Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Posted by:
Michael Medved
at
8:44 PM
For five hours today, baseball great Roger Clemens testified before Congress on allegations he used steroids to enhance his pitching career. These hearings, broadcast live on most cable networks, forced viewers to choose between believing Clemens, or trusting charges by his former trainer, Brian McNamee. But there’s a bigger question, and that’s why our representatives in Congress should waste their time and our money on this TV extravaganza? If either Clemens or McNamee broke the law and lied under oath, the criminal justice system should prosecute them – a process made more difficult, not easier, due to the high profile hearings. The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform may face daunting responsibilities, but supervising Major League Baseball isn’t one of them. For the sake of bloviating on TV with a famous athlete, Chairman Henry Waxman and colleagues have provided a sickening example of the political process intruding in an area where it doesn’t belong.
But then again, we did get the chance to hear Rep. Elijah Cummings tell Clemens "you're my hero" while Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton assured him "you will certainly get into heaven."
That, by the way, is another issue that even a veteran Congresswoman doesn't get to decide.