Iron Mike a skeptic?
We can all draw out own conclusions from Roger Clemens' denials last night (color ME skeptical...) But what did the inquisitor believe?
After watching Mike Wallace for (oh) about thirty years, and knowing him, interviewing him, writing about him for about twenty of those, I'd like to think I'm qualified to pass some sort of judgment on his state of mind.
Specifically, what does Mike believe?
And here's what I think: No way does he believe what Roger Clemens told him tonight.
How to draw that conclusion? Body language, first off - the tightly knotted Mike Wallace scrunch, with arms crossed, head titled to the side. The tone of voice, dripping with - if not actually enunciating - a "how can you tell me such hogwash and piffle...?" The questions, simply drawn and focused, yet phrased in that very special way which suggests the inquisitor already knows the answer or won't the believe the one he's about to hear anyway ("why DID'T you cooperate in the [Mitchell] investigation?")
It's not enough to sit there, look Mike Wallace in the eye and tell him , over and over over and over, "I didn't do it," or "never happened." Ten thousand people have done that over the years - Mike didn't believe most of them either. And that little theatrical moment, when he asked, "you
swear," and Clemens responds, "swear." By this point, Wallace has figuratively thrown up his hands, as if to say, "nothing else I've asked is working - may as well pretend I've got his hand on a stack of bibles" (and you'll note Clemens didn't say, ""I swear...")
But I think Clemens truly lost Wallace during this key exchange: "What did [Brian] McNamee gain by lying...?" Clemens: "Evidently not going to jail..." Wallace: "Jail time for what?" Clemens: "I think buying and selling steroids.." The comment came off as flip, as in "what a stupid question...Whadya THINK Mike..?)
Why Clemens couldn't come up with a comprehensive or at least plausible answer to the most reasonable question of them all, which was asked in a handful of different ways - what did this guy have to gain by lying? - is probably the most indictable part of his defense.
If Mike was judge and jury, I think we all know what the verdict would be.