Is There A Smoking Gun Pointed At Clemens?

Physical Evidence Against Pitcher Abounds, But Will It Be Of Any Use?

(CBS)  CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian reports on the evidence that may decide who was telling the truth in Wednesday's steroids hearing on Capitol Hill.

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The hearing quickly took on the tone of a trial.

There were exhibits, affidavits, medical records. The search for truth buried in a sea of conflicting information.

The best physical evidence against Roger Clemens, the "smoking guns" may be these bloody gauze pads, vials and syringes his former personal trainer Brian McNamee said he used to inject the Yankees pitcher with steroids and human growth hormone in 2000 and 2001, CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian reports.

A former police officer, McNamee told the committee he kept the material in waste-disposal box at home for years - for one reason: "While I liked and admired Roger Clemens, I don't think I ever really trusted him."

Federal authorities have reportedly sent the evidence to a lab for testing, setting up a potential forensic duel.

A specialist in DNA analysis, Lawrence Kobilinsky of John Jay College, says matching Clemens' DNA - if he agrees to provide a sample - to dried blood and trace amounts of anabolic steroids and HGH, is possible, even after eight years.

"The most important thing is we're dealing with DNA, we're dealing with protein, steroids," Kobilinsky said. "I don't think doing the analysis is an issue - there will be results. But how you interpret those results becomes crucial in this case."

Clemens' attorneys, including Rusty Hardin, have already made this pitch - accusing McNamee of manufacturing evidence.

Legal experts say defense lawyers could have a field day with evidence that sat around someone's home.

"We don't know where it went to between the time it was used and the time that it was placed into the custody of federal law enforcement officials," said CBS News legal analyst Andrew Cohen. "...Just don't know those answers yet."

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Read More About Congressional Hearing Face Off
Read more from Cohen on Couric & Co. blog.
Watch RAW video of the Clemens hearing.

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So odds are the evidence will be inadmissible in court because there's no telling who handled it. That means we're talking about the court of public opinion here, and not the court of law.

[tbweb]

I like what one of the Congressman said, the American people are very forgiving, once you own up to your bad decision the American people forgive you and you can get on with your life, and I might add the quicker you do so the quicker people forget about it. Mark McGuire is the perfect example of that! But if the American people think you''re lying, especially the Press, they will hound you forever. I watched the LIVE Hearings today and as much as I like Roger Clemens it''s hard to believe him.

[thisandthat1]

I think with just a little bit more corroboration on a couple of points, they should have enough for perjury charges against him. He proved that he''s a very bad liar.

[spinster2]

Frankly,,most americans could care less but I have to say that watching congress question Clements, and when Clements played that taped phone call to his former trainer,,,It looked and sounded like Clements was trying to intimidate them. Actually it was all but obvious even the congressmen. One thing is for sure, I know now that I don''t care much for him and I imagine his attitude is going to make things worse than they would have otherwise been.

[gronamox-2009]

Everybody is lying and rightly so. What purpose does the truth serve. Look at Marion Jones. She should have kept her mouth shut. The FBI was trying to scare her into confessing by telling her she would lose all her medals and tried for perjury. She caved and lost all her medals and was tried for perjury. At least she got it off her chest. After years of lying she finally told the truth and nobody gave a ***. She ruined her life and career. You know what. If you can''t prove to a mortal certainty that these people took the drugs-get a day job. Carl has a plan. I didn''t take those drugs. Nobody can prove it. So hearings adjourned..Are you ready for some baseball.

[gronamox-2009]

If taking steroids bothers you, don''t watch pro anything. And also stay away from college. A number of highschoolers are into the needles, but the numbers are small. Don''t get all tizzied up. The little kids have adopted a hedge fund to drive the price of the pharmaceuticals down. These kids are on it like stink on cheese. Although a possible 20per cent of highschool athletics could be effected by the drugs, the hedge bet that keeps prices low has helped the highschoolers tremendously get the necessary drugs, like meth, vicodin, beer, and percodan. No problem there. The little ones are cornering the video market but keep drugs available to silicon valley, perhaps the first abusing locale of HGH and steroids. Those videos started way to bulked up to begin with and now have a grace of delivery that rivals repalcement kidneys.

[jimde711-2009]

In the midst of the United States fighting a global war on terror; an economy in need of serious help; a failing health care system and an immigration policy fiasco (to name a just a few issues) it''s clear to see why Congress continues to have a very low approval rating among the American People!

Tax payers, as usual, are the real victims because we foot the bill for this kind of self- serving media circus with our tax dollars!

[tbweb]

Why is it hard to believe him? Because McNamee was caught in so many lies?

This so-called "evidence" has been in McNamee''s possession and it''s not like a trainer doesn''t have access to an athelete''s blood. He could easily manufacture it.

Posted by Nancy_Naive at 12:53 AM : Feb 14, 2008,,,

Roger Clemens problem is not Brian McNamee or old needles with Rogers DNA. Roger Clemens problem is the very credible Andy Pettitte!

[excoachken]

Yes, there is a "smoking gun" because Roger, Roger''s pants are on fire.

[fstop100]

Doesn''t Capital Hill have real issues to work on?
Tell MLB to clean up its act and go act to clean up our government. I bet if out lawmakers were investigated we would find much more.

[frau1]

This hearing is surreal.

This Committee(Committee on Oversight and Government Reform) is the main investigative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. It has jurisdiction to investigate any federal program and any matter with federal policy implications.

The US National Debt increases by $1.5 billion per day. The Country is in a ruinous war. The sub-prime housing problem is resulting in historic levels of foreclosures and its effect on the financial commuinity is spilling across borders and into every western economy in the world.

What are these morons having public hearings on? Whether some *** injected some other *** with steroids and HGH 8 years ago.

Do you think if they tried really, really hard, that could find a more pointless bloody subject to have public hearings on?

I mean really...what''s next, a hearing on Britney Spears and the availability of federally regulated mental health services in gated communities?

I wonder why faith in public officials is at an all time low?

[walt1944-2009]

There is a everlasting war in Iraq with our presence there initiated under false pretenses by The Great Emperor Bush II, VP Darth Vader Cheney and his neocon Fascist Nazi followers. These people have shredded the Constitution, put themselves above the law, taken away our "supposedly" guuarenteed civil liberties, tortured and imprisoned people for years, and subverted the very meaning of DEMOCRACY to achieve their own selfish and greedy ends!

Add to that the facts that the country''s infrastructure is falling apart, people are losing their homes thru the greed of lending companies, the middle class is almost extinct, the country owes money to every other country in the world, including RED CHINA, manufacturing is dead and jobs are exported overseas, the country is selling off its resources to pay bills, global warming, and record corporate profits; AND ALL CONGRESS WANTS TO DO IS NAIL ROGER CLEMENS!!!!!!!!!

Are we screwed up as a nation or what??????????

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!!!

[mbcsmith]

AND ALL CONGRESS WANTS TO DO IS NAIL ROGER CLEMENS!!!!!!!!!

Are we screwed up as a nation or what??????????

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!!!


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Posted by walt1944 at 08:56 AM : Feb 14, 2008

Hey LIB nazi, this one''s on your LIB congressmen, ain''t Bush''s fault the LIBS are hearing happy.

[taddles-2009]

This is f**king pathetic! Too much time and energy involved to impeach Bush/Cheney for war crimes but we can pi$$ away a couple months trying to nail a baseball player for using steroids...like anyone gives 2 $hits if he did or not. F**K congress!

[joatoz]

Why sig heil Bush? If you paid attention, it was Republicans on the committee that were trying to save Clemens. If baseball (Commissioner, Players Union, and ball players stepped up to the plate to address the issue and were honest in their efforts, there would be no need of government hearings.

[joatoz]

To Walt 1944: Congress does not want to nail Clemens. It is your democtatic members on the committee that are trying to nail Clemens(Waxman, Cummings, etc.

[lelyflamingo]

The US Congress is becoming a luaghing stock. it is clear to us non-US residents that the true American pastime is becoming not baseball but CONGRESS HEARINGS.
Lets see steroids more important than the war in Iraq, the credit problem, the failing American dollar,the failing US economy, the automobile manufacturer crunch, the Immigration issue, Osama Bin Laden, on and on and on. it is no wonder the US image is tarnished throughout the world.

Time to clean up this mess.

[salty1954]

What happened to " innocent until proven guilty"?

The rabid corporate media is not a court of law.

Brian McNamee has admitted to lying and illegal drug dealing.

Congress and the media are using smoke and mirrors to distract the public from the Bush Crime Syndicate.

Bush and Cheney should be tried for treason and crimes against humanity and if found guilty - hung.

[lelyflamingo]

The new Amercian anthem

Jose (Canseco) can you see
The needle they stuck in me
it caused a great big sore on my butt
This country is in a rut

But as congress knows
another hearing is a go
In the land of the free
and the home of McNamee
Democrats on side
Republicans off side

By bye hall of fame
hello hall of shame

Stick a needle in Roger he is done
Ops he already did that

Roger and Barry sitting in a cell
Isnt steroid use Hell

[sunnieaw61]

How can we, as a country, succeed many more years as a world power when our loyalty, money, interest and dedicaation supports the entertainment business (whether it''s professional sports and/ or the movie industry above everything else. Entertainment is in the number one spot with the economy, education of our youth, military (protection of our country)and other important issues falling behind. What a shame.

[lelyflamingo]

That is the problem

The world has changed Superpowers have died and the US is on the road to death.

Bin Laden warned that he would defeat the US through crushing them economically

[jdubs63]

I BELIEVE YOU ROGER.HANG IN THERE............

[lelyflamingo]

I belive Roger too !!!!THAT HE USED

[rushlimpdrug]

MY WISH:

If your congressperson is involved in any of this waste of time I wish you would call them and tell them to get to some REAL PROBLEMS to deal with.

Who are they fooling?

We all know that Congress is the biggest pile of liars between the Atlantic and Pacific.

If they can''t deal with the REAL business of America, they should resign and work for major league baseball.

[talkingham]

What kind of scumbag keeps needles around for 7 years?
The trainer should be executed. And the committee investigating this should have to work without pay because who gives a d.

[lelyflamingo]

And ROGER should join Barry in the cell, along with a tube of Astrogilde. Hello babyface

[padams1010]

I can NOT believe MY tax money is being spent in this manner. WHO CARES IF ANY ATHLETE USES "anabolic steroids and HGH"? They are ALL grown men PLAYING A GAME!! It''s NOT like they have the weight of the free world in their hands!! Their actions certainly do not affect me or my livelihood!! Don''t our elected officials have anything BETTER to do? AND how can THEY (elected officials) sit their on their "assured lifetime retirement" plans (a.k.a. a$$es) and call anyone else a crook? They need to get back to the REAL WORK they''ve been elected to do for we, the people!! Not we, the media!!!!

[kkelly0425]

ssmd2 I think that you have forgotten the greatest lie of all from the White House was from Demoract Clinton..."I did not have sexual relations with that woman!" And Clinton was not impeached!!! He went on to continue his term. Now Hilary wants back in the White House and who is gonna babysit Bill while Hilary is trying to figure out what outfit to wear that day to the Oval Office? Bill will be hanging out with all of the interns!!! Please, everyone do the country a favor...DO NOT VOTE FOR HILARY!!! We do not need another round of Clinton!!!

[fedup_11]

ssmd2- Bill Clinton was impeached though this has little to do with the current topic. As for Clemens, sounds familiar. All too often, an angry/defiant denial (Marion Jones) later reveals a tearful, pathetic confession (once proven guilty). Character and integrity absent. Oh wait, maybe that''s the tie back to Clinton(s). I get it.

[ioweign]

ssmd2- Bill Clinton was impeached though this has little to do with the current topic. As for Clemens, sounds familiar. All too often, an angry/defiant denial (Marion Jones) later reveals a tearful, pathetic confession (once proven guilty). Character and integrity absent. Oh wait, maybe that''''s the tie back to Clinton(s). I get it.

Posted by fedup_11 at 12:49 PM : Feb 14, 2008

Bush and Cheney will spend the rest of their lives with the 935 so far documented "false statements". Oh wait - Lies and all the carnage that followed...

[kkelly0425]

SHURCH4TRUTH as for WMD, Saddam said that he lied to the US about his WMD because he did not think that US would really invade, he thought US would just do air strikes as they did before. US went to war under false pretense due to Saddam''s lies. What exactly does Bush gain from taking US to war?

[ioweign]

I think that you have forgotten the greatest lie of all from the White House was from Demoract Clinton..."I did not have sexual relations with that woman!" And Clinton was not impeached!!!

Posted by kkelly0425 at 12:35 PM : Feb 14, 2008

Wow - some comparison we have going on here - The "greatest lie" - singular, uno, one and how many were killed by it - Now let''s look at Bush - so far it is at 935 - you got that - 935 and look at all the lives that this scumbag has ruined. This dry drunk''s behavior is going to haunt YOUR grandkids...

[ioweign]

SHURCH4TRUTH as for WMD, Saddam said that he lied to the US about his WMD because he did not think that US would really invade, he thought US would just do air strikes as they did before. US went to war under false pretense due to Saddam''''s lies. What exactly does Bush gain from taking US to war?

Posted by kkelly0425 at 01:11 PM : Feb 14, 2008

Saddam said that he lied to the US about his WMD because he did not think that US would really invade -

Wrong - Saddam said he had none and the UN Weapon Inspectors said there were none and the UN inspectors wanted to continue searching.

Saddam - wanted the Iranians to believe he had them - when questioned by the US he didn''t lie...

[ioweign]

What exactly does Bush gain from taking US to war?

Posted by kkelly0425 at 01:11 PM : Feb 14, 2008

Oil for his Oil buddies...

[tibu987]

Who Cares?

Our young American soldiers are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan, the world is sinking into a hole of bad decisions, our political process leaves a lot to be desired, our economy is sinking fast as the Chinese and other foreign countries are rising rapidly. People are losing their homes all over thre U.S., the evil Bush cabal continues to rule while their ship is quickly sinking.
Gimme a break, let''s get our priorites right for a change.

[bookwerm314]

There IS STUPIDITY evidence that CONGRESS IS STUPID! Please stop wasting taxpayer time and money on this! It is a friggin game, why don''t you fix our health care, solve immigration probs, get rid of the deficit, and generally DO YOUR JOB instead of chasing after s h i t than Ain''t your problem you spineless pathetic losers of a congress.

[whatithink-2009]

Hello. Congress made it an issue because many people made it an issue with Barry Bonds. Unless it was a personal vendetta with Bonds, you can''t now say it is no big deal. If it was a big deal for one, it has to be a big deal for all.

[traderdays]

The country is in economic crisis. We are at war so why is congress even wasting time with sports issues that don''t matter and should not be the federal governments issue. Congress go to work on real issues. We should vote out of office every congressman involved in this investigation.

[denn034]

Yeah, the obvious truth is the smoking gun. Now, who here really believes Clemens?

[uradufuss]

I am a member of that quilting club, and I can tell you right now, there is not a thread of truth to those allegations! The evidence is patchy, at best. I wish people would just stop needling us!

[uradufuss]

Let me just add, that we are not trying to cover-up anything! When we read some of these allegations, we are in stitches! You people are sew inconsiderate!