So the Department of Justice has finally decided to stop wasting its time chasing escort service owners and that clown governor (oh, that’s right – they’re still after HIM) and moved on to really important matters: prosecuting Roger Clemens for allegedly lying to Congress about whether he used performance enhancing drugs or not. Big stuff. I mean, clearly the question of whether baseball had a steroids problem in the recent past (note to Congress ; we all know that it did), and whether or not the likes of Mr. Clemens were among the malefactors are issues that fully warranted a Congressional investigation, and now a costly prosecution by the United States Attorney’s office. I’m not really a Roger Clemens fan, and never really have been. But I have to say that the notion of prosecuting him for lying to Congress about whether or not he used steroids is more than a little bit silly. I don’t mean to make light of the obligation to testify truthfully. But I have to question whether chasing down a guy who supposedly perjured himself during a Congressional investigation that was a waste of time and money in the first place is really a wise use of prosecutorial resources and taxpayer dollars. I guess after hounding the D.C. Madam to death these guys need something to do.
Update 8/23/10: Jonathan Tobin of Commentary is equally skeptical as to the wisdom of the federal government’s investigation and prosecution of Clemens, and of Barry Bonds, as I am. As Tobin observes, correctly in my view, you might think that Roger Clemens is little more than a liar and a cheat. But it does not follow from such judgments that the federal government’s actions in this case are either warranted or wise. The feds have, in fact, engaged in nothing more than a colossal waste of taxpayer money. Why don’t they find another escort service owner to hound to death?