Congressional Hearing

[Nightwing 0]

For me, it's the slightly-pressed up nose.

 

Anyone else wonder what Stephen A. Smith is going to say after today?

[Jaxxson Mayhem 0]

Nope.

 

 

Screamin' a smith is a fucking jackass who's mouth should be sown shut and be banned from any form of TV or Radio.

[Guest Smues]

For me, it's the slightly-pressed up nose.

 

Anyone else wonder what Stephen A. Smith is going to say after today?

 

Rain and black ice normally wouldn't stop me, but especially not today.

 

Not with Roger Clemens about to testify under oath. Not with him about to call his former strength and conditioning coach, Brian McNamee, a liar -- a man who didn't lie about Clemens best friend, Andy Pettite, or Clemens' wife, Debbie. Not with us all about to see someone other than Barry Bonds in the eye of the storm. I didn't just want to watch this on television. I wanted to feel its pulse. So I'm here in the nation’s capitol, ready to hear -- and see - whatever goes down.

 

So stay tuned. I'll have more to say at 2 pm (EST) on ESPN Radio on "The Stephen A. Smith Show."

 

Get Ready!

 

Listening to Roger Clemens get interrogated right now. Can't see him sitting outside the Rayburn Building right across the street from the Capitol, but boy can I tell he's sweating. Clemens' testimony right now is shaky, at best. He's using words like mis-remember to describe Andy Pettite's interpretation of events. He doesn't appear nearly as defiant as he has throughout his denials over the past week OR during his opening statement.

 

 

 

 

I'm still listening...stay tuned!

 

This is the theater of the absurd.

 

There's actual debate as to whether or not Clemens attended a party hosted by Jose Conseco; Whether or not Clemens had spoken to his wife about getting injected with HGH; and why the Clemens' never consulted a doctor once his wife complained about itching and discomfort.

 

Only 2 things appear certain:

 

McNamee's definitely sleazy for keeping syringes for years and lying continuously. But he's not the one with a reason to lie right now. That would be Clemens, who's echoed more than a few inconsistencies this morning.

 

 

[Jaxxson Mayhem 0]

What was screamin a's opinion on the bonds case?

 

 

Did it differ from his opinion on Clemens?

[Guest Smues]

2/11: Clemens, Obama and the G.O.P.

I couldn’t wait for this weekend to end. Don’t get me wrong. I know I’m getting old because I love chilling out at the crib to watch movies and just relax instead of hanging out at 40/40 in New York City the way I used to. But there’s a particular reason I wanted this weekend to end quickly.

 

The quicker the weekend ends, the quicker we can all get to Roger Clemens. That’s right! The man who got older, yet still got bigger than he was before, better than he was before, stronger than he was before and unquestionably more productive. Clemens is expected to sit before Congressional members this Wednesday and swear he’s never tainted himself with Human Growth Hormones or performance enhancement drugs.

 

As long as he’s forced to do so under oath, I’ll label this occasion a celebration.

 

Contrary to what people surmise from hearing me on “The Stephen A. Smith Show” on ESPN Radio every weekday, I couldn’t care less about Clemens’ guilt or innocence. If he cheated, he should be treated like any other lying, arrogant, self-righteous phony. But if Clemens is telling the truth, then shame on those who convicted him in the court of public opinion.

 

All I care about is equal justice. Not just under the law, but in the court of public opinion.

 

If everyone swore Barry Bonds was excoriated because of the combination of an acerbic personality, name cache and his pursuit of the coveted all-time home run record once held by the great Hank Aaron, then what excuse is there to become passive when it comes to a seven-time Cy Young Award winner with 354 career victories, who happens to be, arguably, the greatest pitcher of the modern-day era?

 

The answer would be….THERE IS NONE!

 

In a world full of phonies and apologists, though, you know folks will find a way. They’ll point out how Bonds admitted to using The Cream and The Clear, but swore under oath he didn’t knowingly do so. They’ll point to his oversized head, his body mass and bloated numbers shortly after Mark McGwire broke Roger Maris’ single-season home-run record.

 

Those same apologists were nowhere to be found when Roger Clemens was piling up his numbers as his birth certificate collected more dust. As his salary escalated. As he transformed himself into baseball’s preeminent mercenary, working part-time over the past couple of seasons, without one single implication of questionable behavior, let alone steroid use, until the LA Times falsely reported last year that former Arizona Diamondbacks’ pitcher, Jason Grimsley, had implicated Clemens to the Feds.

 

This is Webster’s Dictionary of Hypocrisy, folks! Where is all the screaming and shouting now? Where is this unwavering, rigorous effort to convict Clemens in the court of public opinion – not just withhold judgment until he’s head pleading his case on Capitol Hill. I know….I know. There’s no denying, with his emphatic denials, that Clemens’ actions resembles that of an innocent man.

 

Clemens has denied. He’s filed a lawsuit against his accuser, Brian McNamee, his former Strength and Conditioning coach. But Clemens also made it a point last week to go door-to-door, meeting with Congressional members to reiterate his innocence.

 

Why?

 

Doesn’t anyone find this behavior suspicious? I mean, where does Clemens think glad-handing with elected officials is going to get him? It’s certainly not going to prevent them from asking him to raise his right hand and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help him God!

 

Either way, I’m glad we’re about to hear from Clemens. Not just him mouthing off, but mouthing off under oath.

 

If this country is truly in pursuit of fair and equal treatment under the law, part of the process is making sure one is exposed to the heavy hand of the law. Specifically so they can be held accountable if, dare I say, Clemens decides to tell a fib or two.

 

America the Beautiful, remember?

 

On to Politics for a second:

 

It looks like Barack Obama and John McCain will compete for the presidency. Although Hillary Rodham-Clinton can easily take over with a couple of good primary showings in the next few days, I’m shocked to admit I actually believe America will support a black man over a white woman for the Democratic nomination. I must confess I didn’t think that was possible a few months ago.

 

(Note: the reason I felt this way is because white women – not African-Americans – were the biggest beneficiaries of Affirmative Action.)

 

But I do want to send this quick message to all the African-American voters out there: We need to stop just giving the Democrats our vote and start making them earn it.

 

For years black folks have virtually handed our votes to the Democratic Party. To me, it’s foolish to do such a thing without actually hearing the issues, what policies are being geared for implementation, and who is really the individual best suited to run our country.

 

If it’s a Republican like John McCain, so be it. The man is honest, considered a moderate conservative by most of his naysayers, and has served this country more honorably than almost any American alive. And I’m saying this although I’ve never voted for a Republican in my life. Needless to say, that could change.

 

BTW…here’s a little tip for members of the Republican Party, aspiring to increase support from African-American voters: Perhaps if you stopped identifying yourself as the GOP….it just might help.

 

There’s something about the “Grand Ole Party” that doesn’t necessarily resonate with most black American voters, reminding us of a time we would rather forget.

 

If the Republican Party can’t understand that, I really don’t know what to tell them.

[Kinetic 0]

I LISTENED TO STEPHEN A. SMITH'S SHOW TUH-DAY AND HE GOT ME ALL WORKED UP. NOW MY VOICE IS GETTING SQUEAKY WHEN I WANT TO EM-PHA-SIZE SOMETHING AND I'M WHISPERING FAH DRAMATIC EFFECT. HOW COME THE ME-DI-A ISN'T CRUCIFYING ROG-UH CLEMENS the way they did Barry Bonds?

[MrRant 0]

Because the media likes whitey.

[Guest Blue Man Czech]

Like I said before, I can't vouch for The Media, but the average fan is just as disgusted with Clemens as with Bonds. In fact, I think Bonds and/or his handlers have had the good sense to just kind of slink away, whereas Clemens is making an ass of himself in public and digging himself deeper.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I get the feeling people are just running with the emotions they already had, and are using something in the hearings to support it. Pro-Clemens people think he looked better than McNamee. Anti-Clemens people (Czech) think it confirms the "fraud" opinion they've held for years.

 

It took two years to get a perjury indictment against Bonds. The case against Clemens isn't enough to fill a book, it is the statement of the guy who supplied the HGH, and maybe Andy Pettitte. The stuff Brian McNamee supplied, the syringes and such, will not hold up in court.

[snuffbox 0]

Even though a couple Congressmen tried helping him, Clemens never gave a very good reason for the shots he admitted to getting.

[Guest Blue Man Czech]

I heard the congressman from Indiana was the worst of all. Dan Burton, was it?

[Steve J. Rogers 0]

Also Bonds vs. Clemens boils down to these simple facts

 

-Bonds always has come off as a surly jerk and has been a hated baseball figure since his days as a Pirate. Clemens has really only been hated upon by the New York media/fans, Boston media/fans and more recently Houston's media and fans.

 

-While Clemens earned a reputation as being a surly hot-headed (see 1990 ALCS when he got tossed from a game and proceeded to toss a bucket of Gatorade onto the field) and a head hunter, his only real "crime" other than, at the time, unsubstantiated whispers and innuendos about steroid usage was being a two faced liar and a mercenary who was just looking for a big payday and a championship ring. He was actually good to the media and fans unlike Bonds, so there hasn't been years and years of bad blood picked up by the national media the way there was with Bonds.

 

Put it this way, there has been no ESPN The Magazine covers suggesting that America may be ready to love Clemens the way there was with Bonds after Bonds broke McGwire's record, and before Balco became known.

[Jaxxson Mayhem 0]

I heard the congressman from Indiana was the worst of all. Dan Burton, was it?

 

 

What do you mean worst?

 

And yes, it's Burton.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Worst Clemens apologist. Dude just basically told McNamee he didn't believe a thing he said.

[Jaxxson Mayhem 0]

Ah.

 

 

[cabbageboy 0]

This whole thing was simply demented today. We have two guys here who are both lying their asses off at every turn. I don't believe that Clemens is telling the truth, but so much of McNamee's actions are so seedy and creepy that I don't buy him either.

[Guest Blue Man Czech]

Oh, get off Rodge's dick. Guy's as guilty as the day is long.

[Red Baron 0]

You know there are sports going on right now that are worth watching instead of this garbage.

 

It's pathetic. Who fucking cares. Just have no media speculation until the end to find out who's lying and who's not.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Excellent blog post from Kansas City writer Joe Posnanski.

 

http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/02/14...le-in-congress/

[Guest Blue Man Czech]

Let's read about Dan Burton.

 

Burton's first wife, Barbara (Logan) Burton, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993[30] at the age of 56. She died on in 2002 after battling breast and colon cancer. They had three children: Kelly, Danielle and Danny.

 

In September 1998, Burton admitted to fathering a son, born in 1983, with a former state employee.[3][2] After the admission, one report claimed, "During part of the 1970s and '80s, Dan Burton was known as the biggest skirt-chaser in the Indiana legislature ... Privately, some of his fellow Republicans expressed embarrassment. Lobbyists whispered about the stories of Burton's escapades. Statehouse reporters joked about him. Yet no one ever wrote about, or probably thought about writing anything. To the people who sent him first to the legislature and then to Congress, Burton was Mr. Conservative, the devout husband and father who espoused family values."[2]

 

On August 22, 2006, Burton remarried to Dr. Samia Tawil in Park City, Utah.[3] Dr. Tawil was the internist who cared for Burton's wife, Barbara, during her battle with cancer.

 

In 1997, Burton headed an investigation into possible Democratic Party campaign finance abuse, focusing on the 1996 Presidential election. The committee investigation ran for several years and issued over 1,000 subpoenas of Clinton administration officials and cost over $7 million.[21]. The committee, and Burton's leadership, were labeled a "farce"[22], a "travesty"[23], a "parody"[23], and "its own cartoon, a joke, and a deserved embarrassment".[24]

 

In 1990, Burton introduced legislation that would require the death penalty for drug dealers. "We must educate our children about the dangers of drugs," Burton said, "and impose tough new penalties on dealers." In 1994, son Dan Burton, Jr. (Danny) was arrested while transporting nearly eight pounds of marijuana from Louisiana to Indiana. Just five months later, while awaiting trial in that case, police raided his Indianapolis apartment and Danny was arrested again for growing thirty marijuana plants.

 

Now let's take a field trip to www.debbieclemens.com! Uh oh! It disappeared! We'll have to visit the Google cache.

 

“Welcome to DebbieClemens.com! I hope that you find my site to be an innovative and refreshing perspective on family, health, life and relationships. The mission of DebbieClemens.com is to empower mothers from a common sense and balanced lifestyle approach. The laws of life and fitness, as I call them, are to plan ahead, be practical and use common sense. Eat healthy; be dedicated to workout, recognizing life’s necessities that serve you well.”

Nothing about having your husband's live-in personal trainer inject human growth hormone in your ass.

 

 

Roger came to me one day and told me that we had been asked to do a photo shoot for Sports Illustrated. I had major anxiety! I was a 39-year-old mother of 4! Once I realized that this WAS going to be a reality, I decided I had to give it everything I had. My mind was set. I am not a risk taker, but have since learned that with great risk, sometimes comes great reward. The responses from that experience have been wonderful and I feel it was a turning point in my life. It’s nice to have a goal for yourself and to see it through. The goal kept me motivated and focused. Using common sense and my ability to balance my life, I achieved that goal.

Maybe "common sense" is code.