Political Quotes

“Madam President, as Iowa farmers count down the days to get into the fields, baseball fans are counting down the days for that first pitch to cross the plate. As a farmer and also as a baseball fan, hope springs eternal. However, we have gotten wind that Major League Baseball is throwing local clubs a curve ball--a curve that would hurt baseball, hurt local economies, and the fields of dreams in my home State. That is three strikes right there. I have got news. Don't count us baseball fans out. These local communities and this U.S. Senator aren't going to sit on the sidelines. Now, here is the news: Major League Baseball said that it may cut ties with as many as 42 Minor League clubs, including three historic affiliates in Iowa: The Burlington Bees, the Clinton LumberKings, and the Quad Cities River Bandits. I have been in communication with the deputy commissioner of Major League Baseball, Dan Halem, both in letters and on the phone, about the importance of these teams to Iowa. I am sure a lot of my colleagues have made the same contacts. I have also joined, with a bipartisan group of my colleagues, in introducing a resolution today supporting all Minor League Baseball teams across the country. For generations of Iowans, these ball clubs are a vibrant source of civic pride, a vibrant source of entertainment, and--would you believe it--also a vibrant source of economic development.…”