President Bush to Possibly Pardon Roger Clemens?

As sick and weird as the events of the last few days have been, it's only getting stranger as one of Brian McNamee's lawyers predicted Roger Clemens will be pardoned by President Bush, saying some Republicans treated his client harshly because of the pitcher's friendship with the Bush family.

The thought sounds silly, but after what I saw yesterday in the crazy Congressional hearings, anything is no doubt possible.

From the Examiner: One of Brian McNamee's lawyers predicted Roger Clemens will be pardoned by President Bush, saying some Republicans treated his client harshly because of the pitcher's friendship with the Bush family.

Richard Emery made the claims Thursday, a day after a congressional hearing broke down along party lines. Many Democrats were skeptical of Clemens' denials he used performance-enhancing drugs and Republicans questioned the character of McNamee, the personal trainer who made the accusations against the seven-time Cy Young Award winner.

"It would be the easiest thing in the world for George W. Bush, given the corrupt proclivities of his administration, to say Roger Clemens is an American hero, Roger Clemens helped children," Emery said in a telephone interview. "It's my belief they have some reason to believe they can get a pardon."

During Wednesday's session before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Clemens repeated his denials under oath, which could lead to criminal charges if federal prosecutors conclude he made false statements or obstructed Congress.
"I'm not aware of Mr. Clemens having been charged with anything," White House deputy press secretary Tony Fratto said after being told of Emery's remarks.

Emery cited Bush's decision last year to commute the 2 1/2-year prison sentence of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, his vice president's former top aide. Libby was convicted in the case of the leaked identity of a CIA operative.

Well, USA today reports George Bush supports Roger Clemens:

From USA Today: Former United States President George H.W. Bush confirmed Thursday, through his spokesman, that he reached out to Roger Clemens after Major League Baseball released the Mitchell Report.

" President Bush called Roger," Jim Appleby, Bush's spokesman, told Newsday. "They are very friendly."

Like Clemens, Bush - the President from January 1989 through January 1993, and the father of current president George W. Bush - makes his full-time home in the Houston area. Bush attends a handful of Astros games each season. During Clemens' three years with the Astros, he routinely socialized with Bush.

President Bush, do whatever you want; alas, at this point, it would be better if Roger Clemens just followed the lead of Mark McGwire and just went away.