Sen. McCain says baseball cant be trusted, wants US anti-doping agency involved

[SoCalBronco]

WASHINGTON -- Saying Major League Baseball "can't be trusted," Sen. John McCain warned Sunday that legislation might be needed to force the sport to change its steroids policy.

" What do we need to do? It seems to me that we ought to seriously consider ... a law that says all professional sports have a minimum level of performance-enhancing drug testing. "
--Sen. John McCain



The Arizona Republican joined the chorus of congressmen expressing disappointment with baseball's drug-testing plan after testimony from commissioner Bud Selig and union head Donald Fehr at the House Government Reform Committee hearing on steroids Thursday.


"It just seems to me they can't be trusted," McCain told ABC's "This Week."


"What do we need to do? It seems to me that we ought to seriously consider ... a law that says all professional sports have a minimum level of performance-enhancing drug testing," McCain said.


Committee chairman Tom Davis, R-Va., said on CBS' "Face the Nation" that he agreed with McCain's suggestion that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency could be called in to govern baseball's testing. The independent agency oversees drug testing and discipline for U.S. Olympic athletes.


Davis, whose committee subpoenaed current and former stars and baseball executives to testify Thursday, said he's willing to wait and see how Major League Baseball handles drug testing and punishment in 2005.


"They've got this season. We'll see how they respond when they find someone testing positive," Davis told CBS.


Asked about possible government intervention, baseball's executive vice president for labor relations, Rob Manfred, told CBS, "Commissioner Selig said unequivocally in the hearing that if Congress decides that federal legislation is appropriate, that he would be supportive."


In March 2004, McCain's Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing on steroids in baseball, pressure that helped lead to the drug-testing plan that owners and players agreed to in January.


Several lawmakers were particularly critical of two provisions in that agreement: one that allows players to be fined instead of suspended for failing a drug test, and another that calls for testing to be suspended if there's a government investigation.


"I was a little dubious about the necessity of having hearings, because I had been told that baseball had installed a weak, but legitimate, regimen," McCain said. "I now applaud my colleagues in the House, because what this highlighted was the absolute insensitivity of both the owners and the players to the American people."


He also offered advice to Mark McGwire, the retired slugger who repeatedly evaded questions about his and others' steroid use.


"The first thing Mark McGwire should do is get himself a new lawyer," McCain said. "I was saddened by what he had to say, and it's unfortunate, because he's one of America's heroes."

[SoCalBronco]

and just for Slappy, here is an update on the Bonds situation. His ex mistress goes into somewhat more detail here and there is a quote by Bonds lawyer that im sure Slappy will enjoy.

Attorney: 'It's always been the U.S. versus Bonds'
ESPN.com news services


Barry Bonds' ex-girlfriend told a grand jury in San Francisco last week the Giants outfielder confided to her in 2000 that be began using steroids, two sources told the San Francisco Chronicle for Sunday's editions.


Kimberly Bell, 35, was subpoenaed by the prosecutors in the BALCO case and testified for about two hours with full immunity from prosecution, her attorney told The Chronicle.


"It's clear from the subpoena that they are looking at Barry Bonds and the possibility he may have given untruthful testimony to the grand jury," Hugh Levine, Bell's attorney, told The Chronicle.


In December 2003, Bonds testified to a grand jury that he used a clear substance and a cream given to him by a trainer who was indicted in a steroid-distribution ring, but said he didn't know they were steroids, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.


Bonds told a U.S. grand jury that he used undetectable steroids known as "the cream" and "the clear," which he received from personal trainer Greg Anderson during the 2003 season. According to Bonds, the trainer told him the substances were the nutritional supplement flaxseed oil and a pain-relieving balm for the player's arthritis.


According to The Chronicle, Bell told the grand jury that she dated Bonds from 1994-2003 and that the outfielder gave her $80,000 in cash for the down payment on a house in Scottsdale, Ariz., near the Giants' spring training facility. She claims that Bonds earned the money from sales of autographed baseballs and memorabilia.


Bonds' attorney, Michael Rains, told The Chronicle that the slugger had never used banned substances and had never given cash to Bell.


Rains claims that Bell's subpoena is further proof that the real target of the BALCO inquiry is Bonds.


"It's always been the U.S. versus Bonds, and they're always just gunning for the big guy," he told The Chronicle.


The Chronicle reported Rains wrote five letters between Oct. 14, 2003, and March 11, 2004, in which he acknowledged that Bell and Bonds had a long romantic relationship. Rains denied that Bonds had promised to buy Bell a house in those letters.


The Chronicle reported the breakup between Bell and Bonds was followed by a dispute over the house in Scottsdale. According to legal correspondence reviewed by The Chronicle, Bell threatened to sue Bonds for not paying off the house. Rains charged Bell with trying to extort money from the Giants slugger. The Chronicle reported Bell dropped the idea of a lawsuit in favor of writing a memoir about her experience.


The lead agent in the BALCO case, IRS investigator Jeff Novitzky, contacted Bell after she appeared with Geraldo Rivera on the Fox News Channel to talk about Bonds' alleged steroid use and to promote her own book project.


Bell told the grand jury that Bonds revealed his steroid use while discussing an elbow injury he suffered in 1999, according to The Chronicle. Bonds underwent surgery on April 21, 1999 to repair a torn triceps tendon and to remove a bone spur.


"He told me that steroids had probably caused the injury and that he would have to be more careful in the future," Bell said, according to The Chronicle.

[-Slap-]

Let his attorney say whatever he wants. B*nds lied to a grand jury. We'll see how smug they are when he has to answer for that.

[Clockwork Orange]

He'll just tell them that he doesn't know what lying is either.

[Bronx33]

The whole roid issue is a blackeye for a historic sport like baseball, but sadly it will not affect the fan base what so ever they will continue same as usual with nothing being acomplished.

[Taco John]

I like McCain, but he's way too much of an idealist. There is no way in hell the government should be doing anything past working to compel baseball to get their act together.

[Bronx33]

Originally Posted by Taco John

I like McCain, but he's way too much of an idealist. There is no way in hell the government should be doing anything past working to compel baseball to get their act together.

I propose MLB players be payed minimum wage that way that cant afford roids in the first place........

[Rascal]

Originally Posted by -Slap-

Let his attorney say whatever he wants. B*nds lied to a grand jury. We'll see how smug they are when he has to answer for that.

Well that depends on what the definition of "is" is.

[kappys]

Of course none of these interventions are going to save the true players from getting their names crossed out of the record books buy a bunch of fraudulent babies. As usual, everyone is acting too late.