Clemens and the Circus
The big story today is Roger Clemens testimony in front of Congress. This whole thing really pisses me off, and I’m not talking about steroid use in Major League Baseball. I’m talking about Congress.
What we saw today was government officials, a panel of thieves, a bunch of media whores, harassing a private citizen. That’s right, representatives of the federal government were harassing a private citizen, and for what? So they could get their face on TV?
I find the whole thing to be utterly disgusting. I wish Clemens would hit Henry Waxman in the head with a 95 mph fastball.
Brian Hornback shares my sentiment, as does Justin.
S-Town Mike, on the other hand, takes the government’s side. Imagine that.
Also, not surprisingly, John Hutchinson is happy to see the panel of thieves known as Congress, sit in judgment of a private citizen.
Newscoma has also weighed in.
Mark Rose nails it- “So far, I have not heard one person ask what business does Congress have investigating whether or not a private citizen used steroids/HGH”
So essentially it’s like this. The conservatives support the private individual and the liberals support the government. Nothing changes!
Glen - I love baseball. Using your logic, the ‘what do you know congresspeople are imperfect’ folks couldn’t weigh in on any topic. Baseball, besides being a great sport, imo, is a large commercial enterprise. Steroid use/abuse undercuts the integrity of the game. The powers that be in baseball should have taken this matter in their own hands. They failed..completely.
The use of anabolic steroids in this country is illegal without a prescription. The plague of steroids has crept into our high schools and even junior high levels. I’m grateful that there are people (and yes, some of them are grandstanders) who understand this is a problem and would like to do something about it.
If Clemens is guilty, the problem is NOT grandstanding congressmen. The problem is cheating people who were ignored by baseball while it was useful for the game.
Keep your eye on the ball, Glen.
I’m sorry John. Big government officials are harassing a private citizen and doing so in an open forum, full of cameras. It’s a media circus. If the government believes that Clemens has committed a crime, they should gather evidence and charge him with it. But even so, the government that I am talking about is the Justice Dept, or state law enforcement. Congress has no business doing anything. Like I said, every one of them should have a 95 mph fastball thrown at their stinking heads.
Um … Glen Dean, you need to get your facts straight: Roger Clemens requested this hearing against the recommendation of Mr. Waxman that the investigation and correspondence be conducted out of the public eye to avoid further embarrassment. Clemens pushed for the hearing and as a result his accuser appeared on equal footing with the arrogant pitcher. Why would Clemens push for a hearing that would lead to his own harassment? Why? Because he wanted 4 1/2 hours of publicity to plead his case to baseball fans. It was tactically stupid on Clemens, part, and it gave baseball’s Mitchell report more cred with the average non-partisan audience. You got some real weak over-the-top spin here.
Mike, there never should have been a Mitchell report or a Congressional investigation. Clemens would have never requested this hearing had there not been one.
Andy Pettitte’s and Chuck Knoblach’s admissions alone justified the Mitchell report. Clemens’ performance tied a pretty ribbon around it for the audience. And as with most bullies, when they run into a power greater than them, they point fingers elsewhere, turn into cry babies, and hide behind skirts (or lawyers). Where was the personal responsibility that conservatives claim to be so committed to?
This is not just a matter of privacy. Since baseball is interstate commerce, allegations of doping in order to enhance performance therein can lawfully be investigated by Congress. Or maybe you prefer that the rules of “anything goes” or of “might makes right” ought to govern interstate commerce.
First off Mike, my argument is not on behalf of Clemens. I respect him as an athlete, but I’m not really a fan. It is solely about Congress’ role in something like this. You did address that in your second paragraph, but that whole interstate commerce argument is a reach. If a crime was committed involving interstate commerce, then the Justice Dept. should prosecute it, not Congress.