Waxman, chairman of one of the most powerful investigative arms of Congress, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has received praise for his committee's probes into the actions of controversial security contractor Blackwater U.S.A., and corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff, among others. So watchdogs have wondered why this bulldog of Capitol Hill is spending time refereeing this dispute between a baseball player and his ex-trainer (of course, the publicity clearly doesn't hurt). If the hearings end with a Clemens-McNamee stalemate, Waxman can refer the investigation (and possibility of perjury charges) to the Justice Department. A criminal verdict would ultimately uphold his decision to call a hearing, but barring that, many critics find Waxman's single-minded focus on the Clemens/McNamee standoff a pointless exercise.
— by Sean Gregory