09/24/2007
Frank Rich and Frank Kameny: Pardon Larry Craig
As Idaho Senator Larry Craig's court date, at which he will attempt to withdraw his guilty plea, approaches, columnist Frank Rich (now out from behind the NYT TimesSelect firewall), throws his support behind the ACLU and longtime activist Frank Kameny, calling for the exoneration of Larry Craig. Kameny argued for the innocence of the "self-deluding hypocritical homophobic bigot" last week in a letter to conservative rag WingNutDaily.
Said Kameny: "Fair is fair. [Craig] was the victim of a false arrest and a malfeasant prosecution."
Rich agrees: "While there's widespread agreement that Mr. Craig was an idiot not to consult a lawyer before entering a guilty plea (for disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor carrying a $575 fine), idiocy is no more a federal offense than hypocrisy, especially in Washington. What Mr. Craig did in that men's room isn't an offense either. He didn't have sex in a public place. He didn't expose himself. His toe tapping, hand signals and 'wide stance' were at most a form of flirtation. As George Will has rightly argued, if deviancy can be defined down to 'signaling an interest in sex,' then deviancy is what 'goes on in 10,000 bars every Saturday night in our country.' It's free speech even if the toes and fingers do the talking."
Larry Craig is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
Pardon Poor Larry Craig [nyt]
Posted 9:30 AM EST by Andy Towle in Crime, Frank Kameny, Frank Rich, Idaho, Larry Craig, News | Permalink
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Pardon Larry Craig?
I THINK NOT!!!!!
http://fablog.ehrensteinland.com/
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | Sep 24, 2007 9:49:28 AM
What if it was horny old me killing time in an airport bathroom? Am I a conservative hypocrite? No. Am I enough of an idiot not to call a lawyer? I'd hope not. But, hypocrisy in and of itself is not against the law. Yes, his public image should include his behavior and the truth should be told, but this is not a legal issue.
Posted by: Nicholas | Sep 24, 2007 10:02:40 AM
David is right, but not for the reasons he lists on his blog. My initial opinion is that Craig should've fought the charges, for the reasons Frank Kameny outlined. But Craig is being prosecuted for intent, not action. It's the same concept as the DatelineNBC "Predator" series, or all those folks convicted of conspiracy to commit some illegal act... the perp doesn't have to actually DO the crime. All he has to do is signal intent. (The Predator shows have an obvious distinction of dealing with the solicitation of underage barely-pubescent kids, while Craig's actions were directed toward an adult... a critically important difference.) If we are to pardon Craig and not the Predator creeps, then we should ensure that the law makes it clear when and how the prosecution can bring charges based on intent alone.
Posted by: Brian | Sep 24, 2007 10:11:05 AM
Craig's intent may have been obvious, but there was no crime. I live in Hennepin County. If I proposition a guy in the Rail or Saloon, I'm not committing a crime. What Craig did was a proposition of sorts. If he gone down on the cop in the restroom, that would have been a different story. I'm more concerned that my tax money was used for this sting operation. If the airport is concerned about that type of behavior, have an uniformed cop patrol the restroom. That would be more effective.
Someone said that Craig voted the way he did in the Senate, because he wanted to represent his constituents. Bull! Norm Coleman has never once attempted to represent me when he votes. In his voting, Craig was a hypocrite. That is unfortunately not a Crime.
Posted by: Mike in the Tundra | Sep 24, 2007 10:49:03 AM
Wait! How can Frank Kameny still be speaking about anything? The Advocate declared him dead in June, recognized their error, recanted, and then tried to kill him off again by ignoring him on their 40 heroes list.
Could he still be alive? If he is I celebrate it....while hoping that the editors at the Advocate soon file bankruptcy.
Posted by: Leland Frances | Sep 24, 2007 11:16:27 AM
I hate all this "end justifies the means" bullshit in American politics. Gays hate Craig so anything that humiliates him and exposes his hypocrisy is acceptable -- even though the bathroom entrapment policies of many police departments are outrageously homophobic and of dubious legality. The same goes for alleged feminists who tolerated Bill Clinton's groping hands and scuzzy record with women. I have a feeling this will backfire.
Posted by: Frank | Sep 24, 2007 11:18:17 AM
Anyone who swallowed all the lies spread about Clinton by the multimillion dollar "Arkansas Project" funded by the right wing must give GREAT head.
L'affaire a Monica was psychotic on his part but one cum-stained dress does not a harem make.
The same people say being gay is a choice, all gay men want to be women, purposely infect others with AIDS, and are child molesters. Yeah, those are some really credible sources you have.
Posted by: Leland Frances | Sep 24, 2007 11:34:57 AM
If he gets pardoned, why not pardon the 1,000s of men who've been caught attempting to initiate or engaging in the same thing for the past 100 years?
Posted by: Matthew Rettenmund | Sep 24, 2007 12:02:35 PM
While I despise this homophobic, hypocritical bigot, I do agree with Frank Kameny and the ACLU that no crime was committed and Larry Craig's conviction should be thrown out. I just hope a rentboy and a cum-stained massage table surface real soon!
Posted by: peterparker | Sep 24, 2007 12:27:38 PM
Rich has just proven that he is no smarter or better informed than any other blogger out there. The ACLU is doing an end-run around conspiracy (a conspiracy of one, here) by saying the actually "crime" was solicitation, which is not a valid crime at all, rather than public nuisance or public lewdness or whatever else. A) a pardon will not advance the ACLU agenda and B) the perp doesn't get to pick the charges against him. It's all rather desperate.
Posted by: anon (gmail.com) | Sep 24, 2007 12:46:09 PM
How is pardoning this guy not a pattern preferential treatment?
I question the whole legal theory of intent to commit this crime is also a crime, and I even question whether sex in a public bathroom is a crime and not just bad behavior.
But equal justice under the law for all is SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT than either of these, right? Because without that, we have gay people as second class citizens, and lots of second class, disadvantaged groups and a whole tiered, classed-based society. And that's what pardening Larry Craig is to me.
So don't stop with him. Pardon every person who's the target of societal disapproval and oppression. Not just Senator's, rich white guys, Republicans and moral conservatives. Maybe include homeless people, really poor people, ex-cons, women in various situations, ... it's a long list.
Posted by: Allan Anderson | Sep 24, 2007 4:17:40 PM
Look Larry Craig was charged with invasion of privacy. Peeping Tom... Re read the police report and the criminal charges. Larry Craig stared a number of times through the cracks of a bathroom stall... The signaling with fingers and toes isnt the crime, they just companded it. Freedom of Speech isnt staring through cracks and watching someone in the bathroom stall next to you.
He's a "Peeping Tom"
Posted by: edensasp | Sep 29, 2007 7:53:25 PM
heres a link to the charges and report
http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/crim/mn-larry-craig-70207cmp.html
Posted by: edensasp | Sep 29, 2007 8:06:05 PM