[Zen653]

This has been riveting television. Just when I thought the House Committee had successfully nailed McNamee as a liar (by the trainer's own admission in a series of damaging questions), Waxman adroitly tore Clemens' credibility to shreds with the line of questioning about the nanny, and why the Clemens team refused to provide her name to Congress until after Clemens had an opportunity to talk to her. Waxman alleged an appearance of impropriety in such conduct (obstruction of justice?), especially since her deposition essentially validated McNamee's testimony about Clemens' attendance at the Canseco party. Clemens' lawyers defiantly objected to the innuendo, undoubtedly concerned about the likely legal implications of the Waxman exchange.

The Congresswoman who spoke last also did a nice job of poking holes into Clemens' credibility by asking him why he failed to fire McNamee even after learning of the trainer's many shady dealings. Clemens sidestepped the question, and failed to provide a believable answer.

Even if we're not to contemplate anything that McNamee says, I have trouble believing that Andy Pettitte - a man known for his honesty (according to Clemens himself) - would lie about the content and nature of their conversations. Pettitte had no reason to lie about his best friend. He easily could have played the "I don't remember" game, given the man on the other side (McNamee) has credibility issues of his own. Between Pettitte's testimony and the nanny's, as well as what the physical evidence may show, I think it's more likely than not that Clemens indeed used steroids and HGH.

I don't find it that hard to believe that McNamee would lie to the press before telling the truth to Mitchell and the government. As a lawyer, I see that all the time myself. People try to cover up the crimes of their friends, until such time that the legal system turns up the heat and forces out the truth. I'm surprised that McNamee did not explain his prior inconsistent statements as the product of being torn between defending one's reputation and loyalty to a friend, and one's ethical and legal obligation to reveal the truth - a truth that could harm everyone from McNamee himself to Clemens to Pettitte to Knoblach, to even David Cone and MLB ownership (as we interestingly learned today.) Such testimony would have depicted McNamee under a more sympathetic light.