Congress turns steroid hearing into a joke

Last Thursday, March 17, March Madness was overshadowed by 11 hours of congressional steroid hearings on Capitol Hill. The testimony session was long, and didn't really answer much. Several politicians who tried to make a name for themselves through this should be embarrassed.

Steroids are a real problem in the country among American youth. Two high school kids in Plano, Texas, died from abusing steroids. When Rep. Thomas Davis III (R-Va.) called this hearing, he said he wanted to send a message to the children that steroids were bad, and to hold baseball as an example.

But what did baseball do? Steroids are bad for you, but how is teen steroid using baseball's issue and not the NBA's, NFL's, NHL's, or any other leagues? I don't care about the "America's Pastime" garbage either; this was a meeting called so some congressmen could make names for themselves.

Congressman Davis sure did. He was on television all week before the hearings, not really saying anything about what would be asked on Thursday, but he was on CNN, ESPN, NBC, CBS, ABC, ESPN2, ESPNU, Fox Sports Net ESPNews, ESPN Deportes, ESPN8 "The Ocho," Oxygen, SoapNet, TLC, ESPN49.5 and Fox News.

Now he's a national name. John Warner's probably going to retire from his Senate seat in 2008, and Davis could run. Interesting…

What boggled me the most was how, during the time when the baseball execs were testifying; the congressmen spoke with such vehemence, like they felt they were doing a service to America? If only they were this passionate on minor issues, like Iraq, Medicaid/Medicare and Social Security. Y'know, things that Congress talks about in their spare time.

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), who will probably run for the vacant Maryland senate seat in 2006, spoke to Bud Selig in an angry tone about something he seemingly knew little about. He asked Selig, "how many people have been suspended" under the new steroid policy? Which, by the way, was implemented about two weeks ago.

"Nobody," Selig replied.
"Nobody?" Cummings asked, angrily.
"Well, we just implemented the policy-"
"Exactly."

It would be funny if it weren't true.

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) chided MLB chief legal counsel Rob Manfred about baseballs supposed botching of a steroid case. In 2000, Waxman said correctly, that Boston shortstop Manny Alexander was arrested with steroids in his car.

Waxman ripped Manfred, saying that baseball didn't test Alexander for steroids and that he never got in trouble for having them.

Turns out, as Manfred said, the police found out that the steroids were those of the passenger riding with Alexander that night. Not only that, but Alexander was tested for steroids and tested negative.

Hard to punish a guy for steroid use if he doesn't use steroids.

It appeared to me, as the night wore on, that these congressmen, on both sides of the aisle, were more concerned about getting on TV more than doing a public service. Heck, this probably got 100 times more viewers than a debate on the agriculture budget for fiscal year 2006.

Rep. Mike McIntyre (R-N.C.) belittled the Congress with his testimony. He didn't even ask questions. His only kind words were for Kevin Towers of the San Diego Padres, who he praised for being "the only owner to come out and speak on this."

He's a general manager. He doesn't own a thing.

One member of Congress called the MLB the "National Baseball League." You would think that someone who was working on testimony would at least get the name of the company they're belittling right.

But nothing was beneath the congressmen and women who spoke on Thursday.

It was obvious that this would be a farce from the get-go. The people selected to speak were totally random and arbitrary. All the players were picked because they were named by a known liar, Jose Canseco, in his shameful money ploy/book, "Juiced."

Why does baseball, after just implementing a policy, get subpoenaed to speak on Capitol Hill? Congress, at best, is months behind the curve. At worst, and in reality, they're subjective and selfish.

The NFL has harsher punishments for smoking weed than for using steroids. You only miss three games for a positive test. But baseball gets singled out? How is that fair?

Your public money went into this hearing. To put it into perspective, the House spent 11 hours debating this in public testimony during a time of recess in Congress. The same Congress that didn't rush back to condemn slavery, or the Holocaust, or the one reluctant to give up their free time to put the 9-11 Commission's recommendations into effect.

It's not baseball's fault that these kids died. It's the fault of the parents. Jose Canseco did not make the kids in Plano die. I don't care if they're a bad influence; parents who don't care or who turn a blind eye are the ones at fault. I can't believe Congress would exploit their pain and that the families would oblige.

This sideshow was a joke. Selfish congressmen singled out baseball, when there were bigger fish to fry, not just in the steroid industry, but also in American law. There is nothing more important to discuss for half a day than steroids? I highly doubt that.

Rep. Davis, and all the other House members involved in this farce should be embarrassed. Were all the congressmen fools? I don't think anyone would agree with that. But there were many, many politicians in that room, desiring deeply to make a catchy sound bite that could get their name all over American television.

I guess this reaction of frustration is normal. But I live in Washington; I read and hear about grandstanding, full-of-hot-air blowhard liars everyday.

But a line of unmitigated foolishness was crossed on Thursday. Hearings became a witch-hunt.

It's good to know, that in the end, Congress, in a world where were fighting two wars, and debating all sorts of complex social issues, that they got their priorities straight.

Congress once again showed that doing what's right isn't nearly as important as doing what's visible.