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February 13, 2008
Posted: 06:23 PM ET
NEW YORK — It was Oscar Wilde who wrote that “the truth is rarely pure and never simple.” Those words certainly rang true Wednesday on Capitol Hill. 
Roger Clemens (right) and Brian McNamee take the hot seat.
 Roger “Rocket” Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award-winning pitcher and one of the best to play the game, raised his arm and swore to tell the truth before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Clemens told the panel he knew his name would not be restored but remained steadfast in his denials, saying he had never taken steroids or human growth hormone during his lengthy career. But Clemens’ former trainer, Brian McNamee, sitting one seat away from Clemens, also stood by his story — that he injected Clemens at least 16 times with performance-enhancing drugs. The main discrepancy in all this is the sworn testimony and affidavit from pitcher Andy Pettitte, who admits using HGH. Pettitte claims Clemens told him nearly 10 years ago that he used HGH. Pettitte also said Clemens backtracked when the subject came up in conversation in 2005. Clemens told the panel Pettitte “misremembers” the conversation, was “shocked” to learn that Pettitte had taken HGH, and claims he was talking about his wife’s use of HGH. No surprise that there was some display of partisan politics and many Republicans questioned the veracity of McNamee’s testimony. Chris Shays, from Connecticut, likened the hearing to a “Roman Circus” and Rep. Dan Burton shouted at McNamee: “You’re here under oath, and yet we have lie after lie after lie after lie.” Video: ‘Somebody’s lying’ McNamee admitted lying to authorities seven years ago during a rape investigation. As to why McNamee kept needles he claims link Clemens to steroid use, he responded that despite his long relationship with Clemens, he hadn’t completely trusted the pitcher. Rusty Hardin, Clemens’ lawyer, previously dismissed the purported evidence as “the desperate Hail Mary of a man who wants to ruin Roger.” So there you have it, two witnesses completely contradicting each other. One of them had to be lying, but as committee chairman Henry Waxman said after the hearing, lying does not necessarily mean perjury — a criminal offense punishable by up to five years in prison. The ball is now in the Justice Department’s court. – Bob Regan, In Session senior executive producer Filed under: Bob Regan • Roger Clemens |
 
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