<html><body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><div></div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);">Dems beat Republicans 7-2 in House baseball game, Republicans blame Fox News for only throwing them softballs in training.</span></font><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);">Courtesy of ABC News at:<br></span></font><div><br></div><a href="http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2011/07/democrats-dominate-republicans-in-annual-congressional-baseball-game.html">http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2011/07/democrats-dominate-republicans-in-annual-congressional-baseball-game.html</a></div><div><div><div><br></div><div>------------------------------</div><h1 style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 22px; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">Democrats Dominate Republicans In Annual Congressional Baseball Game</h1><div><br></div><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 18px; font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); font-size: 12px; ">Republicans may rule in House of Representatives, but Democrats reigned supreme on the baseball field Thursday night.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 18px; font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); font-size: 12px; ">The liberals brought home the trophy in an 8-2 win over conservatives at the annual congressional baseball game which raised money for The Washington Literacy Council and The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 18px; font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); font-size: 12px; ">Democrats dominated from the start bringing in seven runs in the first three innings and stifling any Republican attempts to get on base. </p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 18px; font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); font-size: 12px; ">Rock star Democratic pitcher Rep. Cedric Richmond of Louisiana came within five outs of a no-hitter. The freshman congressman, who pitched in college, also batted in a run in the second inning.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 18px; font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); font-size: 12px; ">In the face of an embarrassing 7-0 defeat, Republicans rallied in the seventh and final inning. With bases loaded, a tiring Richmond walked in one run, to which the Republican crowd erupted into chats of “USA.”</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 18px; font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); font-size: 12px; ">With bases still loaded, both sides of the crowd were on their feet as Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Tex., stepped into the batter’s box. A quick pitch and the ting of ball on bat landed Brady a base hit and the Republicans their second, and final, run.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 18px; font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); font-size: 12px; ">Just two hours after the debt limit negotiations broke for the evening, the House leadership was out at the ballgame, trading the stress of saving America’s credit rating for the good old-fashioned fun of an All-American sport. </p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 18px; font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); font-size: 12px; ">Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi staked out a seat behind home plate, intermittently waving a giant “Go Dems!” sign while Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer mingled with the crowd and posed for photos around the third base area. </p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 18px; font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); font-size: 12px; ">House Speaker John Boehner showed his support from the home plate section while Majority Leader Eric Cantor camped out in the Republican dugout.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 18px; font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); font-size: 12px; ">After the game Cantor said he “had a great time,” but admitted no debt limit deal was reached on the ball field. He said an agreement “may be too big a hope or aspiration here” at Nationals Park. </p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 18px; font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); font-size: 12px; ">While the leadership may not have been making deficit-reduction deals, the crowd was certainly buzzing with debt limit chatter. In between chants of “MVP” and “USA” ballgame-watchers could be heard muttering about budget cuts and credit ratings.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 18px; font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); font-size: 12px; ">The President and congressional leaders will<strong style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><a href="http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2011/07/thursdays-debt-ceiling-meeting-3-options-on-the-table-as-president-obama-hopes-for-largest-deal-poss.html" target="_blank" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 153); "> take the day off</a></strong> from negotiations today, but may resume talks over the weekend in an attempt to reconcile entrenched partisan differences that, unfortunately, cannot be solved with a ball and a bat.</p><div>------------------------------<br><br><div>Seeya round town, Moscow.</div><div><br></div><div>Tom Hansen</div><div>Moscow, Idaho</div><div> </div><div>"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">and the Realist adjusts his sails."</span></div><div><br></div><div>- Unknown</div><div><br></div></div></div></div></body></html>