Idaho’s own Larry Craig paid us a visit last June and was a wee bit too friendly with local law enforcement.
Roll Call is reporting that Sen. Larry Craig, an Idaho Republican, was arrested earlier this summer in a men’s room at the Minneapolis airport by an undercover officer investigating complaints about sexual activity. The Capitol Hill newspaper says it obtained the arrest report.
So far, CNN and several blogs are reporting the news.
On Aug. 8 Craig pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct. A 10-day sentence was stayed, but he received a year probation and paid more than $500 in fines and fees, Roll Call writes.
A spokesman for Craig described the June 11 incident as a “he said/he said misunderstanding,” and said the senator’s office would release a fuller statement later today.
Craig is up for reelection this cycle, his challenger is former Rep. Larry LaRocca. Rumors of Craig’s impending retirement have swirled for months, I have to imagine that this will push him a little closer to calling it quits. Given Idaho’s ideological bent, however, it would probably be better for Dems if Craig tries to stick it out.
More details are available after the jump.
After he was arrested, Craig, who is married, was taken to the Airport Police Operations Center to be interviewed about the lewd conduct incident, according to the police report. At one point during the interview, Craig handed the plainclothes sergeant who arrested him a business card that identified him as a U.S. Senator and said, “What do you think about that?” the report states.
Craig was detained for approximately 45 minutes, interviewed, photographed, fingerprinted and released, and police prepared a formal complaint for interference with privacy and disorderly conduct.
According to the incident report, Sgt. Dave Karsnia was working as a plainclothes officer on June 11 investigating civilian complaints regarding sexual activity in the men’s public restroom in which Craig was arrested.
Airport police previously had made numerous arrests in the men’s restroom of the Northstar Crossing in the Lindbergh Terminal in connection with sexual activity.
Karsnia entered the bathroom at noon that day and about 13 minutes after taking a seat in a stall, he stated he could see “an older white male with grey hair standing outside my stall.”
The man, who lingered in front of the stall for two minutes, was later identified as Craig.
“I could see Craig look through the crack in the door from his position. Craig would look down at his hands, ‘fidget’ with his fingers, and then look through the crack into my stall again. Craig would repeat this cycle for about two minutes,” the report states.
Craig then entered the stall next to Karsnia’s and placed his roller bag against the front of the stall door.
“My experience has shown that individuals engaging in lewd conduct use their bags to block the view from the front of their stall,” Karsnia stated in his report. “From my seated position, I could observe the shoes and ankles of Craig seated to the left of me.”
Craig was wearing dress pants with black dress shoes.
“At 1216 hours, Craig tapped his right foot. I recognized this as a signal used by persons wishing to engage in lewd conduct. Craig tapped his toes several times and moves his foot closer to my foot.
I moved my foot up and down slowly. While this was occurring, the male in the stall to my right was still present. I could hear several unknown persons in the restroom that appeared to use the restroom for its intended use. The presence of others did not seem to deter Craig as he moved his right foot so that it touched the side of my left foot which was within my stall area,” the report states.
Craig then proceeded to swipe his hand under the stall divider several times, and Karsnia noted in his report that “I could … see Craig had a gold ring on his ring finger as his hand was on my side of the stall divider.”
Karsnia then held his police identification down by the floor so that Craig could see it.
“With my left hand near the floor, I pointed towards the exit. Craig responded, ‘No!’ I again pointed towards the exit. Craig exited the stall with his roller bags without flushing the toilet. … Craig said he would not go. I told Craig that he was under arrest, he had to go, and that I didn’t want to make a scene. Craig then left the restroom.”
In a recorded interview after his arrest, Craig “either disagreed with me or ‘didn’t recall’ the events as they happened,” the report states.
Craig stated “that he has a wide stance when going to the bathroom and that his foot may have touched mine,” the report states. Craig also told the arresting officer that he reached down with his right hand to pick up a piece of paper that was on the floor.
“It should be noted that there was not a piece of paper on the bathroom floor, nor did Craig pick up a piece of paper,” the arresting officer said in the report.
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How unusual. I didn’t expect that from someone like him.
DAMN! I wanted to post on this one!
I didn’t know George Michael could even be a Senator in America!
Badum-ching!
Looks like Craig was doing some scouting work for the Republican National Convention, you know how those Republicans roll!
AYYYYYYYYYYYYE I’ll be here all week. Sean
Larry & the Hand Jive?
Or was it just Republican gang signs?
At the Republican Convention - or next white house press conference, someone will have to stand up & ask…
“OK, so are ANY of you guys straight?”
This is hugh.
Gives new meaning to the word “stalling” I guess.
Which way did this guy vote on various gay rights issues?
All the extra crispy holy guys - always seem to be the problem. They seem to be forever projecting their self-loathing & closet behavior onto every other gay on the planet…
Why are so many of the GOP-ers gay & doing meet ups in airport bathrooms? Next year at the state fiar - better be careful about letting your kids go to the bathroom alone at the State Fair!
Is this a preview to the Convension?
“This is hugh.” Er, I mean houge, huge..that’s it, huge.
“Is this a preview to the Convension?” Uh, I mean conversayshun..or, oh yeah, the convenshun.
Heh..another MySpace rocket scientist at work.
=======================
If this guy was pulling a “Bosacker” in the mens room he needs to go, and he will.
Republicans are not stupid, no way he’s going to get by with a Frank excuse…maybe he should change his party affiliation before the election!
Welcome To Minnesota, all you righties who are hoping to get some “action” here.
I haven’t had the opportunity to check the veracity of this, but I was sent this…
Meet the Press January 24, 1999, Sunday 9:00 AM
Must stifle laughter…. Sean
Defense of Marriage Act was also on his plate.
Swiftee wants him to change party affiliation - why?
It appears that closet gays - who are trolling tend to join the Neocon Republicans.
I’m sure old Fox Noise will “accidentally” associate him with the wrng party like they’ve done a few times on other Bad Boy Republicans.
A new slogan is in order:
Republicans! We’re generally corrupt, inept & gay - but at least we hate ourselves for being gay!
Is this guy an attorney? He’s be perfect to follow Alberto. ;-)
Swiftee,
I agree with you that if Craig did something untoward, he should go. It’s pretty funny that when Barney Frank’s live in lover was caught running a prostitution ring out of Frank’s Washington, D.C. residence, Frank’s excuse was that he was “suckered.” Hence the theme song, “My Boy Lollipop.”
Good College try. Bad example Chris.
Where then - is there evidence for Frank’s fore-knowledge?
He would have likewise been prosecuted.
There is some plausible deniability in that instance - vs
getting caught with pants down propositioning as Larry Craig clearly was.
So dissembling to include someone else is thin at best. End of story.
Larry Craig, married & hiding out in the “Defense of Marriage Act” hitting the Tearooms. Oh, the sheer hypocrisy of it all!
But since you took it off-topic by trying to insinuate someone else — > Will he go visit Michelle Bachmann’s husband to get “cured?”
Not only do I think it was disgusting what Bosacker did, but it was also criminal. He is a sexual deviate regardless of his perferences. Yet, the left did and still does embrace him. It’s sickening.
Mockingbird,
How can you live with someone and not know they were running a prostitution ring out of your home? That’s Jerry Springer material right there.
Blumpkin time!
Chris. Mockingbird is correct, but for the wrong reasons.
We cannot, and should not, compare ourselves to the left.
We expect more from our elected leaders and hold them accountable for their actions, even when they will not step up to the plate.
The moonbats have a valid point to mock Craig and his ilk with. They hold ground that we do not hold, nor do we want to hold.
For the left, the rule is the more debauched, the more virulently anti-American, the more anti-family, the better. When a Republican stands against them publicly, but dives right into the pit with them in private we are harmed.
You cannot take anything a cop says at face value these days, but if it is true that Craig not only engaged in the behavior but then flashed his Senate business card in the manner suggested, he should be ridden out on a rail tomorrow.
If he hurries, he could be an endorsed Democrat candidate by Monday.
I like in his press statement he said, “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.”
First of all, pled is not a real word (it is pleaded). Second, he had TWO MONTHS between being caught (early in June) and when he “pled” guilty via a remote satellite session (in early August). How could anyone in politics be arrested for a gross misdemeanor and then handle the matter just by himself? He had no council?? He’s either a liar and/or incredibly stupid. Probably more of the former than the latter. Watch these clips and tell me he isn’t lying :http://www.blogactive.com/2007/08/archival-footage.html
The real shame is the culture of intolerance within his party that condemns him to live a lie and do things like this…
Swiftscum,
“We expect more from our elected leaders and hold them accountable for their actions, even when they will not step up to the plate.”
When do you plan on doing that?
There has been absolutely NO accountability for a failed Republican war in Iraq. Maybe you should start there.
http://quinnell.us/politics/family.html
http://www.geocities.com/arthursank/sexualmorality.html
http://www.lavenderliberal.com/conservativebabylon/index.php http://www.blogactive.com/
Discovered spell checker did you? Congratulations!
“The real shame is the culture of intolerance within his party that condemns him to live a lie and do things like this…”
Huh? No one *compelled* Craig to engage in lewd conduct in public, if, in fact, he did. Rather, he chose to do so by his own free will.
Swiftscum,
Boy am I embarassed by my misspelling. You rub my face in that so very well. I am humiliated and shamed. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/jhuth/buhs.jpg
I just wonder if Larry Craig will be celebrated by Oprah Winfrey like N.J. Gov. Jim McGreevey was when his secret gay life was exposed.
Chris — Is there no moral difference between a politician who bashes gays being arrested in a men’s room, and one who has never played the anti-gay card being outed? Former Gov. McGreevey has admitted his homosexuality and does not try to make excuses. Sen. Craig, despite his plea of guilty, still tries to make excuses and say that it never really happened.
It is a shame that Sen. Craig could not be honest with himself and his constituents.
Randy,
What a dumb comparison. McGreevey only admitted his homosexuality after he was going to be sued by his EMPLOYEE. The employee whose work was paid by taxpayers. And don’t try to make excuses for McGreevey, he married two women and believe me he made excuses to them for over twenty years.
All these men are disgusting no matter what side of politics they are on. When are you guys going to get it…
I don’t know, Randy, hanging your hat on McGreevey’s morality, a man who employed his boyfriend on the state payroll and had sex in the same house while his wife was recovering from childbirth, is pretty weak.
oh ya, I hoping for the day that our politicians can keep their “johnson” in their pants and quit pulling it out at work, at the airport, at the YMCA, and most importantly in front of kids/interns/pages. But I really hope for the day that we quit defending their actions when they do this and allowing them to continue in office.
Gosh, there’s a lot of right wing squealing on here.
Trying to make someone other than the closeted right own this - and HIDE from the HYPOCRISY!!!!
“Holding accountable?” Comedians… you could have tried out for the
Fox Comedy show!
In fairness:
we really need to explore other possible explanations for
Larry Craig’s behavior…
And the little foot tap - he hears a song wherever he goes?
He was practicing his audition for the touring company of “Riverdance?”
He just watched a “My Three Sons” episode in the airport bar & can’t get the opening theme out of his head?
He is part of a weird religious cult - that performs dance rituals in Men’s rooms…?
He was visiting Michelle Bachmann’s husband - being treated for what he was trying to get in the men’s room - and he was just backsliding!
I don’t see anyone from the right justifying Craig’s actions. The only hypocrites I see here are those on the Left who continually tell the rest of us how an individual’s sexual habits or preferences is off-limits for public discourse. That being the case, why do you continue to focus on it?
wtm - You have trouble with the definition of “hypocrisy?”
Gosh - no talking points out yet?
You are clearly trying to spin this - separate out the behavior from the hypocritical element in it & just focus on the behavior, to make someone else own it. That’s a load of RW bunk.
The clear HYPOCRISY - is a guy who supports a BS “Defense of Marriage Act” yet cruises for gay sex himself… There are other odd little things in his record too.
So he is self-loathing.
When someone is open & honest about their orientation - that’s different than this behavior by these fake holy holy guys.
It should still get them a court date if they are hitting the tearooms, irrespective of their leanings or party affiliation…
He got that court date. I don’t want any such behavior in a public rest room I could find myself in.
The word IS - that some of the people frequently such places have a delusional disconnect - that the “down low” doesn’t make them gay. Maybe it doesn’t… that’s outside my field.
The really gigantic problem is HYPOCRISY by the “party of values” (LOL) who always seems to project what they fear about themselves - onto other people. A certain moral bankruptcy.
wtm - You protest too much about people posting here.
Yet you do as well.. Why do you keep reading this thread, if it does not fascinate you? So don’t be a hypocrite about THAT.
Since the right wingers here are “kinder & gentler” right wingers -
and don’t seem to have the usual problem about people’s orientation (or do I misread them?)…
we should agree to kill the hype about “defense of marriage” BS that the Bushies were pushing. With an open society - there should be no fear for guys like Ted Haggard, or the various page-soliciting republican congressmen in Florida, Idaho & elsewhere to “come out.”
THEN we could just deal with the behaviors themselves - devoid of the hypocrisy & spin!
Andy Birkey at MinnMo has the best post on this insofar: http://www.minnesotamonitor.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2309
So, Mockingbird, when are you going to denounce Al Gore for being a “closet carbon emitter and lover”?
By your logic, any personal transgression that does not fit a public figure’s public persona or positions is justifiable grounds for condemnation. I don’t necessarily disagree with that (even though I think it’s a harsh, relentless standard), but I’m waiting for those of you on the Left to exact the same measurement of perfect alignment you require those on the Right.
wtm,
Please stay on topic. The Republic party and Sen. Craig in particular has denounced the lifestyle he is participating in. Craig=hypocrite.
FYI, Gore recommends a reduction in carbon emissions not a complete prohibition of them. To suggest otherwise is irresponsible.
Craig=hypocrite, that is true. So far Chris, Swiftee and wtm have all denounced him and/or his actions or said he should be gone if the allegations are true. That would mean they are not being hypocritical on this issue.
wtm, let’s look at 700,000 dead Iraqi dead and then talk about saving them from tyranny. Craig is typical of the corrupt, bent, morally devoid, group of fascists in charge of the GOP right now. The spin you try to put on this is always your last resort. When you fail at defending the indefensible, you always say, “well he’s as bad as everyone else.” It’s the republican equivilent of “johnny did it to”. Such god-awful whining really moves your party forward. Please continue.
Who’s to say Craig is living a lifestyle? He plead guilty to a crime. That’s it. You (and others) are making assumptions about Craig’s lifestyle, which may not be at odds with the public policy positions he supports.
Gore supports a public policy to reduce carbon emissions by the rest of us. Gore also violates his own policy by being a large carbon emitter himself. How is that any more consistent than Craig’s personal behavior and public positions?
As long as we are pruning, we might just as well get rid of our dead wood. Open seat in Idaho. Creepy bathroom guys need not apply.
wtm — You seem to know more of the salacious details of Mr. McGreevey’s life than I hope or want to know, so I will defer. Again, the big difference between the two is that I don’t see him as having done any of the gay bashing that Sen. Craig did.
Speaking of marital infidelity in an official residence, what do you hear from Mr. Giuliani these days? )Yes, I know you can type “Bill Clinton.” Is he running for President as a member of the family values party?)
Plus I don’t know if Frank would support legalizing prostitution so there is a good degree off hypocrisy in his actions from 20 years ago even if it has nothing to do with his sexual orientation.
Al Gore’s hypocrisy has more to do with his over consumption than a simple heating bill. Nobody needs a house that size, just ask Ralph Nader.
wtm — - changing subjects again, I see…
You guys just can’t stay on topic for anything, when its your guys that are at it. So you are claiming Larry Craig just pled guilty for the fun of it?
Are you coming out in favor of gay rights - or are you saying that Craig is a straight guy with a hobby?
If he was “innocent” (cough, cough) and wanted it to go away - he should plead GUILTY? So you are calling the undercover cop a liar???
OK. Its more than “defense of marriage” that Craig has supported…
So that argument doesn’t hold true.
Again - he’s thus painting his personal peccadillos onto other people in his adamant stance… (bowlegged, apparently). These guys are transferring their personal demons, I gather.
I can’t seem to remember, could the ex-wives of the Republican candidates field a basketball, baseball, or football team?
Oh, and “defense of Marriage” is a conjob anyway…
Gay marriage, for it, or against it has NOTHING to do with hetero marriage.
Its just the con to get people all riled - as though straight people would be forced into gay behaviors, or their own marriages affected.
HYPOCRISY.
Rampant in the Republican Party, the party of ” moral values.” THAT’s the issue. More fakes.
Wtm, you and your ilk need to give it up. Your done and your ideology has proven itself to be empty and a failure. Go crawl back under a rock and you can remember how good it use to be when America was a fascist state.
I know Bush told the Senate guys to do something to get Alberto’s resignation out of the news…but this is crazy.
wtm wrote: “Who’s to say Craig is living a lifestyle? He plead guilty to a crime. That’s it. You (and others) are making assumptions about Craig’s lifestyle, which may not be at odds with the public policy positions he supports.”
You’re joking right?
KH — You’re being ironic about Ralph Nader’s house, right?
I don’t go around anywhere hitting on men, and by God, if I did, I wouldn’t do it in Boise, Idaho! Jiminy! — Sen. Larry Craig, May 14, to the Idaho Statesman
Guess who was in the next stall?
Weiner, you can change your name to Avidor, but you’re still the samedick
Swiftscumee,
I find that comic strip confusing. Could you explain it to me please?
Larry Craig definitely loves Mitt. http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/08/28/sen-r-larry-craig-supports-mitt-romney/
“Craig: It’s the Idaho paper’s fault that I pleaded guilty.” http://thinkprogress.org/2007/08/28/craig-statesman/
I think you should start out with something a bit simpler, like how to tie your own shoes, then work your way up to satire.
Buhhwaa??
What you posted Swiftscum makes no sense. Can you explain that one too, please?
After the Senate Republicans called for an investigation into Senator Larry Craig’s conduct, Melanie Sloan made the following statement:
“While I am pleased that Senate Republicans are joining CREW’s call for an investigation into Senator Craig’s conduct, their failure to ask for an ethics investigation of the similarly outrageous conduct by Sen. David Vitter is puzzling. While Sen. Craig pleaded guilty to a crime involving soliciting sex, but is now denying his guilt, Sen. Vitter has not been charged but has admitted to the crime of soliciting for prostitution. Thus, both men have admitted to committing misdemeanor crimes that reflect poorly upon the Senate and both should be treated equally. The only possible interpretation of the Republicans’ differing reaction to the two cases is that Sen. Craig’s case involves gay sex. Apparently soliciting for heterosexual sex does not offend the “family values” platform in the way that soliciting for gay sex does.” http://www.citizensforethics.org/
This site has arrived - when it has its own regular RW trolls.
And trolls some must be - when there is no sense to what stuff they post.
The Melanie Sloan statement is dead on:
“…Apparently soliciting for heterosexual sex does not offend the “family values” platform in the way that soliciting for gay sex does.”
Lifestyles of the Closeted & Repressed:
Heard a caller on a radio show, who ostensibly is a researcher, say that many who engage in such tea room behavior do not consider themselves gay.
What is the threshold?
The Craig Defense:
“I’m not gay - but I’m not so sure about my right foot.”