Rep. Henry Waxman of California to the NEW YORK TIMES today on Roger Clemens’ congressional hearing, “I’m sorry we had the hearing. I regret that we had the hearing. And the only reason we had the hearing was because Roger Clemens and his lawyers insisted on it.”

Waxman oversaw the hearing, which he claims “sullied” Clemens and unnecessarily embarrassed Brian McNamee. He also claims that because of the hearing, 90% of the public now doesn’t believe the former pitcher.

To us, the only thing the hearing proved was we were wrong about Clemens’ counsel, Rusty Hardin. Read more…

Interesting story over at ESPN.COM about Brian McNamee and the advanced warning he apparently gave Roger Clemens before the Mitchell Report came out.

Transcripts of two conversations between McNamee and representatives for Clemens and Pettitte provide new context to the strange and contentious saga that has erupted since Clemens was named in the Mitchell report on Dec. 13. The transcripts show McNamee painting a picture of himself as a friend trying to help Clemens despite warnings from government officials and former Sen. George Mitchell’s investigators not to talk to anyone before the steroids report is released.

Read more…

‘Duk of Yahoo Sports’ new BIG LEAGUE STEW blog scares out a gem from Brian McNamee’s deposition to Federal investigators about the party he claimed Roger Clemens attended at Jose Canseco’s house. McNamee:

“Roger showed up after golf, I believe. Maybe he was golfing. I don’t know if he was golfing. He might have showed up a little bit later, but no, he was there the whole time for the most part. He was in the house. I could tell a specific story about him being there, which was involving Jose (Canseco), Jose’s wife and Roger’s wife when they went inside, when the guys showed up. I mean, they talked — no disrespect, but they talked about how great Jose’s wife’s augmentation job was to Debbie and showed her. And then Debbie showed her her augmentation job.”

This whole thing keeps getting weirder and weirder. With Clemens’ kids in mind, it’s starting to get to the point where we hope nothing more comes out about him and his wife’s *lifestyle* unless someone emails photos to us directly.

Brian McNamee’s lawyer, Richard Emery, told Ronald Blum of the ASSOCIATED PRESS today that he thinks if Roger Clemens gets convicted “in connection with the baseball steroids scandal, he’d be pardoned by President Bush.”

He also said “some Republicans treated his client harshly because of the pitcher’s friendship with the Bush family.” Read more…

The Congressional hearing involving Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee has ended. As expected, nothing exciting or unexpected was exposed. The only question that remains is if we’ll soon see Clemens in a courtroom getting cross-examined by Federal investigators. We doubt it.

The only person who can really foil Clemens’ great escape now from the Feds is Andy Pettitte. But Pettitte doesn’t have the stomach to pursue the matter further, ‘else he would’ve been sitting next to his *buddy* today.

For us, here’s the highlight of the day: Indiana Representative Dan Burton attacks McNamee:

Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee are both taking plenty of bullets at their Congressional hearing today. Predictably, the duo has been exposed for innumerable inconsistencies and lies in previous comments to the press and the Feds.

We’d say that Clemens is making out better at the moment. Before the hearing, McNamee appeared to be the more credible of the two. But after Clemens’ former trainer was absolutely hammered by Indiana Representative Dan Burton for his past lies to the media and Mitchell Report investigators, his credibility looks all the more questionable. Read more…

We’re up early on the west coast to watch the Roger Clemens Congressional hearing. It will be much ado about nothing, but we have found a way to make it entertaining.

Presenting the Roger Clemens Congressional Hearing drinking game - from SIGNAL 2 NOISE (who will be posting on SbB later today).

Roger Clemens told Andy Pettitte he took HGH - that’s according to a sworn affidavit acquired by the ASSOCIATED PRESS on Tuesday.

Details of Pettitte’s affidavit came out a day before Clemens was to testify in front of Congress about his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs. Pettitte gave the affidavit so he wouldn’t have to appear in person at Wednesday’s hearings. Read more…

Now this is really getting fun sad. A source tells the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS today that “Brian McNamee told congressional investigators Thursday that he injected Roger Clemens’ wife with human growth hormone before she appeared with the pitcher in Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue in 2003, according to a Washington source.

“Debbie Clemens appeared with her husband in a photograph taken in Central Park in the magazine’s Feb. 18, 2003 issue wearing a bikini and holding a bat over her shoulders while Roger Clemens reclined on the ground in his Yankee uniform. McNamee testified that he injected her at Roger Clemens’ direction, according to the source.”

Source: “She was trying to get in shape for the SI cover. He (McNamee) told them the story that Debbie took growth.”

With McNamee providing these sorts of details, it’s now clear that steroids and HGH aren’t what’s at issue anymore. It’s about a soul-crushing crusade against everything Clemens holds dear. We can hardly wait for McNamee to next reveal Granny Clemens’ steroid injections after her late ’90s bout with Shingles.

THE SMOKING GUN today has photos released by Brian McNamee’s lawyers “purporting to show syringes, blood-specked gauze pads, and drug vials used by the embattled baseball star (Roger Clemens).

“McNamee’s lawyers have said that the items were turned over last month to federal investigators who have been probing the widespread use and distribution of illegal substances by professional athletes.”

We actually had someone tell us today that McNamee is faking this evidence. That it can’t be Clemens’ stuff. But we’re unequivocal about the veracity of the items now. But only upon seeing the Miller Lite can.