FanHouse TomDavis

Remember that poll I mentioned a couple of days ago that described how Democrats tend to think Roger Clemens is guilty and Republicans think he's innocent? Turns out it was on to something.

Nearly a month after the Democratic majority staff of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform issued an 18-page memo recommending Clemens be investigated for perjury, the Republican minority staff responded with a freaking 109-page report of their own, in part focused on challenging the credibility of Brian McNamee, Clemens' main accuser. From the AP:

"Did Roger Clemens lie to us?" [Virginia Rep. Tom] Davis said in a release accompanying the report. "Some of the evidence seems to say he did; other information suggests he told the truth," the Virginia Republican said. "It's a far more complicated picture than some may want to believe. Memories fade and recollections differ. That's human nature, not criminal conduct."

The report doesn't focus on whether or not Clemens took steroids or HGH but does "question McNamee's versions of events on several points," including interviews with new witnesses from Jose Canseco's infamous 1998 BBQ, etc. That Davis is spearheading this effort shouldn't be surprising -- he's the one that called this whole investigation into Clemens' life "a new form of lynching," which (probably) even made Kelly Tilghman cringe.

Don't get me wrong, I'm firmly in the camp that investigating for potential perjury most definitely is the government's business, but the whole thing devolves into absurdity if the parties involved simply use this as yet another opportunity for political posturing.

(via the LoHud Yankees Blog)

The Clemens hearing is over now, and the assorted parties have retreated. The Clemens Hearing Report Card will assess the key players' performances in a way that has about as much to do with baseball as the hearing itself did. Next up: Tom Davis!

Were it not for the strident shouting of Dan Burton, Roger Clemens would not have had a better friend on the committee today than Tom Davis. Whereas Burton probably damaged Roger's cause with his name calling and good-old-boy BS, Davis remained composed and careful. It actually took the listener a minute or two to see what Davis' larger point was, and at least one listener appreciated a little nuance in defense of Clemens.

The problem is that once that nuance wore off, Davis was no better than Burton. He shouted, called Brian McNamee names, tried to create doubt about Clemens' butt abscess by calling it a "palpable mass" -- let us never utter those words again -- and completed the trifecta with the most offensive comment of the day. In regards to medical questions asked of Clemens, Davis said: "This is a new form of lynching!" That comment alone betrays the deep confusion and sadness in Mr. Davis' core, an abyss that can only be described by the letter grade directly below. But hey, at least he didn't scream.

Rep. Tom Davis: D

More Clemens Coverage:
Roger Clemens Hearing Live Blog Part 1 | Part 2
The More Talk About Andy Pettitte, the Worse It Gets for Roger Clemens
Clemens, McNamee Each Have Their Fans in Congressional Hearings

For a week that featured very little college basketball, it was a pretty good one for the mid majors. Binghamton and New Orleans pulled off nice upsets while the A-10 grew in stature thanks to wins from Xavier and Massachusetts. The weekend brings a bit more action although you wouldn't know it from tonight's slate. Eight games are on tap, but only two of them match D-I schools against each other. Hartford figures to be a sacrificial lambs at Villanova but Drake's got more than an outside chance in Iowa City. Their MVC cohorts from Bradley already beat the Hawkeyes at Carver Hawkeye Arena and so did Louisiana-Monroe.

The Bulldogs have another edge over the Hawkeyes. Their coach, Keno Davis, has probably seen more games at Iowa's home than their coach Todd Lickliter. Davis is the son of Dr. Tom Davis, and graduated from Iowa in 1995, so he should feel right at home this evening. If Josh Young and Leonard Houston continue to nail almost 50% of their three point tries, Drake has a good chance to make them Iowa's biggest winner. Until January 3rd anyway.