After the House ethics committee held an embarrassing hearing earlier this month into whether baseball’s Roger Clemens took steroids at Jose Conseco’s house, once, the Justice Department may now get its turn. Congress has “asked the Justice Department to investigate whether Roger Clemens ‘committed perjury and made knowingly false statements’” to the ethics committee. Did it take him 30 minutes to drive from the golf course to Jose Conseco’s house instead of 20, which Clemens claimed? If it takes a tax hike to figure this out, the American people will gladly accept it. [MSNBC]

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform announced that it would postpone until February the second, star-studded half of its hearing on steroids. No, they didn’t do it to focus on any of the important issues facing our country today! They did it because Roger Clemens filed a lawsuit against former trainer/co-panelist/snitch Brian McNamee which included a conversation recorded between the two men that is probably somehow relevant that the committee hasn’t yet heard. And, well, obviously they’ll get twice the press if they do the two hearings 4 weeks apart. [Yahoo News]

High on the list of things I don’t in any way give a shit about is the use of steroids in baseball, or any other sport, or, really, sports at all — beyond having something look at when I’m sitting alone at a bar, and the bartender won’t talk to me anymore because I might have asked her something about carpet and/or drapes. It follows then, that I don’t think investigating the use of steroids or other “performance enhancing drugs” is a good use of Congress’ time or taxpayer dollars or C-SPAN airtime, or even the kilobytes required to store this post. MORE »

Ages ago, it seems, Bud Selig hired George Mitchell (and his law/lobbying firm, DLA Piper) to investigate the steroids-in-baseball controversy and make some policy recommendations. Mitchell held a presser to talk about the conclusions, blah, blah, blah. Whatever, you know you just want to know who he calls out!

MORE »

• Reliable Source: Angelina Jolie proves a distraction at Capitol Hill conference on HIV/AIDS. Richard Branson also testifies: “If this were the U.S., there would be a war room set up.”. . . Lynne Cheney visits and revisits Pottery Barn. . . Connie Mack (R-Fl.) is divorcing. [WP]
• Under the Dome: Five Hall of Fame baseball players dragged out to talk about steroid legislation. . . Letter from two Democrat lawmakers regarding Plan B may have influenced FDA commissioner to resign. . . John Dingell (D-Mich.), Mark Foley (R-Fla.), Pat Roberts, ABC’s John Cochran, Howard Fineman, Matt Cooper, and Ben Bradlee attend screening of “Flightplan” hosted by Dan Glickman. [The Hill]
• Inside the Beltway: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents found themselves hounded for ice by confused hurricane victims. [WT]
• Lloyd Grove’s Lowdown: Gloria Steinem says ‘08 is too soon for Hillary. [NYDN]
• Rush & Molloy: Ari Fleischer is working for Bud Selig. [NYDN]