In a classic example why Americans hate politicians, U.S. Representative Bobby Rush compared the NCAA to the Mafia during a congressional forum.
Congressman Rush held the forum to investigate the supposed impact of “back-room deals, payoffs and scandals” in college athletics.
For a politician to accuse an organization of back-room deals, payoffs and scandals is beyond laughable, especially when those accusations come from someone like Rush.
In 2009, Rush blamed former president George W. Bush for the city of Chicago’s failed bid to host the 2016 Olympics.
Rush was also recently quoted saying that the Occupy Wall Street movement is an example of “courageous Americans, voicing our frustration that many citizens feel with the money-driven elite that mismanage the American economy.”
I’m confused. When Rush referred to the “money-driven elite that mismanage the American economy,” was he talking about the Occupy Wall Street movement or the 535 members of the U.S. House and Senate?
Look, I’ll be the first person to acknowledge that the NCAA is the second-most useless organization on the planet next to the United Nations.
Clearly the NCAA has failed to proactively address the numerous issues in college athletics, but for Rush to compare it to the Mafia is absurd.
In fact, the Mafia should be offended that Rush invoked the name of Al Capone in describing the NCAA.
The world’s most famous mobster spent tons of money paying off politicians and police during the prohibition years.
Capone didn’t think too highly of crooked politicians and wouldn’t be pleased that congressman Rush – who represents the city of Chicago, the city Capone ran during the 1920′s – used his name to compare an athletic organization to organized crime.
That comparison is too much like the pot calling the kettle black, or in Rush’s case, a politician pointing out the failures of an organization that is tantamount to the failures of the U.S. Congress.
Rush clearly doesn’t have the wherewithal to realize it, but he put his stupidity on full display while unwittingly serving himself up as the poster child for term limits.
With Congress’ national approval rating at just over 13 percent, Rush may want to focus on regaining whatever amount of respect he can from the American people before he wags his finger elsewhere.
