08/28/2007
Idaho Senator Larry Craig's Arrest Report, Plus Statesman Probe
The Smoking Gun has posted a copy of Larry Craig's arrest report, filed by Sgt. Dave Karsnia (above, left).
Here's a bit: "At 1217 hours, I saw Craig swipe his hand under the stall divider for a few seconds. The swipe went in the direction from the front (door side) of the stall back towards the back wall. His palm was facing towards the ceiling as he guided it all the stall divider. I was only able to see the tips of his fingers on my side of the stall divider. Craig swiped his hand in the same motion a third time for a few seconds. I could see that it was Craig's left hand due to the position of his thumb. I could also see Craig had a gold ring on his ring finger as his hand was on my side of the stall divider."
Craig claims his actions were "misconstrued."
Craig's arrest has prompted the Idaho Statesman to release the findings of a probe it conducted after blogger Mike Rogers exposed Craig's secret gay life last October.
"In an interview on May 14, Craig told the Idaho Statesman he'd never engaged in sex with a man or solicited sex with a man. The Craig interview was the culmination of a Statesman investigation that began after a blogger accused Craig of homosexual sex in October. Over five months, the Statesman examined rumors about Craig dating to his college days and his 1982 pre-emptive denial that he had sex with underage congressional pages. The most serious finding by the Statesman was the report by a professional man with close ties to Republican officials. The 40-year-old man reported having oral sex with Craig at Washington's Union Station, probably in 2004. The Statesman also spoke with a man who said Craig made a sexual advance toward him at the University of Idaho in 1967 and a man who said Craig "cruised" him for sex in 1994 at the REI store in Boise. The Statesman also explored dozens of allegations that proved untrue, unclear or unverifiable."
The Idaho Statesman has also demanded Craig give his constituents an explanation.
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Posted 11:40 AM EST by Andy Towle in Crime, Idaho, Larry Craig, News | Permalink
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Said it before and I'll say it again. There are more republicans in American closets than clothes hangers.
Posted by: Marco | Aug 28, 2007 11:48:39 AM
No Larry, dahling, your actions were misconscrewed... bless you Sgt. Karsnia!
Posted by: the queen | Aug 28, 2007 11:59:06 AM
Larry Craig, meet Bob Allen. Bob, this is Larry. I think you two will really hit it off, you have so much in common.
Posted by: davitydave | Aug 28, 2007 12:27:38 PM
Perhaps he was signaling that he was out of toilet paper...?
BWA! HA! HA! HA!
I smell... REHAB!!!!!
Posted by: Rad | Aug 28, 2007 12:42:30 PM
Cute Cop!! I can see why they use him as bait!
Posted by: Chad | Aug 28, 2007 12:48:48 PM
HOT COP!!!
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | Aug 28, 2007 12:48:54 PM
Hate to be off-topic, but am I the only one who's transfixed by the blonde dude on the cover of the DNA magazine shown in the ad?
Holy crap. That's super-hot even compared to other DNA models.
Wow.
Posted by: Brian | Aug 28, 2007 12:49:35 PM
What disturbs me about stories like this is that many gay people relish it when gay republicans get exposed in this kind of manner and we seem to approve of the methods in which this occurs. An example of that would be "The Queen's" comment "bless you Sgt. Karsnia!". We have to remember that the motives of those seeking out these men to expose them isn't to expose gay hypocrits, but to catch gay men in general and punish them by humiliation in some manner for being gay itself. We really need to be careful that our support of outing hypocrits isn't hurting ourselves in some manner. A closeted politician who supports gay rights in every way could be targeted in the same manner.
Posted by: Patrick | Aug 28, 2007 12:50:23 PM
You know what, Sgt. Dave Karsnia? Don't be trotting your hot ass around my airport bathroom stall and then act all police-like when a closeted, repressed Jesus freak wants some. Seriously, how cute is he? If I was the Senator's attorney, I'd pack the jury with gay men of the horniest kind and just be like, "Can you blame a brother for trying to tap this?" INNOCENT! P.S. I am in no way condoning anonymous sex in public - conservative republican lurkers, this means you!
Posted by: Joe | Aug 28, 2007 12:50:35 PM
Sorry Brian - I asked DNA not to use that photo of me.
I equate this story with the whole "ex-gay" movement - you can deny your innate desires all your want but they won't go away.
Posted by: ATLSteve | Aug 28, 2007 12:54:59 PM
"We have to remember that the motives of those seeking out these men to expose them isn't to expose gay hypocrits, but to catch gay men in general and punish them by humiliation in some manner for being gay itself."
Uh, sorry to burst that bubble but the officer was not seeking out gay men in general to punish them for being gay - he was seeking out men attempting to break the law by having sex in public restrooms. Any gay man in the restroom that day for legitimate purposes was in no danger of arrest or humilation from anyone.
Posted by: John | Aug 28, 2007 12:59:21 PM
Like I said before, if Mayor Naugle in Ft. Lauderdale would just be honest with the people of his city, he would tell them that the REAL culprits he is targeting in his crusade against toilet sex is straight identified, homophobic heterosexually married men with children (like himself).
The fact of the matter is Larry Craig and Bob Allen are the REAL face of men who have sex in public restrooms, rest areas and parks.
Anyone who doubts this should check the arrest records in their local area.
Out, proud, openly gay people SELDOM seek sexual release in public restrooms.
Naugle fits the profile of the kind of man who does this to a T.
This is an inconvenient truth that homophobic conservatives and gay bashing fundamentalists seem unable, or unwilling, to face up to. In spite of that, almost daily, there is another example of a high profile, homophobic, conservative, fundamentalist windbag getting busted for seeking homosex, in an illegal way. Yet their talking points, and their hypocrisy, never wavers.
Posted by: Zeke | Aug 28, 2007 1:00:10 PM
John, EXACTLY!
You took the words out of my mouth.
I go into public restrooms all the time and I have never been threatened with arrest. Of course I don't proposition other men in the restroom for sex.
To say that these officers are there to punish and humiliate law abiding gay people is laughable.
Posted by: Zeke | Aug 28, 2007 1:06:04 PM
I agree with Patricks comments above but have just one more thought to add. I feel that it is karmic justice for people like Craig, Foley, and Bob Allen to get busted for this. They are the ones, along with their Party, that make being Gay a shameful thing that must be done anonymouosly. They are the ones that make society think that gay people are less than human. They are the ones who, through their stereotyping and fearmongering, prevent gay people who might be struggling with their sexuality from coming out into the light of day and accepting themselves. They have created the environment that is getting them busted at the moment. The MSP airport is full of bars where heteros can meet or hook up (in the privacy of their hotel of course), but the GOP has created an environment where there could never ever be a gay bar at the airport. Really, the main problem is the closet that they have created. If you are out, you can just go to a bar or use craigslist like everyone else.
Posted by: Chad | Aug 28, 2007 1:08:04 PM
Joe, I was thinking the same thing about Craig's defense.
Craig needs to drop the whole "it was a misunderstanding" crap and just say "Look, I am 100% straight, but jesus christ, did you see this guy, he was HOT, not even a straight man can resist trying to get a lil' sump'n sump'n from hot number like THAT!"
Posted by: Zeke | Aug 28, 2007 1:13:23 PM
Word to John and Zeke. The vast majority of out gays aren't dick trolling in public cans. It seems a lot of closet cases are, and in the case of Craig and Allen - fuck them. You can't fuck some of us from the sanctity of your closet, then turn around and royally fuck all of us with anti-gay legislation and get away with it.
Posted by: Marco | Aug 28, 2007 1:19:24 PM
To be fair, he could have been signalling that his stall was out of toilet paper.
Posted by: thin mint | Aug 28, 2007 1:26:54 PM
Oh dammit, somebody got to the joke before I did.
Posted by: thin mint | Aug 28, 2007 1:27:58 PM
John and Zeke, I never suggested that law abiding gay men are targeted for arrest. But the law in this situation is targeted against gay men exclusively. Solicitation of consentual sex in a public place where money is not involved shouldn't be a crime at all. The act of having the sex in a public place should be. If a cop catches two people having sex in a public place, gay or straight, then the arrest is justified. Soliciting sex, without an offer of payment, should not be a crime, and if it is we should have undercover female officers soliciting unpaid sex in bars and clubs and arresting the men who agree.
Posted by: Patrick | Aug 28, 2007 1:36:44 PM
Dare I add that the cop is cute?
Police entrapment has been a problem in many towns--essentially being the cop's word against a closeted gay man worried about losing his job and family--it's a speed trap for gays. A lot of guys have lost their jobs for "loitering" and other vague crimes simply as a way of putting $ in city coffers. It hardly ever gets to sex in public. A decade ago you could have been arrested for sitting on a park bench or standing still on a path, etc. Civil rights attorneys have slowly managed to narrow the definitions of a lot of crimes to actual solicitation of public sexual acts. It had gotten to the point where asking someone to come back to "my place" would lead to attempted sodomy charges. This has at least been undone, though in many places it is still unwise to ask for private sex in a public place--it could lead to attempted sexual assault charges for example.
However, Craig is hardly going to rely on civil rights lawyers in his case.
Posted by: anon (gmail.com) | Aug 28, 2007 1:43:29 PM
Most men, with justification, view anonymous sexual overtures in a public restroom as harassment. It's not remotely the same thing as flirting in a bar - it's a lot more like flashing.
There are men facing violence and imprisonment right now for being gay or for having gay sex. They are not remotely in the same position as a Senator who is being embarrassed for making a public nuisance of himself.
Posted by: thin mint | Aug 28, 2007 1:52:04 PM
So, anyway...cute cop!
Posted by: thin mint | Aug 28, 2007 1:53:22 PM
Patrick, please.
While it is true that some municipalities have used public solicitation laws to single out gay men, I hardly think Craig's recent flameout can be used to support your argument that all public solitation laws should be banned. Are you honestly telling me that I don't have the right to privacy while relieving myself in a public facility? I have to just stand there and take it while some perv comes on to me while checking out my junk? Hey, he isn't touching me, so what's the problem, right? That's insane.
Admittedly, the law can be abused. But that's just the way the law works. That's why we have jury trials, so people can use common sense when applying those laws.
Posted by: tservo | Aug 28, 2007 2:12:10 PM
"Most men, with justification, view anonymous sexual overtures in a public restroom as harassment. It's not remotely the same thing as flirting in a bar - it's a lot more like flashing."
I would agree with you, but it isn't actually flashing. There is a line that isn't crossed, usually. I would also remind you that what Craig did in his own stall was countered by the cop making his own foot gestures, in the cop's own words.
As far as flirting in a bar, men can and do go well beyond that and a woman could find the slightest bit of over attentiveness as harrassment as well.
My point is that this kind of police arrest has nothing to do with anyone being a Senator, the accused just happened to be one. The fact that police are arresting men in bathrooms for hand gestures has more to to with anti homosexual agendas. I don't approve of men hanging around restrooms to have sex with strangers, I actually think it is rather pathetic, but I would like the crime to be worthy of an arrest. An actual assault, solicitation of prostitution, flashing or a public sex act would be justifiable. Coming on to someone shouldn't be...unless the person can't take no for an answer.
Posted by: Patrick | Aug 28, 2007 2:13:35 PM
Closet cases like U.S. Senator Craig, Florida fuckwit Bob Allen, Ted Haggard, Bush’s evangelist bosom buddy (who admits that he inhales drugs but denies inhaling dick), and U.S. Rep. Mark Foley are all textbook examples of why the antigay practices of police agencies who try to entrap gay men are immoral and should be made illegal. I have no sympathy for these swine because each of them has supported antigay legislation and bigotry and each of them is in part responsible for every beating and murder that comes our way.
The political price they’ll pay for their wretched hypocrisy is their problem, but it becomes our problem when the cops go after us, no matter where it is, and violate our human right to sexuality and our rights as citizens. We have a right to be promiscuous (observing safe sex guidelines) and a right to pursue sexual liaisons where and when we can. It’s something straights take for granted and we should have the same privileges. Prudes and prigs who claim the police should be able to entrap and arrest us aren’t doing us any favors.
Posted by: Bill Perdue | Aug 28, 2007 2:14:40 PM