Why is Congress Investigating Steroid Use? Congressional Reality TV staring Roger Clemens and Henry Waxman

Why is Congress Investigating Steriod Use?

Welcome to Congressional Reality TV staring Roger Clemens and Henry Waxman

By Albert N. Milliron Editor Politisite.com

Washington – (IMNS) -America, in possible recession, War on Terror, Oil prices through the Roof, Russia Buzzing our Aircraft Carriers, China tainting our children’s toys with Lead. I decided to turn on the television to C-Span to watch what my congress was doing to take control of all of these issues. C-Span is a network that allows Americans to see into the inter workings of our government.

What I saw astounded me. Roger Clemens is being interrogated for steroid use. Are you kidding me? All of the recent events and Congress is looking at MRI data of Roger Clemens Buttocks to see is a mass was from steroids. Our tax dollars at work.

To me it looks exactly like what Republicans told us, “If you want endless hearings and investigations, elect a democratic majority”. They were pointing directly to the possibility of Henry Waxman and his desire to investigate, conduct hearings, and oversight on issues that mean absolutely nothing about the work of government. Why in the world would Congress investigate Baseball and steroid use? Well have you seen Congress approval rating at an all time low. Its Congressional Reality TV staring Roger Clemons and Henry Waxman!

Roger Clemens, McNamee Both Challenged By Skeptical Lawmakers

CAPITOL HILL (AP) – They’re separated by just one seat, at a table in front of a House panel, but the testimony from Roger Clemens and his former trainer Brian McNamee is miles apart.

And both have been grilled today by lawmakers trying to establish which one is telling the truth, concerning whether Clemens used performance-enhancing drugs.

Clemens was asked to explain statements from his long-time friend and teammate, Andy Pettitte, who said Clemens had admitted to him that he had used human growth hormone. Clemens said Pettitte had simply “misremembered” their conversation.

Clemens told the panel that he had “never taken steroids or HGH.” And he said no matter what happens before the panel today, he will never have his reputation restored.

As for McNamee, he was asked why he had for years held onto what he says is proof that he injected Clemens with drugs. He responded that despite his long relationship with Clemens, he hadn’t completely trusted the pitcher. One lawmaker pointed to what he said was “lie after lie after lie” from McNamee.

Source: wjbf.com via politisite

Committee Holds Second Day of Hearings on the Mitchell Report and Steroids in Baseball

The full Committee is holding a hearing entitled “The Mitchell Report: The Illegal Use of Steroids in Major League Baseball, Day 2.” This hearing will examine allegations of steroid use by Roger Clemens and several other major league players that appeared in Senator George Mitchell’s Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball.

Click here for live video of the hearing.

The following witnesses are expected to testify:

o Roger Clemens, Major League Baseball player

o Brian McNamee, Former Major League Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coach

o Charlie Scheeler, Investigator on Senator Mitchell’s staff

Documents and Links

Opening Statement of Chairman Waxman (488 KB)

Testimony of Roger Clemens (21 KB)

Testimony of Brian McNamee (24 KB)

Click here for live video of the hearing.

Source: oversight.house.gov via politisite

Did Congress Have Authority to Hold Baseball Steroid Hearings?

Valid use of Congress’ time, or just a massive photo-op?

Did the House Government Reform Committee have the authority to hold its much-reported hearings into steroid use in Major League Baseball, or was the testimony of several former and present MLB stars little more than a taxpayer-funded photo-op?

Just a Photo-op
When established 1927 as the Committee on Government Operations, the House Government Reform Committee (GRC) was given jurisdiction to investigate “the operations of Government activities at all levels with a view to determining their economy and efficiency.”

According to it’s published scope of power, the Committee on Government Reform differs from other congressional committees in that its jurisdiction has grown over the years.

Because it authorizes on a few agencies and programs, it is able to review government agencies and programs with an unbiased eye.”

Despite it’s claim of wide-ranging power, the congressionally mandated roll of the Government Reform Committee remains the investigation and reform of the operations of the government itself. The use of steroids by professional baseball players clearly does not fall under the scope of their authority.

On the Other Hand
The Government Reform Committee is charged as the “principal investigative committee of the House,” which gives it the authority to conduct hearings on any subject falling under the jurisdiction of Congress. The Federally Controlled Substances Act, regulates the use of performance enhancing drugs, including steroids. In addition, Major League Baseball has been exempt from most federal anti-trust laws laws since 1922, when the Supreme Court ruled in its favor in Federal Baseball Club of Baltimore, Inc. v. National Baseball Clubs. The exemption prevents teams for suing if they are not granted the right to change locations at will. While its exemption from anti-trust laws has nothing to do with steroid use by players, it does place the affairs of Major League Baseball squarely under the jurisdiction of Congress.

Source: usgovinfo.about.com via politisite

Sports Law Blog

Preview of Tomorrow’s Congressional Hearing on Roger Clemens, Brian McNamee, and Steroids in Baseball

* Bob Cohn of the Washington Times has a piece entitled Throwing High, Tight. He interviews Alan, Howard, and me for the story.

* I have a new SI.com column up: Law and Disorder: Answering Questions from the Wild Legal Saga. It provides a preview of tomorrow’s hearings.

* I’ll be a guest on MLB Home Plate (XM channel 175) at 7:00 p.m. EST tonight, on Tony Boselli’s Show on 1010XL Radio at 9:00 a.m. EST tomorrow morning, and on the Papa Joe Chevalier Show on Las Vegas KLAV 1230 AM tomorrow evening. Hope you can listen.

Update: I’ll be on ESPN Radio’s The Herd with Colin Cowherd at 12:20 p.m. EST today (Wednesday)

Source: sports-law.blogspot.com via politisite

Brian McNamee crediblity questioned as his PhD came from a diploma mill

McNamee’s credentials were never checked by either the Toronto Blue Jays or the NY Yankees. During their employ of his services he was never a certified strength coach. He may have been a personal trainer, but certification is not legally required to be a personal trainer, although such certification only requires an exam and no course work or field training.

McNamee’s credentials are dubious at best, not to mention his phony PhD that he acquired in 2000 from an implicated internet diploma mill known as Columbus University, supposedly located in Louisiana, and since sold off to another entity in another state due to its being nailed by authorities.

Source: sports-central.org via politisite

Throw away that biohazard material, dude!

The big, slimy baseball-and-steroids mess just got slimier. From New York Daily News:

“Brian McNamee turned over physical evidence last month to federal investigators that he believes will show Roger Clemens used performance-enhancing drugs, according to McNamee’s lawyers “

The evidence is said to be “vials with traces of steroids and growth hormone, as well as blood-stained syringes and gauze pads that may contain the Rocket’s DNA”

Who in their right mind keeps those things? By now I would think everyone knows that you put used syringes in a sharps container and take it to a disposal site. Or even better, use a gizmo like this one to destroy the needle, and throw the syringe in the garbage. (Although that particular one only works for small-gauge needles) Gauze pads can go in the garbage also…who do you know who takes off a used band-aid, or a paper towel they used after cutting a finger in the kitchen, and does anything else with it?

I can only think of two reasons for not disposing of this stuff (especially the gauze pads!) immediately:

Fear of detection. But there are lots of valid reasons for throwing away blood-stained gauze, and nobody has ever asked me questions when I bought a sharps container or brought syringes in for disposal. Diabetics can easily throw away a hundred syringes or more each month.

Hanging onto evidence in case you’re caught and need to bargain.

Source: blogs.sun.com via politisite

A student wants an answer to this quesion as well

Why does congress care more about baseball plAyers on steriods than health care or ending the war?

For the one person, Roger Clemons just testified yesterday and this has been ongoing, not spoken on once a few months ago. As for the war, all they have done is debated and held up funding. No actions at all, just words.

I do have a job that provides health care for myslef and child but I am concerned for other Americans as I see you are not.

Because things that are completely irrelevant, like baseball players on steroids, are “fun” to talk about–they can get lots of media attention because Americans are OBSESSED with celebrities. They can also pretend they’re doing something, it doesn’t matter that this is in NO WAY their job. They get yapping points aired on TV and it helps distract everyone from what matters in life AND the actual job of the government: self-defense is first, protection and enforcement of the Constitution (our RIGHTS and RESPONSIBILITIES), the economy, etc.

Every “news” agency that covers this BS is contributing to the corruption of the US by wasting the public’s time pretending this constitutes news. What IS news is the lack of work that needs to be done. What IS news is what is happening in areas that count.

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