Brian McNamee met with federal investigators to discuss Roger Clemens, who is being investigated by the feds.
If Clemens is charged with perjury, as Barry Bonds has been, he would be looking at a possible jail sentence. Rusty Hardin, his lawyer, wouldn't be doing his job correctly if he didn't at least poke around and investigate the question of whether the pitcher might receive a pardon from Clemens' fellow Texan, George W. Bush, before the president departs from office Tuesday.
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You'd have to assume that Bush's underlings have at least mused over the politics of a possible pardon for the pitcher, and considered both sides of the ledger.
Here are the reasons why W. might think about a pardon (and the point here is to consider the exercise, and not advocate either way):
- If Clemens is guilty of a crime, you could make the case that his is of a white-collar variety. He's not accused of physically harming anybody else, or stealing, or robbing.
- He probably has already suffered the greatest punishment he will receive: the diminishment of his reputation and legacy. In the past month, a golf tournament removed Clemens' name from its title, as did a hospital funded by the pitcher's money. It's possible he will never be inducted into the Hall of Fame, despite putting up the most daunting numbers of any pitcher in his lifetime.
- Clemens has made goodwill trips and appearances to the Middle East, visiting soldiers.
His appearance before Congress last year devolved into a scrap along party lines, with Clemens' supporters being Republicans, and his detractors being Democrats.
Here are reasons why W. might pass on a pardon:
- Clemens may be guilty of lying under oath before Congress, which would be an incredibly serious offense -- particularly in light of the fact that the run-up to his hearing took place over weeks, and essentially came at his request.
- If he pardons Clemens and does not do the same for Bonds, then there will be immediate questions of inequity -- and some along racial lines.
- If he pardons Clemens, there will be nothing quiet about it; it will be a headline grabber that would only be overshadowed in the event the president issued a pre-emptive pardon on behalf of Vice President Dick Cheney. The president has done a number of interviews in recent weeks, answering questions related to what his legacy would be -- and a pardon of Clemens, as he exits, would generate an enormous public-relations backlash as he heads out the door.
As a matter of politics -- separate from the question of right and wrong -- there does not seem to be a lot of upside for the outgoing president to do this. We'll know in time if, in fact, Hardin has asked about a pardon. Our Peter Gammons asked a well-placed source Friday about a possible pardon for the pitcher, and the source indicated he does not expect a pardon for Clemens to be issued.
Michael O'Keeffe thinks a pardon for Clemens is appearing less and less likely.
Miguel Tejada's situation could get awkward for the Astros, writes Richard Justice.
Around the majors with Buster Olney
Buster Olney
