to get baseball. But it does seem that the Government Reform Committee is targeting baseball when it's basically ignoring the larger issue of steroid use. (It's not just in the MLB, ya know!)

This is political grandstanding at its finest. Why aren't the owners of BALTCO (a steroid manufacturer) up there? Why aren't no-name athletes brought in? Why? Because it doesn't make for good TV, does it?

We've all known that Baseball has a steroid problem. And we all know that Baseball has not effectively delt with the issue. But there is a problem that arises when you make a big deal about an issue that will only affect a VERY SMALL number of Americans.

As for steroids in beef, we basically have no choice what goes into our food. BUT we do have a choice not to watch baseball, or not go to baseball games.

And for 40 million Americans, HEALTH CARE IS A BETTER ISSUE than steroids in baseball! (Honestly, if the Prez was so good on healthcare, why has the number of uninsured Americans INCREASE during his first term in office? And I don't want government to be "your daddy" either. BUT, our health care costs go DOWN if more Americans have insurance. Think about that.

Stone

I have heard that Congress intends to bring in more people from all sports including the NFL which has watched its players grow into giants that dwarf those players from only 20 years ago!

Secondly, the President (as per my initial post) is working on the healthcare issue and he doesn't possess magical powers or a magic wand to wave over the sickly and give them instant healthcare. It takes time and as you know there is always red tape.

The steroid issue only directly affects a small percentage now, but if it is effective it could positively affect the future health of our nation's youth and of our sports.

And again, as mentioned (in fact highlighted), healthcare, terrorism, and education are more important to the Government and the American people but I am positive the Government can do more than two things at once. How about a little support, it can go a long way.

Personal Attacks by richard porter!

Why whenever anyone doesn't totally agree with you porter---must you act just like an 8 year old brat and try to make fun of them--and then use totally nonsensical statements devoid of ANY fact--to attempt to ridicule them???

Is it just impossible due to your personality makeup, to NOT attack anyone that doesn't immediatel and completely AGREE with everything you say???

YOU make it seem as if there IS a Conspiracy headed by the Government--YOU are the one on here alluding to the situation as if the Government were an actual "being" watching everything and responding, like you, to everything it doesn't agree with! This is a very basic psychological dysfunction called projection---mirroring your own feelings and thoughts onto another.

Speaking of BUSH, which YOU instigated: if he'd stop pouring BILLIONS of American taxpayers (YOURS and MINE!) dollars into the Iraqui CESSPOOL--he and Congress could give every single American total healthcare and probably eliminate lack of FOOD on the entire planet .....but of course--he and his neo-con cabal have "other plans" in mind---which they really aren't about to lower themselves to our level to explain to us--are they ??

I like your phrase" "the natural products industry has been unregulated since FOREVER"--natural products--now THERE is a strange choice of words for you to USE..! Natural versus---UN-natural, I'm assuming you mean, eh? (as in pharmaceuticals?)

Hmmmmm.......has TEA been unregulated FOREVER also-and due for regulation now...how about COFFEE---- hoe about SODAS--ever seen those sodas in the grocery mart from some latin country --that has guarana in it? I do know many reports link guarana with heart problems and attacks; and deodorants with aluminum products in them that act as a metal shield to stop the waste bacteria from leaving our lymph nodes in our armpits---because that waste bacteria (which NEEDS to leave our bodies or we WILL get tumors & cancers--duh! --right next to the BREASTS...hint....hint...!!!!!!)--but that waste bacteris--has a STENCH to it (as it SHOULD--it's the body's sewage!!)--soooooooooo----the deodorant companies found that by making these sprays & roll-ons which have aluminum that acts as a metal SHIELD stopping that decaying rotting smell-making bacteria from escaping --they can keep us from stinking like pigs!
And that's MUCH worse than having cancers and having chemotherapy and radiation and having breasts removed---right ???
And if all those people din't have to have chemo & radiation and breasts removed surgically--along mith many OTHER biopsies and surgeries~~~~how on earth are all those doctors going to pay for their brand new $150,000 Mercedes and Porsches and the $5,000 mortgage payments...etc.,,,,,????

Oh yeh----I know--it's all a big "conspiracy"--right???

NOPE --it's just a lot of individuals looking out for themselves and THEIR family and THEIR wealth---and fuck the rest of everybody!!!!!!!

And richard porter is getting fucked by these individuals just the same as you and I---and in the midst of getting fucked by them, he is bending over even further and yelling at them to do it harder and DEEPER!!!!

But we LOVE you richard---and we will never stop fighting for your well-being despite your sarcastic and nasty personal attacks on our character instead of attempting to simply discuss the issues.

But this is always the technique immature minds choose to use when anyone disagrees with what they feel---just like every religious person tries to convert all the other religions to his---to re-affirm and support HIS BELIEF--which he's really underneath not sure of at all--and he feels somehow that if more people can be forced to change their mind and believe as he does---that he might feel a little more "secure"---safety in numbers, and all thet, eh??? Again---this is the "Mob Mentality" at work....if they don't agree with us---LYNCH 'Em...!!!!

Tristan

You say:

-- Why whenever anyone doesn't totally agree with you porter---must you act just like an 8 year old brat and try to make fun of them--and then use totally nonsensical statements devoid of ANY fact--to attempt to ridicule them??? Is it just impossible due to your personality makeup, to NOT attack anyone that doesn't immediately and completely AGREE with everything you say???--

Is it really attacking by telling you that you are a paranoid man who does believe (like many others in the world) that the United States is some evil empire out to manipulate, control and keep their thumbs on the heads of the poor working class? Get real and wake up! I have heard from so many of you meatheads, I cannot possibly count!

And please don't get started on Bush and his war against terrorism. I will not even waste time typing out a response; instead I'll paste a previous post of mine:

Please let me tell you a few things that have happened since Bush has become President DESPITE having the most destructive attack on the U.S. in our history at the beginning of his first term in office?

Despite this, he has been elected again.

Despite this, there have been no further attacks on our soil.

Despite this, he is the primary reason behind the dramatic changes in the Middle East and please do not forget what happened in the Ukraine.

Despite this, there are now free elections in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine and the Ukraine

Despite this, there is freedom coming to Lebanon.

Despite this, there have been positive signs of peace between Israel and Palestine.

Despite this, the majority of the major players in al Qaeda have been captured.

Despite this, the President is working hard on straightening out our Social Security problem while also trying to restructure our tax code.

Name any other leader over the last 100 years who has been so much a part of contributing to peace and freedom globally.

Tristan,

Vitamins manufactured are from the NATURAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRY and yes (good boy) that is the opposite of un-natural as you stated. Teas and foods are and have been regulated by the FDA and are always checked on unlike those manufactured by the before mentioned NATURAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRY. This is FACT and I have seen it and lived it!

And please stop fighting for me because you undo any good you actually could do with your insane, delusional ramblings. It is radical people and groups like you (protesters, special interest groups) that end up scaring away the very audience you try to attract to listen to you. That is one of the reasons Kerry lost. He became associated with extreme left wingers like Howard Dean, Dan Rather, and of course his very own wife and that scared the majority of Americans. And that is why Hillary Clinton is playing Halloween and dressing up as a middle of the road, almost conservative as she looks to 2008 and the election.

Between Richard Porter and you, Tristan, those of us who know how to read know which is behaving like an 8-year-old brat.

You really have swallowed the Kool-aid (no guarana in it!), haven't you, Tris?

Robert Porter Said - Name any other leader over the last 100 years who has been so much a part of contributing to peace and freedom globally.
____________________

1. FDR
2. JFK
3. Truman
4. Wilson

sorry about going overboard and naming 3 additional leaders.

Let's pretend I live in FantasyLand and the gov't won't let me buy vitamin C in larger doses than 60 mg/tablet.

Can't I just take more than one tablet?

Or maybe just drink more OJ and cut up some Bell Peppers for my next salad?

ok..my whole beef here on the steroid/baseball hearing stems from Priorities and the manipulation for propaganda purposes

c'mon..with all that SHOULD be investigated and looked into by our elected Representitives..the best they could come up with are steroids in baseball?

now, some may ask.."but gonzo..what do you mean? what should they be looking into?"

glad ya asked...oh..how about the 9 billion in missing cash in Iraq...not misspent..just up and missing...that's a lot of burritos there folks..and NO ONE is even looking into where it went or who is Responsible?

how about the whole Gannon/Guckert thing..forget about the Propaganda bit (ie: Armstrong and other "journalists" paid by the Administration to tout their pet programs)..i just wanna know how someone got in the SAME ROOM AS THE PRESIDENT on 2 different occasion..was called on BY NAME by the President, when he was using a fictitious identity...the security hole alone should be enough to send up red flags everywhere..

unless, of course..the Secret Service and the White House KNEW who the ex-escort was, and someone said it was ok , even after the Congressional authorities refused to give him a pass to Capitol Hill under his real name

these issues, and many others just like them, can not even get to a vote on the floor in either the House or Senate so we can see hwo our Representitives vote on whether or not to hold any Investigation on these topics...

this by some of the same people that tossed $47 million of our tax dollars on a multi-year witch hunt into a 20 year old, $100k land deal that lead to perjury charges over a blow job

how about we just have a little look into the "where's the WMD" question?

or perhaps we can get the Ethics committe to finally get some work done on good olde Tom Delay and his issues...even if it is to exonerate him ...i just want the Truth here...or at least to get the Facts into the public record on ANY of these issues

but nope...steroids for multimillionaire athletes are priority one

can you say "bait and switch"?

Excelsior!

Gonzo

As agreed upon by virtually everyone on this post, it is true that there are many many more pressing issues than the steroid scandal in MLB, but Selig (and everyone else) drew attention to themselves and MLB, not the other way around.

As for the whereabouts of the WMD, guess what, I'd like to know too. The President, then Government, the Intelligence departments, the Foreign intelligence departments and all other prominent world leaders all reviewed the same materials and all agreed that there were WMD.

The President did not act alone nor did he break away from the global community with this earth shattering decision. It's funny how all of the rats left what appeared t o be a sinking ship only to try to jump back on as the Middle East and their governments get reformulated.