There are some quotes that stand out — ones that have to be highlighted, and the one above from Bud Selig in the article referenced below is as good as any I’ve seen in a bit.

For those that may not know who Huey Long was, he was nicknamed the “King Fish” in Louisana politics from 1928 -1935, first as Governor and then as a US Senator.

He was, if anything, an outragous politician. He was impeached, charged with bribery and gross misconduct, but missed being convicted by a slim two-vote margin. He was also assissinated at the Capitol building at Baton Rouge in 1935. Needless to say, being compared to the King Fish as a politician isn’t exactly a badge of honor.

Selig is quoted as much after finally being reached for comment after the DC council passed the lease for the new ballpark for the Nationals. The 4 page document (PDF) outlining the changes that the council snuck into the lease agreement is the key. As David Nakamura reports in the Washington Post (Stadium Spending Document Released):

Major League Baseball and the District’s chief financial officer began separate reviews of the D.C. Council’s stadium spending cap yesterday, with the future of the project along the Anacostia River hanging in the balance.

The council released the final text of the four-page emergency legislation yesterday afternoon, and copies were distributed to council members, Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D) and the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission. A copy was sent by the administration to Major League Baseball.

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said league officials needed more time to review the document, which caps the District’s investment in the ballpark project at $611 million. But he said the D.C. government’s handling this week of the stadium lease agreement was frustrating and unlike anything he has witnessed.

[snip]

The final bill states that all cost overruns, except for costs related to the purchase of stadium land, will be borne by the team’s owner, the federal government or private entities.

Natwar M. Gandhi, the District’s finance chief, met with Williams yesterday. Gandhi, who has said he will not issue construction bonds until the lease is made final, wants to make sure that the cap does not inhibit his effort to get an investment-grade rating from Wall Street.

Gandhi’s spokeswoman said he would have no comment until he finished his review, which probably will include an analysis from bond financing consultants.

The consultants will examine whether the legislation would be looked on favorably by Wall Street. If not, Gandhi could ask the council to make amendments or smaller technical changes.

Here’s to the King Fish

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