Presidents Race, Roosevelt Out

Washington -- The Presidential race is getting ugly. Heads swollen. People rooting for their downfalls. Careers on the line -- and what happened to Teddy Roosevelt?

Forget Obama, Clinton, and McCain. The real race has much bigger heads.

Tom Jefferson, George Washington, Abe Lincoln goofily scampered neck to neck up the sidelines at RFK stadium trying to look as presidential as possible with giant 45 pound heads in the annual Nats presidential race.

This year roughly 50 hopefuls stood in line to make the famous sprint in the hopes of being one of the lucky 20 chosen to run in 20 home games this summer.

"You are in a different world.You get to be anything you want to be as a character," says Tom, who by rules of the job is not allowed identify himself.

While it is a wish-fulfillment job, the mascots are paid, and are not allowed to break character by talking when in character.

And Teddy Roosevelt?

"He needs to rest up," say Tom Davis, the Nationals' head of the big heads race."He's had a rough couple of years. He's looking to get back in shape."

(Copyright 2008 WTOP Radio. All rights reserved.)