Is There A Smoking Gun Pointed At Clemens?

(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.

[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!

[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!

[denn034]

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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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...

[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]

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...