Is this really that important?

[Razor]

I'm out having lunch with my lovely bride today, and TVs are tuned in to ESPN, which is covering the Clemens congressional hearings. She watches for a minute or so, turns to me and says, "With everything going on in our country and across the world, why are we spending ANY federal money and time on men that might be cheating when they are playing a boys' game?"

#1 - Great point. In the larger scheme of things, is any of that crap truly important enough to warrant independent reports, congressional hearings and a single penny of federal tax money?

#2 - I am again reminded why she's a keeper!

[Dad]

Your wife is so right. We could use some politicians like her
dad

[Pete]

Politicians have to "DO" something about anything they can think they can raise a stink with.

It's all about Face Time and power. Power comes from laws they can beat their subjects to their knees with.

"Subjects" - now where did I hear that term before?

[x-factor]

The logic is that this is an issue they can't be on the wrong side of. Everyone is against cheating. Its a way to get your face on the news in a completely risk free way.

Pretty pathetic huh?

I don't want to minimize it. Sports is a cornerstone of American culture, so I don't mind Congress taking an interest, but the amount of time they spend on it is ridiculous. Appoint an investigator or a panel or whatever and come back to the issue in six months. This holding a new hearing every five minutes and targeting individual players is absurd.

[Razor]

I don't even believe it warrants a congressional investigation. Last I checked, steriod use in MLB doesn't affect the health, welfare or safety of the general population in the U.S., so let the private organization (MLB) conduct its own investigation, at its own expense. If people don't feel the investigation was conducted properly, then they can show their displeasure by not buying tickets, cable TV access or merchandise. Free enterprise can be a powerful motivator.

[rubberneck]

Because doing real worthwhile work is really hard and not glamourous. It is much easier to beat your chest in meaningless hearings that you know are going to be broadcast nationwide. I will say this. Every second wasted on the MLB steroid scandal is one second less than they have to screw this country up even more.

My father used to joke that if he were in charge of things he would pay each member of Congress a million dollars a year just to stay away from the Capital. I think he was right.

[swpa19]

To add to the total ineptness of our elected officials, our resident R.I.N.O. Arlen Sphincter/Specter wants to initiate congressional hearings on the N.E. Patriots stealing signs from other teams. This country must be in better shape than I thought. Our congress must have solved all of the pressing and important issues of this country for them to delve so deeply into irrelevant issues like steroids and sign stealing.

[Counsel]

I don’t know if this applies to the Congressional hearings, but this is apparently the logic behind the government’s actions in all of this.

"Peter Keane, a professor at Golden Gate University Law School in San Francisco and a close follower of the BALCO case, said the government's role was unique but not unprecedented. He said it would be "alarming" if prosecutors were randomly meddling in a private enterprise and using police powers, but he believes the government is acting within its charge.

"Government does have a very real responsibility and role in terms of the health system of this country -- whether or not young people are looking at athletes as role models and fooling them will harm their health," Keane said. "So there's a synchronicity that comes with government joining with Mitchell, a private enterprise's inquiry, and pooling their resources in a common alliance."

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3246465

[jatx]

The only thing that I could care less about than the goons that populate most pro sports teams is politicians' opinion of them!

[Red Flag 1]

Hey Gents,...It is an election year...cameras are on...great media coverage. It does not matter who got dragged in for what hearing. It's the free nationwide coverage that is key for these guys. Those holding the hearings will let nothing impeed their coverage!

RF 1

[Peregrino]

I'm with Rubberneck - the more stupidity they engage in, the less time they have to spend trashing the constitution.