Softball, video games bring Dem, Republican together

Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and Kevin Brady (R-Texas) are political opposites, but their love of softball led them to become leaders of the coolest caucus in Congress: the video game caucus.

OK, it’s not quite called that. Its official name is the Congressional Caucus on Competitiveness in Entertainment Technology, or, less formally, the E-Tech Caucus. 

{mosads}“I went to Kevin Brady after the e-tech folks first approached me, because he’s the Republican coach of the softball team,” Wasserman Schultz told ITK. 

The amicable Florida Democrat is very, very serious about softball. She organizes a Congressional Women’s Softball Game every June to raise money for breast cancer research. Brady is the co-coach of the bipartisan team, along with California Democratic Rep. Joe Baca.

But there’s more to the Wasserman Schultz-Brady connection. 

“I was looking for someone with young kids,” she said, “because [my co-chairman] had to be someone who was ‘living’ video games.”

The goals of the caucus will be to promote parental controls for age-appropriate content, whether in games or online. 

“For example, I won’t allow my kids to buy ‘M’-content video games — we focus on ‘E’ games — so drive-by shooting games are not going to happen,” she said.

Wasserman Schultz said her kids like playing sports on the Nintendo Wii console, as well as Mario Brothers and Guitar Hero. “I have played Guitar Hero,” she said, but demurred when asked about her skills. “I sing,” she said.

As for Brady, when it comes to entertainment technology, he’s more of a sports guy than a music fan. “I like playing Wii sports games with my sons,” he told ITK. “It’s a blast!”