... just got in from shovelling the thirty centimetres of new snow from my driveway - come holy summer, come - and caught the closing statements. Davis continued to make it clear the Reps are on Roger's side. But thank God for Waxman. He had the gavel, and THE LAST WORD and Roger knew it.

... all in all, it was not Roger's best day. He was clearly the big loser in all this.

... now bring on Bud the Slug.

I'd be careful if I were on the pro-McNamee of the dais.
They have to run every other year, and they need lots of donors' $$ to do it, and so do their adversaries. If I were going to piss off anybody for grandstand points, I'd rather it weren't the rich, unionized, and relatively numerous ones, in favor of one or two drug dealers who are probably soon going to lose their right to vote. But as Will Rogers said, "I don't belong to any organized party, I'm a Democrat."

About the poll... I voted, but... all three options could be reasonably-held opinions... by the same person (namely, me)!

The red herring for me with Clemens was his opening statement, invoking the images of his mother, and of visiting servicemen overseas... neither material to the matter of inquiry... so I can assume that their inclusion was meant to establish character... and the "Glass Half Empty" Department points out, to distract the committee from the real issues. Being adamant doesn't make you correct or believeable.

McNamee has no credibility in the first place...

So my point is... I believe the spirit of the Mitchell Report, without having to accept the specific facts... so even if there are inconsistencies in the specific events involving specific players, it doesn't change the belief that the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball was widespread... and I don't hear anyone disputing that.

As for being no real winner.... Duh!

After today, do any of the HOF voters have sufficient justification to withhold their vote for RC? Without a smoking gun (not references to a smoking gun), I think not.

A good follow up poll would be what percent of cases involving steroid use in baseball did the Mitchell report highlight?

a. The first chapter in "War and Peace"

b. The first chapter in a Harlequin Romance.

c. The first chapter in Jonathan Livingston Seagull?

Anyone notice that McNamee looks like a weasel?

I have to agree with Rep. Elijah Cummings when he said, "... I must admit that the person I believe most (pause) is Mr. Pettitte."

IMO, Clemens and McNamee are both scum. The only person who may have told the truth today (or this week) is Andy Pettitte.

Carrying this one forward:

I noticed that with Davis, too. It occurs to me that it would be interesting to see the list of representatives who met with Clemens last week and try to correlate it with their lines of questioning.

---

The ESPN feed once the hearing concluded was illuminating. Rep. Foxx (she of the big Roger posters) basically hugged Roger at the end, and then Rep. Davis escorted Roger out. I know everyone coming in to this hearing is going to have their own opinion, but shouldn't we at least maintain an illusion of impartiality?

And who will index the whole enchilada (hee hee, 419)?

---

A good follow up poll would be what percent of cases involving steroid use in baseball did the Mitchell report highlight?

a. The first chapter in "War and Peace"

b. The first chapter in a Harlequin Romance.

c. The first chapter in Jonathan Livingston Seagull?

i didn't watch any of this but some of what is written here does remind me of the scene in the Godfather II when the Senator has to leave but wants to talk first about how good decent hardworking Italian immigrants are the backbone of the America and how the hearing should in no way affect how we think of them.

Why are these people sucking up to Roger? Disgusting.

Someday historians will all look back and wonder why we wanted another emperor...

pretty much Godfather and Big Lebowski sum up the world for me.

You're welcome to guest blog here any time, Jon.

-----

[bangs gavel the way AL hitters banged Clemens's pitching through most of 1996]

Great post, Longterm. I was thinking the same thing about the Godfather.

Petite told the truth. Clemens did not. Clemens should have just ignored the Mitchell Report - like Paul Lo Duca has chosen to do. Clemens did much more harm to his credibility and reputation by trying to fight it. And to think he could have avoided the hearing, if Waxman indeed gave him an out, but insisted on having his day on the Hill. He's not the sharpest tool in the shed, that's for sure.

The only thing this hearing did for me was get me out of chores. I'm probably standing in the same spot I was before I saw this...in the twilight zone.

I am embarrassed by Rep. Norton -- what was that, Roger you're going to heaven comment?????? That's the best she could come up with?

I also enjoyed that...

---

You're welcome to guest blog here any time, Jon.

-----

[bangs gavel the way AL hitters banged Clemens's pitching through most of 1996]

new post

This whole thing makes me sick. I can't believe the lack of impartiality from some of these Reps. especially Waxman. Sure seems like he's had his mind made up about McNamee and Clemens long before today. Why bother with this whole issue if that's the case, just have a press conference and announce that Clemens is guilty...

We, on the other hand, are completely free of bias.

This process sickens me. It saddened me to see/hear the testimony today. I have never been a huge Clemens fan, but I wish he had not taken the advice of every sports talk show host in America and rejected the allegations in the Mitchell report in such an aggressive fashion. Everyone looks bad -- including Congress. But, Clemens looks worst.

Clemens tried to change the subject of almost every question asked of him. McNamee has no motive to lie. The poll question ought to read, "Who was more disingenuous and disgusting: Roger Clemens or the Republicans who sucked up to him?"

I don't believe a word of what Roger Clemens said today.

However, when Clemens interjected as Waxman was doing his closing comments and Waxman did that gavel-banging thing, I couldn't help but think that if I were in Clemen's shoes I woulda responded to Waxman's "this is not your time to argue with me" with a retort like: "Your reputation isn't the one on the line here, sir, with all due respect."

Like I said, I think both Clemens and McNamee have lied big-time, but that one moment had me almost feeling sympathetic for Clemens.

Wigi said: "So my point is... I believe the spirit of the Mitchell Report, without having to accept the specific facts..."

Wigi, I very much agree with this (and the rest of your post above). There was no real winner today. From following the proceedings (albeit loosely, while at work) I'm no more a fan of anyone that was in that room, except Barry (and guest blogger Jon, if only for the "the way he.." metaphors which were gold)

Clemens lied. The hearings tell Congress that baseball does not monitor itself properly. It must do better or accept more government exposure of its indifference to drug use by the players.

longterm - I had the same thought ! I have no idea why the issue broke down on straight-party lines but I was more ashamed for the Republican members, twisting themselves into contortions to defend Clemens, than for Clemens himself - who looked more guilty than Michaele Corleone! An ugly, if amusing, spectacle.