Thanks for the replies. I think I'm going to get new bearings. These are King XP bearings, probably some of the best bearings out there. Replacing them is not going to be cheap so this was an expensive lesson in cleanliness.

These are not the coated type but they do have electroplating. I might get the coated type this time. If debris gets in the engine the coating is supposed to re-embed itself into the bearing surface which is like another layer of protection. The clearances are the same.

Except for lubing the parts, I've never done anything to bearings before putting them in. Sorry, but I can't see polishing them with paper or taking Scotchbrite to these would do anything except remove the top layer.

Hard to figure what could be wrong with the crank finish? Not that it has anything to do with wear but the crank turns so effortlessly in the block, it's almost fun to spin it by hand. The lines almost look like chatter marks. I'll double check everything before buttoning up the bottom end but the clearances were damn near perfect.