Yesterday most of the Republicans on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform defended the apparent drug user against his accuser, while most of the Democrats were far more skeptical. The most egregious in attacking McNamee was Indiana's notorious Dan Burton, though even the so-called moderates, retiring representative from Virginia, Tom Davis, and Chris Shays from Connecticut, who was almost retired in 2006, got in their licks at the accuser. They along with some of the Democrats were obsequious in worshipping the icon, Roger Clemens.
At the very least any objective observer would recognize that something stinks here and that Clemens did not do a good job of refuting the testimony of his former trainer, Brian McNamee and his best friend, Andy Petite, that Clemons used human growth hormone. Whether or not Clemons should be put on trial for purgery is a different issue, but certainly the fans who respond to ESPN's polls have voted against him already.
The real question is why did most Republicans defend Clemons?
There are at least two possible answers.
First, this attack on Clemons' critics was simply a means of attacking Henry Waxman, the chair of the committee who has been pushing this and other investigations, most of which have been directed against the White House. By challenging his judgment on this issue they were undermining his credibility on all the others more directly important for their own political interests.
The second goes to the nature of the Republican pysche which is rooted in Atlas Shrugged rampant hero worshipping idolization of the individual. Sports heroes represent an important model for the Republican belief in the all-importance of individual ethic and responsibility. Individual achievement is the result of moral behavior and perseverance. To suggest that Clemons' record is tainted by immoral cheating and drug dependence undermines their worship of the myth of the self-made man. It challenges their belief that hard work and good values alone can achieve anything.
Lastly the Republican response to these charges of drug use once again reveals their hypocrisy on the issue of the war against drugs.