Thursday, February 14, 2008

V. D., Performance Enhancing Drugs, etc.

Today in history: Valentine's Day, and pitchers & catchers report to spring training. And typing of baseball, yesterday's congressional hearings on the subject of steroid use by professional players divided along party lines, with the weasel on the hot seat, one Roger Clemens, apparently a Bush supporter (and there is talk that the Texas Rangers, the team of which George W. Bush was made the figurehead/"owner" after all his other business ventures failed, was advising its players how to use steroids w/o getting caught) was hailed as a "titan" & "the franchise" by Republican members of the committee, while the Democrats were more inclined to disbelieve Clemens & take his accuser (also his former personal trainer) Brian McNamee at his word. Per Bill Plaschke of the regional cat-pan liner:
In a 4 1/2 -hour hearing in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, McNamee's testimony was supported from the first capital letter to the last period. Clemens' deposition was contradicted from page to page. McNamee calmly withstood criticism of his checkered history while his testimony in baseball's Mitchell Report was supported by everyone from Clemens' teammates to Clemens' former nanny. Clemens, meanwhile, could offer nothing but unsupported bluster and banter before finally being gaveled shut by Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Beverly Hills).
We're happy to say that Rep. Waxman is Just Another Blog's™ Member of Congress, whether we're in the Armory or where we lived when we had someplace to live. And we're pleased as punch to see the Republicans once again backing an apparent liar. Not surprised at all, but pleased. Via the fish-wrapper, from across the nation (Well, from Newsday, at least.):
Shaun Powell, Newsday Without [Andy] Pettitte, the afternoon was much ado about nothing. Really, did you learn anything? Did it change your opinion? McNamee stuck to his story, Clemens to his. Both stories were running in opposite directions, like Hillary and Obama. The hearings lacked someone to trust and believe. Instead, the hearings had Washington-style justice, with Republican questioners lining up behind Bush backer Clemens and the Dems throwing up the dukes for McNamee. Wallace Matthews, Newsday You wonder why nothing ever gets done in Washington, why all these brilliant minds can't unravel the health care mess, balance the budget, find an alternative means of energy, end homelessness or figure out a way to keep more Americans from dying in Iraq. Then you watch something as comparatively simple as yesterday's hearing and the reason immediately becomes clear. This 4 1/2 -hour charade disguised as a hearing was Washington in microcosm. Democrats . . . put Clemens on the grill. Republicans . . . aimed their barbs at McNamee. And in the end, Clemens walked off knowing that since nothing was resolved, nothing more is likely to happen to him. Did Clemens perjure himself? Probably not. Did he expose himself? Definitely yes.
Other columnists went much further in calling Clemens a liar. He's a Republican, what can one expect?

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