Senator should skip NFL, focus more on G-A-S

By ROBIN QUILLON

May 15, 2008 04:40 pm

— You all should sleep better tonight knowing that Republican Sen. Arlen Specter is going to get to the bottom of the NFL “Spy Gate” issue.
For those of you not familiar with this important national issue, here it is in a nutshell:
The New England Patriots were caught videotaping opponents’ defensive signals. Coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots organization were fined $750,000 and stripped of a first-round draft pick in last month’s draft.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has closed the case and is ready to move on.
However, Specter says that if the NFL declines to keep the matter open, he will push for a congressional hearing on the matter.
“They owe the public a lot more candor and a lot more accountability,” he said.
When asked if he thought the NFL was engaged in a cover-up, Specter said, “Well I don’t think I need to go quite that far. ‘Cover-up’ is a very strong word. I’m not going to use it yet.
“I am elected by 12 million people,” Specter said, “and a lot of them are Steelers fans and, frankly, I’m incensed about what happened to the Steelers.”
Call me silly, but may I take a just moment of your time to list a few issues facing this state and nation that may be just a wee bit more important than a congressional hearing into whether or not the Patriots videotaped opponents?
• How about, say, nearly $4 a gallon in gasoline prices?
• What about, say, the war in Iraq?
• Let’s see, what about illegal immigration?
• Mmmmmmm ... what about the fact that we are being taxed to death?
• Let me think ... how about, say, the recession?
• How about, say, health-care costs?
I have a suggestion for Specter: How about pulling your head out of the sand and starting to focus on issues that really matter to the 12 million people who elected you?
I doubt very seriously, that the NFL Spy Gate is one of those issues.
Sen. Specter, this is a prime example of why politicians and diapers are very similar – they need to be changed – and often.

Robin L. Quillon is publisher of The Tribune-Democrat.