Bush takes his stench to the Washington Nationals' new stadium tonight...

[marmar]

from AP, via Yahoo!:



Bush gets first pitch of the season, first look at Washington’s newest stadium
By BEN FELLER, Associated Press Writer
3 hours, 30 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AP)—For a guy who admits he was never more than a mediocre baseball player, President Bush sure gets to keep living the dream.

Bush is throwing out the first pitch Sunday night at the gleaming new baseball stadium in Washington, the sixth time he has had the honor as president. It may be ceremonial, but it is not a duty a president wants to tank. People tend to have long memories when you bounce the ball to home plate.

So Bush made time this week to hurl some practice pitches in his backyard— the South Lawn of the White House.

The Washington Nationals are taking on the Atlanta Braves in the opening contest.

The tradition of a presidential first pitch goes back to 1910, when a formally dressed William Howard Taft threw the ball from his seat in the stands. Each occasion is different, but some years surely have more pizazz than others, and Bush is benefiting from a little good timing.

Washington is buzzing about baseball. There are opening days of a season every year, but opening days for a stadium are etched into a city’s history.

Bush will be the first president to take the mound at Nationals Park. The $611 million riverfront stadium is earning raves as a plush, appealing attraction from fans who have seen it so far during trial runs; the players, meanwhile, can’t get over the immaculate conditions and amenities. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb

[CC]

1. The only good thing he has ever done

was refuse to toss out the first pitch on opening day at the Orioles games because their owner was a Dem supporter. Kept the stench out of Camden Yards.

[ColbertWatcher]

2. Will he hide from the press like he always does?

In http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/07/05/national/w170135D15.DTL&type=politics">2007, there were no photographs of him at the Cubs-Nationals game, nor was there any advance notice telling anyone he would be attending.

How big a coward is this guy, really?