Here we go again

The New York Times reports that the congressional committee that heard testimony from pitcher Roger Clemens and his former trainer, Brian McNamee, has taken the first step toward seeking a criminal perjury investigation of Clemens. In general, most folks would agree that we can't have people lying to Congress or to federal authorities, but I wonder if going after Clemens, and before him, Barry Bonds, is of great national import. Anyone who had watched Bonds play for the Pirates and then saw what he morphed into while playing with San Francisco could tell that he was taking more than flaxseed oil. Mr. Potato Head didn't get that huge on Flintstone's vitamins. But spending thousands upon thousands of dollars to prove that Bonds lied about his drug use seems like a wasted effort, considering the other challenges facing our country. It's much the same with Clemens. Most people believe he took steroids and/or human growth hormone, and they believe Rodger the Dodger is lying about it. These players and their accomplishments have been forever tainted, and when you're dealing with people with egos this huge, having their achievements dismissed by the vast majority of the American public might be the biggest punishment they could get. Are costly criminal proceedings really necessary on top of that? And if you believe McNamee's attorney, even if the government pursues a case against Clemens, there's the possibility that President Bush might issue him a blanket pardon on his way out the White House door. It could be money for nothing.