No Way Mitchell Hits Latest Pitch Out of Park

Bungled baseball steroids report bodes ill for Mideast efforts

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 28, 2009 2:23 PM CST

(Newser) – Those who think George Mitchell will achieve progress in the Middle East point to his record of robust diplomacy in Northern Ireland 10 years ago. One hopes, for the sake of peace, that Mitchell follows his work there and not a more recent example, Will Leitch writes for the New Republic: the shambolic Mitchell Report on steroid use in baseball.

The Mitchell Report “was a shoddy, haphazard, shockingly scattershot document” that didn’t address the systemic problems of steroid use in baseball, writes Leitch, founder of the Deadspin sports blog. “And Mitchell just waltzed away, looking like the wise auk—which is an affront when you consider the Report’s five conclusions, all so obvious that even the dullest observer of baseball would have been aware of them before Mitchell spent a reported $20 million and 20 months putting them together.”

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

US Middle East envoy George Mitchell delivers a speech before his meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak in Jerusalem today. (AP Photo)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

If Mitchell does the same job he did with the Report, he'll show up in Gaza, find one guy who fired a weapon, give his name to the press, and—voila, you're welcome, world—declare the Middle East crisis solved. - Will Leitch

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

In Middle East, Clinton Faces New Troubles

Netanyahu, Hamas complicate Hillary's already difficult mission

(NEWSER) - Hillary Clinton arrived in Egypt last night, beginning her trip to the Middle East at a conference aimed at raising reconstruction money for Gaza. The secretary of state has enlisted a team of diplomats with long experience in Mideast negotiations, led by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell. But as the Wall Street Journal reports, the Obama administration faces greater challenges in the region than at any time in recent memory. More»

Mitchell Calls for Lasting Peace as New Violence Hits Gaza

18 injured in Israeli counterstrike

(NEWSER) - Fresh violence in Gaza today threatened the fragile ceasefire as George Mitchell called for a lasting truce between Hamas and Israel, AFP reports. An Israeli air strike wounded 18 Palestinians, including 11 children and a pregnant woman. The Israeli army said it was targeting a Hamas policeman responsible for a bombing that killed an Israeli soldier 2 days ago. More»

Olmert Proposes New West Bank, Gaza Borders

Abbas rejects plan, which doesn't include contiguous Palestine

(NEWSER) - Ehud Olmert has presented Mahmoud Abbas with a plan to withdraw from most of the West Bank and all of the Gaza Strip once the Palestinian Authority retakes Gaza from Hamas. The centerpiece of the proposal is a new permanent border that would keep 7% of the West Bank in Israel in exchange for adding some territory to Gaza. Abbas immediately rejected the proposal because it doesn't create a contiguous Palestinian state, though it offers passage without checkpoints between the West Bank and Gaza. More»

Israel Freeing 1K Palestinians to Bring Soldier Home

Government strikes deal with Hamas for Gilad Shalit

(NEWSER) - After more than five years as a captive of Palestinian militants, soldier Gilad Shalit will be home within days, the Israeli government says. Shalit, now 25, was 19 when he was captured during a cross-border raid in 2006, and his captivity has long been an emotional issue in Israel. To secure his release, the Israeli government has promised Hamas that it will free 1,027 Palestinian prisoners, close to a fifth of all Palestinians held by Israel, the BBC reports. More»

Gaza Militants OK Israel Cease-Fire

Egypt brokers deal to stop escalating violence

(AP) - Gaza militants agreed to a cease-fire with Israel to stop spiking violence, a Hamas official said today, after a deadly attack across the Egyptian border on Israeli vehicles set off a three-day round of rapidly escalating Israeli airstrikes and rocket barrages from Gaza. The sudden flareup also threatened Israel-Egypt relations, after three Egyptian police were killed as the cross-border clash developed Thursday. Egypt complained strongly as thousands demonstrated in Cairo, and Israel apologized. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

No Way Mitchell Hits Latest Pitch Out of Park