I Ain't Going To No Stinking White House

[Farmer Ted]

Daley 'disappointed' in Ozzie
Chicago Sun-Times, February 10, 2006

Mayor Daley can't think of any place he would rather be than the White House on Monday when his beloved White Sox get the presidential visit afforded all World Series champions.

What the mayor cannot understand is why a handful of Sox players -- and specifically manager Ozzie Guillen -- don't have the same passion for a White House visit.

"I'm disappointed,'' Daley said. "It's a great honor to be invited to the White House. I don't care who you are. Maybe you think you're too important.

"Ozzie's on vacation or something. That's up to him. But you don't realize how precious that is. Very few Americans have ever been in the White House. To me, that's a privilege for anyone. . . . I could ask [any police officer]. If they ever get [an invitation] to the White House, they'd be walking down there. They'd get there some way.''

Guillen is vacationing in the Dominican Republic with his wife, Ibis, and their youngest son, Ozney. The oldest of Guillen's three sons, Ozzie Jr., said Thursday that his father had considered re-arranging his vacation plans to accommodate a White House visit. But when he was told no wives or families were permitted to accompany the team on the visit, he chose to spend time with his family.

"My dad cares about two things, his baseball team and his family,'' Ozzie Jr. said. "He's not interested in pleasing other people. The White House had changed the date of this visit a couple of times. It was supposed to be right after SoxFest [at the end of January]. Mr. Daley probably doesn't know that.''

Is there any chance Ozzie Sr. will reconsider and interrupt his vacation with a quick stop in Washington?

"No way. Not at all," Ozzie Jr. said. "To Ozzie, his family is more important than getting attention for himself. You have to remember, Mr. Daley is a politician. My dad is not."

White Sox spokesman Scott Reifert said Guillen isn't trying to diss President Bush, stressing that Guillen, then a third-base coach for the Florida Marlins, made a White House visit after that team won the 2003 World Series.

"For Ozzie, he's been there and done that,'' Reifert said. "This is a guy who was just made an American citizen two weeks ago. But he had this trip with his family scheduled with the season kind of looming on him for seven or eight months. He had scheduled this time to be down -- to be with his family, not dealing with the media and not dealing with being Ozzie. It certainly wasn't about any political statement.''

The White Sox traveling party of 55 to 60 will include 23 players, coaches, trainers, equipment managers, broadcasters and front-office types, plus chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. But the list of no-shows starts with Guillen and includes five key players.

Pitcher Freddy Garcia is back home in his native Venezuela practicing for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Second baseman Tadahito Iguchi, who tried to make alternative plans, is back home in Japan, being honored Monday in his native Tokyo.

Left-fielder Scott Podsednik is on his honeymoon. And flame-flowing closer Bobby Jenks won't be in Washington, either, because of unspecified personal business.

Slugger Frank Thomas, whose contract was bought out in a bitter parting this offseason and has since signed with the Oakland Athletics, confirmed he will not make the visit.

But a few players who were jettisoned after the World Series victory have confirmed they will make the trip, including center fielder Aaron Rowand, infielder Willie Harris, reliever Damaso Marte and utilityman Geoff Blum.

Daley can't understand the less-than-100 percent showing. It doesn't matter who the president is or whether the president is a Democrat or a Republican. When the White House calls, the mayor listens.

"If I get invited to the White House, you'd better believe I'm on that plane down there," Daley said. "What a great privilege to go to the White House. Very few people have ever gone to the White House. How would you like to go to the Oval Office? That's a great honor for anyone. I don't care who the president is."

Apparently not everyone has such an easy time separating politics from honorary visits.

In a recent radio interview, Sox general manager Ken Williams said he decided to make the Washington trip, but only after thinking long and hard about it because he differs with President Bush on the war in Iraq.

[metirish]

Well I have some understanding for Guillen, at first I thought he was making a political stance but if he's on vacation and was told no family members are allowed then it's understanable that he chose not to go, I do not agree with GM Ken Williams taking the political view, this should be seen as an honour not a chance to express your views.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I can't stand the President, but I'd go. I'd shake his hand and exchange pleasantries. And I wouldn't have any problem doing it.

[seawolf17]

I agree. I'd go, see if I could get a photo giving him rabbit ears behind his head.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

And you'd have your telephone tapped and your tax returns audited for the next three years!

[metirish]

Seawolf is an evildoer....

[Guest ABG]

I disagreed when McGwire refused to go to the SOTU in 99, I disagree with people who refuse to go to the White House. Some honors rise above personal politics.

[Guest sharpie]

My sister was called by the Bush campaign last year wanting to have her meet the President and be cited as a great example of a small business owner. She turned them down for political reasons. I was proud of her.

That being said, I would probably go to the White House with the team.

[Guest ABG]

sharpie wrote: My sister was called by the Bush campaign last year wanting to have her meet the President and be cited as a great example of a small business owner. She turned them down for political reasons. I was proud of her. That being said, I would probably go to the White House with the team.

That's totally different. It's a distinctly different type of "honor" to be asked by a campaign to highlight their proposals or initiatives. FWIW, I've made these requests a lot (with small businesses especially) and you get turned down far more often than not. Of course, I wasn't asking on behalf of the President, but you get the picture.

[nymr83]

Guillen is right because they changed the date on him. Lets see how Dailey would like it if they tried making him trek up to Washington while he was vacationing wiith his family.

[Theoldmole]

I'm with Ozzie. Family comes first. Why wouldn't they invite families, anyway? Is the Bush administration anti-family?

[metirish]

Hardly, he's pro-family, I suppose if you got to invite family members it would be way too many people.

[DocTee]

]he's pro-family,

Whatcha talkin' 'bout, Willis?

The families he's saved with his war or those he saved via his assault on social programs/education?

[Guest cleonjones11]

You anti Bush our Commander in chief people can kiss my white ass!!!!!!!!!!!

[metirish]

Now why would we want to do that Cleon?...DocTee your point is well taken, I was playing on his being pro-life...yeah I know that seems ironic.

[nymr83]

that "irony" works both ways, so called "pro-choice" liberals whine and cry about a few deaths on the other side of the world but don't give a rats ass about the murder of unborn children right here at home.

[DocTee]

Being "pro-life" (and really, it's being anti-choice) is not the same as being "pro-family".

I'm far more concerned about the rights of those who are here than those who may be-- we should worry less about the unborn and more about the neglected.

[Theoldmole]

] I suppose if you got to invite family members it would be way too many people.

The White House is pretty big.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Depends on where you get access to. The west wing is smally small.

I think most of these team salutey things have traditionally been family-free.

I also think they've traditionally been silly.

[nymr83]

well theres little disputing that they are a waste of time, but politicians and ballplayers are united in their need for useless publicity stunts, so it works out well for all involved.