Sue Ogrocki / REUTERS

Mark McGwire has had to refute reports from Jose Canseco that he used steroids during his playing career.

“There’s a cloud over baseball, and perhaps a public discussion of the issues, with witnesses testifying under oath, can provide a glimpse of sunlight,” Davis said Thursday.

Actually, Barry, you were left off the initial invitation list for some reason. Davis probably knew you and your teammates had an important exhibition game against the Texas Rangers that day and didn’t want to bother you.

Big Mac was invited, though. So was Sammy, Rafael Palmeiro, Frank Thomas, Curt Schilling and baseball’s steroid poster child, the newly lovable Jason Giambi. A guy named Jose Canseco, who’s also been in the news a lot lately, was also asked to attend and plans to be there.

It’s OK, though. We know you want to clear your name from all the scurrilous insinuations that somehow modern medicine did more to help you break the single season home run record than the many hours you spend in the weight room.

We know you’d love to be there when Sosa smiles and tells the congressmen that he never did anything more illegal than cork a bat. We know you want to be there when McGwire — assuming he doesn’t have a golf date that day — testifies under the penalty of law that Canseco must have mistaken him for someone else while injecting steroids in the bathroom stalls at the Oakland Coliseum.

And what would be better than to see Canseco exposed as the lying, cheating scum all your brethren thinks he is?

In front of America, and under oath.

Meaning, everyone has to tell the truth.

Under oath.

Barry, have your guy call Davis’ guy and see if you can wangle a special pass. Ask Felipe Alou for the afternoon off, have the Giants charter you a jet, and get to Washington D.C., as early as you can.

Don’t use the excuse that your lawyers told you not to say anything until the trials are over in San Francisco. You haven’t been charged with anything, so you’re free to talk as much as you want.

Don’t be surprised, though, if Big Mac doesn’t show. He hasn’t said much of anything since he left baseball so quickly and, besides, he might have a good tee time that day.

Sammy might not be there either, and Schilling says he’ll have to check with his union rep before making up his mind.

It wouldn’t surprising at all if Canseco is the only one who appears March 17. And that might be only so he can set up a kiosk to sell his books on the steps of Capitol Hill.

But there is no downside to attending, Barry, if you’re telling the truth. Tell them it ain’t so, that you would never knowingly take drugs to hit more home runs.

Don’t be afraid to crash the party, even if you’re not an honored guest.