08/28/2007
Larry Craig Releases Statement, Steps Down from Romney Campaign
Idaho Senator Larry Craig, whose arrest by a plainclothes police officer investigating lewd conduct complaints was brought to light yesterday, released a statement regarding his actions:
"At the time of the incident, I complained to the police that they were misconstruing my actions. I was not involved in any inappropriate conduct. I should have had the advice of counsel in resolving this matter. In hindsight, I should not have pled guilty. I was trying to handle this matter myself quickly and expeditiously."
Probably just the first in a line of statements that will come from Craig's office. Craig obviously knew the jig was up, or he wouldn't have tried to get out of his toilet tapdance by wielding the presumed power that comes with flashing his Senate business card and asking, "What do you think about that?"
I don't think much can be misconstrued by tapping your foot under the stall at a restroom known for public cruising.
The Minnesota Monitor reports: "Karsnia (the arresting officer) was in the restroom as part of a sting operation to clamp down on lewd behavior. The restroom where Craig was arrested is well known among men who seek sex in public places. Squirt.org is a site that runs a bulletin board for such men. 'If you enter from the terminal, turn left and go past wash basins, urinals to the back where the stalls are. This place is THE most cruisy public place I have been,' wrote one poster. 'Just passed thru here the other day. This place is so hot. This place has a constant flow and variety of hot guys,' wrote another. Even another poster wrote, 'This is the best spot for anonymous action I've ever seen.' Of all the postings in Minnesota, the airport restroom was ranked the top by that website."
Craig's political future is sketchy at best, according to the Associated Press: "The three-term senator, who has represented Idaho in Congress for more than a quarter-century, is up for re-election next year. He hasn't said if he will run for a fourth term in 2008 and was expected to announce his plans this fall. A spokesman, Sidney Smith, was uncertain late Monday if Craig's guilty plea would affect his re-election plans. 'It's too early to talk about anything about that,' Smith said."
As soon as the news of Craig's June arrest broke, videos immediately began surfacing, including this one from 1982, in which an unmarried Craig makes a preemptive denial that he's invoved in a congressional sex and drug scandal.
Craig has resigned from his position as Senate co-chairman of Mitt Romney's presidential campaign. Said Romney's camp: "Senator Craig has stepped down from his role with the campaign. He did not want to be a distraction and we accept his decision."
Romney's campaign was quick to delete the following video of praise from Craig from his YouTube page, but Liveleak quickly resurrected it:
Finally, here's an appearance by Barney Frank on Bill Maher's show in which speculation about Craig's sexuality is brought up. Barney kills it!
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GOP Idaho Senator Larry Craig in Lewd Conduct Men's Room Arrest [tr]
Posted 8:41 AM EST by Andy in Idaho, Larry Craig, News, Republican Party | Permalink
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He should move to Ft. Lauderdale.
Posted by: Jeff | Aug 28, 2007 8:49:49 AM
Devils.......
Posted by: forreal | Aug 28, 2007 9:04:19 AM
Go Barney! Woo-hoo! God, I love that man.
Posted by: tjc | Aug 28, 2007 9:07:01 AM
Another bathroom sting
Nabs one more G.O.P. queen.
Black man not present.
Posted by: Politiku | Aug 28, 2007 9:12:10 AM
Dragging this behavior through a public spectacle will do more harm than good. What no one will get is that a review of all apprehensions in the same restroom will reveal truly disturbing behavior, in the minds of middle America, further undermining the gay community!
Yes, I know that we cannot rest until every closeted republican is brought to justice, but at what price to the entire community? The best thing that could happen here is that he pay his fines, resign and go away without bringing yet another negative light on our community!!!
How many more "bathroom" incidents like this will it take to move middle America against the LGBT community at a time when attitudes are changing? We need positive press, NOT this! Hang him if you will, but try not to cut your nose off to spite your face. No one wins here...
Posted by: RB | Aug 28, 2007 9:22:48 AM
RB
What you really meant to say is....
"DAMN, I loves me some bathroom sex. This is really going to put a crimp in my getting some dick in a public bathroom."
please do not equate bathroom sex rights with gay rights.
Thanks.
Posted by: anon | Aug 28, 2007 9:32:03 AM
Closeted Republicans and the Toilets That Do Not Love Them. I smell a best seller!
Posted by: Giovanni | Aug 28, 2007 9:33:20 AM
Personally, I think anything that exposes these scumbag republican hypocrite douchebags is all for the ultimate good. If you want to have sex in toilet, it doesn't bother me, just have the courtesy to close the door. Now for more info on hettie and gay fascination with toilet sex read TEAROOM TRADE by Laud Humphreys who I believe states the majority of men who practice such are married men with children. Clinton must be getting a good laugh at all this and Naugle is wiping beaucoup egg off his face.
Posted by: the queen | Aug 28, 2007 9:59:33 AM
Another crazy conservative right wing politico falls from grace and shows his true colors, then tries to back pedal when he gets caught.......how sad they all are....
Posted by: Steven | Aug 28, 2007 10:02:39 AM
Barney Frank is my hero
Posted by: gabriel | Aug 28, 2007 10:08:30 AM
Dragging this behavior through a public spectacle will do more harm than good. What no one will get is that a review of all apprehensions in the same restroom will reveal truly disturbing behavior, in the minds of middle America, further undermining the gay community!
Yes, I know that we cannot rest until every closeted republican is brought to justice, but at what price to the entire community? The best thing that could happen here is that he pay his fines, resign and go away without bringing yet another negative light on our community!!!
How many more "bathroom" incidents like this will it take to move middle America against the LGBT community at a time when attitudes are changing? We need positive press, NOT this! Hang him if you will, but try not to cut your nose off to spite your face. No one wins here...
Posted by: RB | Aug 28, 2007 9:22:48 AM
******************************************
if they have any sense you will draw the conclusion that forcing people to live in the dark causes outburst like this.
STOP MAKING EXCUSES
Posted by: johnosahon | Aug 28, 2007 10:17:26 AM
Have the American police got nothing better to do than set up traps for sad old queeens?
Posted by: borut | Aug 28, 2007 10:18:29 AM
LOLOLOLOL
so wonder they took the video down, taking about "family and social values". LOL
Posted by: johnosahon | Aug 28, 2007 10:33:13 AM
Yes, Barney nailed it on the head. And, I say that being a proud gay conservative. Only thing I wish was that they would have explored the topic of hypocrisy more and not have turned the discussion to the tired old subject of gay marriage. And, what did Jason Alexander have to say, I wonder? LOL
Posted by: Kamasutra Jones | Aug 28, 2007 11:22:16 AM
Of course, Democrats have been involved in sex scandals, too, but the hypocrisy factor with conservatives is much higher.
We've seen Republican "family values" hypocrisy before:
- Mark Foley resigned from Congress last year after sexually explicit messages to teenaged boys surfaced.
- James West admitted meeting men over the internet for sexual relationships. The Republican mayor had supported a bill banning gays from working in schools.
- "Family Values" preacher Ted Haggard visited a male escort for regular "massages."
- Republican Senator David Vitter admitted to having been a client of the DC Madam's brothel.
- Republican Bob Allen was arrested July 11, 2007 in a rest room for solicitation of prostitution of an undercover male police officer.
The most vocal anti-gay, "family values" people get caught because self-loathing and sexual repression contributes to anti-social behavior. A society that values its members, regardless of sexual orientation, produces individuals with healthy and productive means of expressing themselves.
Posted by: stosine | Aug 28, 2007 11:24:27 AM
If Naugle is so intent on installing a robotic toilet to prevent bathroom sex, perhaps he should install it at the GOP HQ.
I think the Log Cabin Republicans are finally beginning to make sense to me because clearly the GOP is the party of man-on-man action.
Posted by: Ed | Aug 28, 2007 11:31:09 AM
There are more republicans in American closets than clothes hangers.
Posted by: Marco | Aug 28, 2007 11:34:12 AM
RB,
I have to disagree with you in part. Yes, this has the potential to make middle america think that this is representative of gay life.
Our challenge is to reframe the discussion to show that people that live out, open and honest lives are different from the guys who the guys who repress their sexuality because they are disgusted by it and scratch their itch secretly in the tearoom trade while speaking out against such behavior.
The truth is that our community does have its lumps and bumps and not so nice things. The hetero community does as well. However, the hetero community is able to distinquish that there are straight guys that use hookers and guys that don't and you can't generalize it.
Our challenge is not to hide those things from the world but to create the difference in the public view between the self-loathing homosexual and the happy, healthy and true gay person.
Posted by: Ed | Aug 28, 2007 11:40:10 AM
I thought I heard on the radio just now that he resigned--I'll have to check again at lunchtime.
Posted by: anon (gmail.com) | Aug 28, 2007 11:40:21 AM
1) Isn't it time that pages should at least be 18? I mean that would solve the minor problem because this issue has never stopped. It just keeps happening to those impressionable young men. Although I don't see the attraction to fat, grey haired senators.
2) RB. Wow. Ass backwards my friend. Cruising for sex in a public bathroom has absolutely no parallel to the gay community. A good gay knows that all he has to do is head into town and walk into a bar, check into a hotel and have fun. The bathroom at the airport? Maybe in some backwater. But Minneapolis? Please.
3) I prefer sheets to urine.
Posted by: Br!on | Aug 28, 2007 12:47:33 PM