Clemens doesn’t come off a winner

Mike Wise, Washington Post

It wasn’t just that he almost certainly lied on Capitol Hill; it was the enormity of Roger Clemens’ untruth, the Texas-sized audaciousness to think that his stature in society was big enough to get away with committing perjury… .

As the contradictions kept coming Wednesday in the Rayburn House Office Building, Clemens came across as a megalomaniac, a habitual liar and a barrel-chested fraud. The people who believe him now seem to be either paid by Clemens, married to him or in worse denial than the Rocket himself.

Dave Hyde, Orlando Sun-Sentinel

His name? Sunk.

His reputation? Shot.

His legacy? That of a liar now, as well as a drug user.

Roger Clemens charged up Capitol Hill on Wednesday morning as the greatest baseball pitcher of his generation, and left five hours later looking like just another sports star trying to hide his performance-enhancing drug use.

It was “Extreme Makeover” in reverse. Clemens, by the end, came off as dirty as he did defiant. He seemed as unbelievable as he did unrepentant.

Shaun Powell, Newsday

Without [Andy] Pettitte, the afternoon was much ado about nothing. Really, did you learn anything? Did it change your opinion? McNamee stuck to his story, Clemens to his. Both stories were running in opposite directions, like Hillary and Obama. The hearings lacked someone to trust and believe. Instead, the hearings had Washington-style justice, with Republican questioners lining up behind Bush backer Clemens and the Dems throwing up the dukes for McNamee.

Mike Downey, Chicago Tribune

“What possible reason would Mr. Pettitte have to fabricate a statement about you, his friend?” an understandably mystified Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) inquired.

Clemens stood firm.

“I think he misremembers our conversation,” he said.

He misheard. He misremembers.

These might be the buzzwords that emerge from this sorry episode in American sport. The everlasting reputation of one of baseball’s greatest arms will depend largely on the American public’s willingness to believe that one of Clemens’ best friends sold him down the river with information that he must “misremember.”

Wallace Matthews, Newsday

You wonder why nothing ever gets done in Washington, why all these brilliant minds can’t unravel the health care mess, balance the budget, find an alternative means of energy, end homelessness or figure out a way to keep more Americans from dying in Iraq.

Then you watch something as comparatively simple as yesterday’s hearing and the reason immediately becomes clear.

This 4 1/2 -hour charade disguised as a hearing was Washington in microcosm. Democrats … put Clemens on the grill. Republicans … aimed their barbs at McNamee. And in the end, Clemens walked off knowing that since nothing was resolved, nothing more is likely to happen to him.

Did Clemens perjure himself? Probably not. Did he expose himself? Definitely yes.