Perjury?

The Rafael Palmeiro steroid fiasco is getting much more serious than I originally thought.
Wednesday, I (and the rest of the country) learned three major things:
One, Palmeiro likely tested positive for steroids twice back in May and June, and has been part of a wide-ranging effort to cover up the results while Palmeiro fought the results through appeals channels. This means he eclipsed 3,000 hits with full knowledge he had tested positive for steroids.
Two, the Baltimore Sun reported Wednesday that the type of steroid Palmeiro reportedly had in his system is rather strong, and it is unlikely he simply ingested it by not looking closely enough at the label of his protein shake powder.
Three, Palmeiro might have lied to a congressional committee last winter when he testified he never took steroids. That's perjury, boys and girls, and that's a serious crime.
If Palmeiro is found to have perjured himself under oath to a congressional committee, his 10-game suspension from Bud Selig will look like a walk in the park. Are we talking jail time? Possibly.
Sad to say, but Palmeiro might be made an example of by baseball and the U.S. government to show they are serious about cracking down on steroids. Other, more apparently blatant steroid offenders like the hulking Barry Bonds might have time to get right and get off steroids while the buzzards are busy picking away at the innards of Palmeiro's reputation.
I said two posts ago I believe Palmeiro is still worthy of the hall of fame. If someone comes forth with proof Palmeiro has played the majority of his career with the aid of steroids, I might change my mind. Right now, I'll labor under the pretense that Palmeiro did this recently because he was getting older and wanted to keep his athletic edge as he jockeyed for position in the history books.
But that might not be the case at all. That's the truly troubling part.
If Palmeiro's lifetime achievements, on par with all-time greats Willie Mays and Hank Aaron, has been found to be almost entirely the product of steroid enhancement, there will be little left for Palmeiro to stand on. And then his hall of fame eligibility might be in question.
And I'm not talking about what the baseball writers and veterans committee has to say with their votes. I'm talking banishment.
Pete Rose and eight members of the 1919 White Sox were banished 69 years apart for sins of money. This could all end with Palmeiro being the first man banned from baseball for sins of the body.