# The sordid tale of Barry Bonds. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 16, 2007, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sordid-tale-of-barry-bonds/426703 "2007-11-16T16:19:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sordid-tale-of-barry-bonds/426703/21 "2007-11-17T16:40:14Z")
[QUOTE=Hentor the Barbarian] Finally, anyone who can, apparently with a straight face, pull out the old “Slick” Willy, and not see how anachronistic that one is, has their head firmly implanted in the ass of the 90’s. If only we still had a president whose biggest fault was that he lied about a blowjob, how fantastic would the world be today? [/QUOTE] It would be fantastic. You won’t see me saying anything else. But that doesn’t change the fact of perjury and the mass forgiveness that Clinton got (and obviously still gets) while people are calling for Barry’s head on a pike and will in all likelihood get it. Again, try to keep your eye on the ball. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sordid-tale-of-barry-bonds/426703/22 "2007-11-17T18:43:43Z")
But isn’t the argument (not that I agree with it) that Clinton did not technically commit perjury because he was parsing words and splitting hairs regarding what 'is" is and claiming that Lewinsky had sexual relations with him, but he didn’t with her? I thought that slick Willie was able to be misleading, yet technically truthful and not commit perjury? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sordid-tale-of-barry-bonds/426703/23 "2007-11-17T19:11:20Z")
**Airman Doors** , two things: 1. Sorry I disn’t reply to your sacastic OP, but IMO you made a fundamental error in not picking one target to rage at and sticking to it. I couldn’t tell if your faux rage was directed at Barry, the vast anti-Barry conspiracy, or who knows who else. 2. re Monica a Blowjobgate. Did Monica ever file a sexual harassment claim against Bill? I am not aware of it, but I could be wrong. But AFAIK, there is no “statutory sexual harassment” charge that can be made without a complaint. And also, AFAIK, “sexual harassment” is not a crime, it is a tort that can be addressed in civil court. Bill Clinton was not lying about anything that he could be criminally charged with, even if he said, “Suck my dick or you’re fired.” Well… if he said that, he might well not have survived impeachment, but as far as the normal justice process, he had no real worry. He was trying to dodge political and personal fallout, not legal consequences. That makes it quite a different case than Barry Bonds, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sordid-tale-of-barry-bonds/426703/24 "2007-11-17T23:12:00Z")
[QUOTE=Airman Doors, USAF] Now you’re mixing hand grenades and apples. Both crimes are equivalent. They are exactly the same. [/QUOTE] Wrong. Context not only matters, it is _central_. Materiality of the lie told to the case involved is critical to perjury. The validity of the case involved matters, too. We’ve been through this before, many times. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sordid-tale-of-barry-bonds/426703/25 "2007-11-18T01:10:49Z")
[QUOTE=Airman Doors, USAF] I’m terribly disappointed. I write a modest yet compelling satire and nobody rises up with outrage to tell me what the difference is. [/QUOTE] So . . . what you’re saying is that you were trolling for a reaction? [Interesting.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=399613) What a dishonest jerk you always, \*always \*are. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sordid-tale-of-barry-bonds/426703/26 "2007-11-18T01:49:21Z")
[QUOTE=Airman Doors, USAF] It would be fantastic. You won’t see me saying anything else. But that doesn’t change the fact of perjury and the mass forgiveness that Clinton got (and obviously still gets) while people are calling for Barry’s head on a pike and will in all likelihood get it. Again, try to keep your eye on the ball. [/QUOTE] People want Barry’s head for taking steroids, not lying to a Grand Jury. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sordid-tale-of-barry-bonds/426703/27 "2007-11-18T05:44:58Z")
Oh, for fuck’s sake, it’s _baseball_, why does it matter in the slightest if he was so juiced he could do pushups with his eyeballs? People pay to see the home runs, so he’s just giving the public what it wants. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sordid-tale-of-barry-bonds/426703/28 "2007-11-18T06:55:07Z")
**Airman Doors** , you may find solace in the fact that Barry will not serve a day in jail. He will cut a deal. He will pay a stiff fine. (well, stiff to any of us) He will be doing some community service (maybe host a charity golf tournament). But he will never do any time and probably will not have to admit that he’s a lying-ass dog (about using steroids, anyway). ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sordid-tale-of-barry-bonds/426703/29 "2007-11-18T07:31:06Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers] Oh, for fuck’s sake, it’s _baseball_, why does it matter in the slightest if he was so juiced he could do pushups with his eyeballs? People pay to see the home runs, so he’s just giving the public what it wants. [/QUOTE] Just because it’s not important to you doesn’t mean it’s not important to other people. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sordid-tale-of-barry-bonds/426703/30 "2007-11-18T15:49:37Z")
Well, the steroids, of course, unfairly enhanced Bonds’ abilities as a baseball player. So … presumably … since it’s equally important … the illicit blow job must have unfairly enhanced Clinton’s abilities as President … Which means … _:: thinks ::_ Is it too late, do you think, to send 500,000 hookers to Washington DC? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sordid-tale-of-barry-bonds/426703/31 "2007-11-18T15:53:34Z")
[QUOTE=treis] People want Barry’s head for taking steroids, not lying to a Grand Jury. [/QUOTE] And, thanks to the juice, he has more head available. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sordid-tale-of-barry-bonds/426703/32 "2007-11-18T18:35:24Z")
[QUOTE=Airman Doors, USAF] It would be fantastic. You won’t see me saying anything else. But that doesn’t change the fact of perjury and the mass forgiveness that Clinton got (and obviously still gets) while people are calling for Barry’s head on a pike and will in all likelihood get it. Again, try to keep your eye on the ball. [/QUOTE] It’s simple. People are biased. Those people that liked Bill Clinton forgave him (in as much as there was something to forgive). Those that did not like Clinton did not forgive him, and there are still quite a few people like that. Those that like Barry Bonds will forgive him. Those that don’t, won’t. If there is any disparity in the size of the groups involved, may I suggest that it is simply a matter of a difference in the public face that they each choose to wear? It can be said that Bill Clinton at least attempted to be likeable. Part and parcel of the whole political process. Barry Bonds really hasn’t put any effort into being likeable (which may be putting it mildly). Thusly there would be more people crying for his downfall. And as for Barry’s head on a pike, I’ll believe it when I see it, even if he is facing more charges than perjury ( I know obstruction of justice. What else?) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sordid-tale-of-barry-bonds/426703.md?page=1)