Why the Clemens Case is Different Than Clinton’s Debacle

Roger Clemens is “not guilty,” Save Jerseyans.

Millions of taxpayer dollars later.

So now at the end of this shameful ordeal, can anyone give me a rational argument that the House Government Reform Committee isn’t a gigantic waste of money?

The Committee claims to have the jurisdiction to hold hearings into Major League Baseball steroid use pursuant to the Federally Controlled Substances Act (FCSA) and by virtue of the fact that the MLB has been exempt from most federal anti-trust laws laws following the 1922 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Federal Baseball Club of Baltimore, Inc. v. National Baseball Clubs.

Whether they presently have the authority is somewhat immaterial. They shouldn’t.

Now, some liberal friends are already dragging up the Clinton/Lewinsky example to pour cold water on conservative gripes regarding the public cost of Roger Clemens’s prosecution.

It’s not really analogous. At all…

Bill Clinton stood accused of lying under oath, in a deposition, about “sexual relations” with Monica Lewinsky during the Paula Jones lawsuit. Clinton defenders loved to accuse Republicans of persecuting their commander-in-chief on purely moral and/or political grounds. They also accused Jones of filing a baseless lawsuit. Both arguments were, frankly, ridiculous and ignorant in equal measure.

Millions of Americans deal with lawsuits every year. And, frivolous or not, we’re all obligated to be 100% truthful throughout these proceedings. The fact that America’s top executive official felt he wasn’t restrained by such a basic tenant of our judicial system was, in my eyes, about as high a crime and misdemeanor as one can imagine… other than perhaps allowing the Chinese to obtain military technology in exchange for campaign cash from defense contractors? Ah, the 1990’s!

So how is the Clemens case different from Clinton’s debacle? Well, for starters, Clinton admitted that he perjured himself! Clemens, on the other hand, never admitted to having done anything extra-legal, and a jury subsequently agreed that the government hadn’t met its burden to that effect. Furthermore, you or I would be subjected to the same penalties as Clinton if a Judge discovered we had lied to the court. Like I said, lawsuits happen every day; impeachment had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with perjury! Clemen’s case is obviously much different because the authority of Congress to waste millions of tax dollars policing baseball is dubious at best.

Just don’t let these facts get in the way of a good story, Clintonistas! I guess it’s okay to use our money to put an American sports legend through the ringer. Bring the heat! But a sexually liberated Democrat official? Walk him!

 

Matt Rooney
About Matt Rooney 8405 Articles
MATT ROONEY is SaveJersey.com's founder and editor-in-chief, a practicing New Jersey attorney, and the host of 'The Matt Rooney Show' on 1210 WPHT every Sunday evening from 7-10PM EST.