<p>It’s past time politicians like Larry Craig, start treating men like Larry Craig as full fledged citizens of the United States, and stop using them as a “wedge” to frighten people and divide our nation. </p>
<p>Politicians who use wedge issues to divide our nation don’t have America’s best interests in mind or hart, they have only their selfish and un-American self-interests.</p>
<p>Well, I really feel for the wife, kids and grandkids. I am sure there is more to the story.</p>
<p>First of all, do people make random advances under a bathroom stall to the next person taking care of “their business” ? I doubt that. If you happen to be sitting on a toilet and the next thing you see is that a foot is getting a little too close to yours underneath the stall, the first reaction would be a loud …Hey buddy, someone is taking a crap over here!! The person may have a “wide stance” , the person may be “tapping to some inner head music” …whatever they meay choose to come up with… Again… a loud …hey dude!! , should bring the whole thing to an end.</p>
<p>The undercover was probably behaving in a way that suggested to the senator that 'he was interested" in something. People do not behave like that unless they see and “opening” because i would think that the chances of being punched on the face are too high.</p>
<p>He made a mistake by pleading guilty, because no one can prove “that tapping a foot and putting a briefcase against a door” are a telepathic invitation for sex.</p>
<p>"First of all, do people make random advances under a bathroom stall to the next person taking care of “their business” ? "</p>
<p>It is said that usually there is a signal going in, pre-stall. The undercovers have achieved thousands of convictions this way, with both guilty and non-guilty pleas, and all the issues around potential entrapment have been tried and thrown out by the courts.</p>
<p>This was probably the 100th time Craig decided it was time to put his gay Viagra to the test, and, like a drunken driver, occasionally one gets caught. </p>
<p>I don’t feel at all for his wife, kids, or grandkids that they have a gay husband, father, or grandfather. I know too many proud gay grandfathers to even imagine this could be construed to be a bad thing. I feel for them because their spouse, father, and grandfather is a hypocrite of the first order.</p>
<p>This has nothing to do with being gay or not. I feel for the wife and family because of the media circus, the late nite jokes and the embarrassment of innapropriate behavior.</p>
<p>I disagree with you about the convictions. I heard two attorneys discussed it on TV yesterday at length. Very difficult to prove. People plea guilty to a lesser charge and to get the whole emabarrassment episode behind them. </p>
<p>It is ridiculous that a “signal” amoounts to criminal behavior.</p>
<p>The two attorneys can talk all they like - the reality is that very, very few cases of this type ever get bounced. </p>
<p>He DID plead to a lesser charge. He also signed a statement saying that pleading guilty to a charge when he thinks he is innocent is also a crime.</p>
<p>"Sgt. Dave Karsnia was investigating complaints regarding sexual activity in the men’s room where Craig was arrested. Airport police had made “numerous arrests” there in connection with sexual activity. Karsnia entered the restroom at noon on June 11. A few minutes after taking a seat in a stall, Karsnia said he saw a man who turned out to be Craig lingering outside the stall.</p>
<p>“I could see Craig look through the crack in the door from his position,” Karsnia wrote. Craig then took the stall next to Karsnia, placing his roller bag against the front of the stall door."</p>
<p>Whether it should be criminal? According to hypocrites like Craig, who “represents the Republican Party” (according his fellow Republicans), the answer is an unequivocal ues.</p>
<p>I just thought that there can be no stronger “signal” than to ask a total stranger … “voulez vous couchez avec moi ce soir”…or… Do you want to have sex with me?? It may be innapropriate, but criminal?? Give me a break</p>
<p>Exactly…the convictions happen because people plea " a lesser charge" !! He was an idiot</p>
<p>
Oh, I understand that. It’s just something to do in passing while donating money and working to overthrow this whole rotting Republican structure. Hey, if it makes a few Bush-enablers feel ashamed or angry, it’s small enough compensation for what they’ve done.</p>
<p>"It is ridiculous that a “signal” amoounts to criminal behavior. "</p>
<p>Would you prefer the officer be forced to complete the act before arrest? </p>
<p>As others have posted Craig is like the drunk driver who gets caught after 100 free rides. He seemed to “know” the routine too well. I mean if it was just toe tapping, I’d buy his arguement. Sliding your foot over to another guy’s in a stall is not chance. Putting your hand under the stall door w/o asking for toliet paper is a bit obvious as well. The senator knows the routine a bit too well.</p>
<p>What went on was a little more than just a mere foot tapping signal, as Opie said. According to the arresting officer:</p>
<p>“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.”</p>
<p>Craig then swiped his hand under the stall divider toward Karsnia, wrote the officer. Karsnia then held his police identification down by the floor so 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.”</p>
<p>In a recorded interview after his arrest, Craig “either disagreed with me or ‘didn’t recall’ the events as they happened,” according to the police report.</p>
<p>Craig told police he had a wide stance when going to the bathroom and that he was reaching down to pick up a piece of paper, the report says. “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,” wrote the officer.</p>
<p>At one point, police documents said, Craig handed Karsnia his business card identifying him as a U.S. Senator and said, “What do you think of that?”</p>
<p>But I also agree that the actions don’t come up to the level of criminal disorderly conduct. I would have wanted to see a little skin, perhaps.</p>
<p>I think you left out the most important part, which happened BEFORE the “signalling” began:</p>
<p>A few minutes after taking a seat in a stall, Karsnia said he saw a man who turned out to be Craig lingering outside the stall.</p>
<p>“I could see Craig look through the crack in the door from his position,” Karsnia wrote. Craig then took the stall next to Karsnia, placing his roller bag against the front of the stall door."</p>
<p>In other words, Senator Wide Stance had already checked out his liaison before the foot-tapping began.</p>
<p>Now that Democrats control the House, at least they’ve left the Republicans the bathrooms.</p>
<p>Question’s I would like ask and answered </p>
<p>On the day in question (06/11/07), what airport gate was Larry Craig’s incoming airport gate and what gate was his out going gate. What is the location of these two gates and what is the location of the restroom he was using. Was the restroom located between the two gates, or was it out of his way for Senator Craig to use this particular restroom? </p>
<p>Also it has been reported that this particular restroom is listed as a gay pickup site on several web pages. If it is true that the restroom is listed as a pickup place and the Senator went out of his way to use that restroom it would give additional details and rise new questions the Senator would want to be ask so that he could clarify the issues involved.</p>
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<p>All right, this was my laugh for the day! Thanks, Mini…</p>
<p>I liked Tom Delay’s take on all of this as conveyed to Matt Lauer this morning. If he did it, the Repubs will get rid of him - those that elected him and those who he works with.</p>
<p>If he were a Dem - pats on the back and whatever his little heart desires.</p>
<p>Of course, if he were a Dem nobody would even know about it.</p>
<p>Fire away.</p>
<p>Mini–you don’t feel for his wife??? The man, in your estimate as in others, was looking for sex with someone else in a restroom. Gay or straight, why would that not be hurtful?</p>
<p>If Craig were a Democrat the police wouldn’t have caught him? Or nobody would care if he were caught? Can you give an example of that kind of thing happening in the past? (I’m a Dem and back at the time I supported Clinton’s impeachment.)</p>
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<p>Very funny. I love the “Senator Wide Stance” comment, too. Of course, I now refer to him as “Toe Tapping Senator Wide Stance.” Oh, brother. What a scumbag.</p>
<p>His wife already knows. And has known for a very, very long time. Only this time it became public. His wife made a decision a long time ago that she is better with him than without him. I’m sorry that her husband has put her through this public humiliation, but do you think he didn’t tell her on June 11th? </p>
<p>Delay is right. The Republicans knew about Foley for more than a decade, and removed him immediately. They knew about Craig. They knew about Cunningham. They knew about Ney. There’s probably another half dozen holding their breathes until the next round of Abramoff indictments come down</p>
<p>There’s a world of hurt there on many levels, for him, the lie his life has become, his family, his friends. I loved the Idaho drag queen on NPR that said the one place he would be accepted, her bar in Boise, he’d probably never enter. A far more accepting club than the US Senate. </p>
<p>As I find human behavior fascinating, the decription of the signals used was quite enlightening. I always wondered how those sorts of liasons were arranged.</p>
<p>Bully for you that you know the Craigs. How is Mrs. Craig these days? I’m sure this is tough on her. How do you know her?</p>