HALL OF FAME UPDATE

Hall of Fame president Dale Petroskey, who nixed the "Bull Durham" celebration due to the political views of Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins (the real ones, not us, hehe), warmly welcomed the appearance of another um, political figure to the Hall in February of last year . . . Ari Fleischer.

The text of Petroskey's announcement letter was found by those hardworkin peeps at BuzzFlash (again, goggles on):

The Cooperstown Winter Cultural Series opens on Saturday, February 2 in the Louis C. Jones Center at The Farmers’ Museum with President Bush’s Press Secretary Ari Fleischer. As White House Press Secretary, Mr. Fleischer is the primary spokesperson for the President and delivers the daily White House briefing. He previously served as the Senior Communications Advisor and Spokesman for the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign.

Prior to joining Governor Bush’s campaign, Mr. Fleischer was the national spokesman and Communications Director for Elizabeth Dole’s presidential campaign.
Mr. Fleischer was hired by the House Committee on Ways and Means after Republicans took control of the Congress in November 1994. As Communications Director there, Mr. Fleischer was the House of Representative’s principal staff spokesman on issues relating to taxes, Medicare, Social Security, welfare and international trade.

“In his first year Ari Fleischer has had a more demanding job than any White House Press Secretary in history” said Hall of Fame President Dale Petroskey. “He has managed to be a candid spokesman for the President while clearly and simply articulating the Bush Administration’s goals, both foreign and domestic. We are thrilled to welcome him to Cooperstown and hear his perspective on life in the White House and the current political scene which of course includes the war on terrorism.” (emphases mine)

First of all, when I think of an Ari Fleischer press conference, a lot of words come to mind, but "clearly" and "simply" (or even "articulating") are not among them. Secondly, there you have it, Petroskey is telling us "Fleischer views: good, Robbins/Sarandon views: bad". The politicization of The National Pastime, ladies and gents.

Now Petroskey is trying to explain himself and wiggle out of the controversy, and this is priceless:

"I wish that the reasoning had been better articulated so it could have been better understood,'' Dale Petroskey, a former official in the Reagan administration, said from his office at Cooperstown, N.Y

But gee, what was his job in the Reagan administration? That's right assistant press secretary! It's his job to articulate things to they can be better understood . . . in that case, better understood then Napping Saint Raygun. Steeerike two!

Is there a steeerike three? Well yes. Famed sportswriter Roger Kahn is cancelling his own appearance at the Hall of Fame later this year, and he did so with a very strongly-worded letter to the Hall, namely Petroskey:

"By canceling the Hall of Fame anniversary celebration of "Bull Durham" for political reasons, you are, far from supporting our troops, defying the noblest of the American spirit," wrote Kahn, who was to speak there in August about his new book.

"You are choking freedom of dissent. How ironic. In theory, at least, we have been fighting this war to give Iraqis freedom of dissent. But here you, through the great institution you head, have moved to rob Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon and Ron Shelton of that very freedom."

Yerrr out!