Sen. Larry E. Craig pleaded guilty earlier this month to misdemeanor disorderly-conduct charges stemming from his June arrest by an undercover police officer in a men's restroom at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, a court spokeswoman and the senator's office said yesterday. Craig issued a statement confirming his arrest and guilty plea, which were reported in the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call.But the Idaho Republican maintained that he had not engaged in any "inappropriate conduct" and that the airport police misunderstood his behavior.
"In hindsight, I should not have pled guilty."
The undercover officer was monitoring the restroom on June 11. A few minutes after noon, Craig entered and sat in the stall next to him. Craig began tapping his right foot, touched his right foot to the left foot of the officer and brushed his hand beneath the partition between them. He was then arrested.
While he was being interviewed about the incident, Craig gave police a business card showing that he is a U.S. senator. "What do you think about that?" Craig asked the officer, according to the report obtained by Roll Call.
n 2006, a gay activist said he had spoken with men who had sexual encounters with Craig, including in the restrooms at Union Station. Craig's office told the Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Wash., that the allegations were "completely ridiculous."
GOI: Why on EARTH would you plead guilty if you know that you are innocent and that the police, "misunderstood" you actions?
If he really didn't do it then he should have fought this out in court since his arrest would have come out anyway. That way he could have gotten out ahead of the story and fought for his name to be cleared. Craig has been a critic of gay rights.
In 1982 Craig was caught up in a cloud of controversy for allegedly being apart of a sex page scandal. Craig issued a denial but that denial statement was done pre-emptively. Why issue a denial if you are innocent?
By the way, It's pretty well known that men's bathrooms are often places where anonymous gay men hook up. Looks like Craig took a page from George Michael's book. Apparently tapping your foot like that, bumping your shoe up against the guy's shoe next to you (and reaching under the stall as Craig did) is a sign that you want to have sex.
You learn something new everyday I guess!!
UPDATE: Craig just held a press conference and said he "mistakingly pled guilty" and that he should have told his family. First of all, what kind of idiot doesn't know that they are pleading guilty? The judge makes it clear what exactly a guilty plea means and you have to sign a damn piece of paper admitting you are guilty!! And he wants us to believe that a well-educated Senator like himself doesn't know the basics of law?? What a load of shit.
And why wouldn't you not confide in your family if you knew you were innocent? This guy is toast. Oh yeah and he kept stating over and over, "I'm not gay." Sure you are "Glory Hole" Larry.
I sense a stint in rehab soon.
12 comments:
I guess he needs some Gay-Be-Gone.
Lynne:
You know it and we need Craig-be-gone.
Maybe the cop just didn't have "a square to spare".
This is just not the kind of thing you try in Minneapolis for crying out loud.
Maybe he just wasn't into sheep and decided to get his fill of other men.
I am not gay! Nor have I ever been gay!
Oops, wrong blog...
:)
Yet another psychically sick, repressed Republican! We need universal health care if only to cure Republicans of the demons that stalk them.
While Craig is very clearly guilty of soliciting for sex, I do disagree with the general idea that pleading guilty means you are guilty anymore in the American system.
Unhappily, as viewers of "Law and Order" are likely to know, there is a lot of horse-trading and pragmatism in negotiating pleas that means that people plead guilty for lesser charges to try to escape publicity or save family members from jail or keep employers in the dark or escape jail time themselves, etc.
The search for pure justice is mucked up with a lot of other -- often wholly unrelated -- considerations as prosecutors, with limited budgets and crowded prisons, try to get guilty pleas while innocent defendants with limited funds try desperately to disentangle themselves from pickles they've gotten themselves in. And all this goes on in a justice system that has too many cases on its docket.
Fashion Girl:
LMAO. I love Seinfeld. Yeah you don't try to pull that off there--especially if you're a U.S. Senator.
Brent:
Makes me think of a clip of him speaking about Bill Clinton's affair back in the day. In the clip he really go into talking about how Clinton was, "a naughty boy." "A very naughty boy." Cracks me up.
Scot:
LMAO. He sounded soooo ridiculous saying that. And he was shouting it as if to try and convince himself.
Tom:
Good point on the Universal Health Care!! These repressed Republicans need some serious therapy.
And I agree with you that our justice system leaves much to be desired. However, I think that in this case the Senator knew EXACTLY what he was doing and why.
James,
Yes, the senator's guilty -- AND as you suggest in your post his real offense is hypocracy.
Leno says: "The Democrats may control Congress, but the Republicans control the bathrooms."
The latest rants by republican and conservative spokespeople are, "there is a double standard. Democrats do it too." They soo miss the point. Yes many democrats do some the things conservatives consider opposed to "family values", like have gay sex and extra marital affairs. The difference is liberal don't go to capital hill and forcefully pass laws to ban the activities!!
Down with hypocrisy.
Did you see they released the audio tape? I told you, don't mess with my homies.
Tom:
Yeah, I just wish he'd stop taking us for suckers and just admit it. I'm sure it would bring him some relief too!!
Liberal:
That's a great line. :)
Lord:
EXACTLY!! I didn't have a problem with Bill's blow jobs but rather the perjury. I could care less if Craig is gay or likes anonymous, risky sex. I'm a liberal and think people should be able to have the kind of sex they wish as long as it's legal.
I think that the reason Republicans are always caught "with their pants down" is because they repress themselves sexually. It always comes out one way or another. It's like trying to chase away the wind.
Fashion Girl:
I did. What a schmuck. Who do these power-corrupted fools think we are?? Like I said to Lord of Logic--just come out and be yourself. A person's sexuality is nothing to be ashamed of.
Post a Comment