Thursday, February 14, 2008

Body talk: Clemens & McNamee style

Here's a pretty interesting read if you want to dive back in the Clemens/McNamee cesspool.

Evidently ESPN sent a reporter to watch yesterday's hearings with a body language expert who's trained to pick up the slightest nuances in movement and actions to determine who is possibly withholding the truth. She can't say that someone is definitively lying, but she is often used by the government and other agencies for this sorta thing. [Pretty neat, if you ask me. But I tend to get absorbed in this sorta minutae easily. If it's not your thing, check the post below this one. Certainly a bit lighter.]

Some of her more interesting and amusing observations, in no particular order:

When McNamee read his opening statement, Driver had nothing critical to say. She found no hot spots. No clusters. McNamee's hands were on the table, a position she said conveys truth and confidence. And he didn't stutter in any way. "He comes across as genuine," Driver said. "There's nothing there. It's exactly what you're looking for. There's no signs of deception. These opening statements are a perfect example of what to do and what not to do."
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"[McNamee has] got serious credibility issues. There's no question about that. But body-language-wise, he comes across as sincere. There's no reason to think he's lying."
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On several occasions, Clemens referred to McNamee as "this man." Said Driver: "That's distancing language. Bill Clinton did the exact same thing when he said he did not have sexual relations with 'that woman.' It's a way to distance yourself from the truth."
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When asked by the committee whether Clemens had received an invitation to meet with former Sen. George Mitchell to discuss his commission's findings, Driver counted Clemens pausing 23 times before answering no. "That's a serious potential hot spot."
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When Rep. Darrell S. Issa, R-Calif., announced that he was pleased this would be the last hearing on steroids in baseball, Driver said Clemens raised his lip. "That's contempt," she said. "It means moral superiority, essentially, 'I win.' That just shows that he is pleased that this will be the last hearing on this topic."

You can feel free to totally disregard her findings, but I think it's worth considering as we all come to our own views and decisions on this mess. Comments, as always, are welcome!

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