Matt Lauer's Larry Craig Interview: Exclusive and Excruciating

Oh gosh, Matt Lauer's interview with Senator Larry Craig and his wife Suzanne last night was uncomfortable to watch. Now I get what Lauer meant yesterday, how it must have felt to quiz Craig on the litany — the long, long litany — of gay-themed allegations (cruising, pickups, trysts) from throughout his political career and even from before, all while his wife was sitting there. Lauer did a good and deft job on this, and the Craigs candidly addressed it all head on, but the end result was the feeling of "no smoke without fire" and wow was there a lot of smoke. Not that there's anything wrong with that! The saddest part is how, if it's true (and if they're just rumors, well, there sure are a lot of them, from a lot of different sources), this guy has felt the overwhelming need to hide it and rail against it for his whole life. Here is a representative clip:

"I have a medical discharge based on my feet." Oh, Senator Craig, those feet.

Update: I'm going to have to disagree with Tom Shales, who criticized Lauer for being "anything but hard-hitting or confrontational." To my mind, that was precisely the right approach: Sympathetic, respectful, but persistent, putting each episode to Craig for his response, which created an overall effect of so many dominoes leading to that inevitable and sad moment in that airport bathroom. What Shales doesn't get is that Craig's had MONTHS of hard-hitting and confrontational — the cable shows, the late-night punchlines — the last thing that would have drawn him out would have been an antagonistic interviewer. When Lauer cited "cruising" and followed it with "whatever that means," Suzanne Craig laughed — breaking the tension of an uncomfortable moment and keeping it as comfortable, really, as it was ever gonna be. This interview didn't need to be hard-hitting; as I mention above, just the litany of episodes and innuendos, presented to Craig again and again, had a far more quietly damning effect.

(Hat tip to TVNewser, and thanks — I sort of love disagreeing with Tom Shales.)

Related:
Larry Craig To Matt Lauer: "You Know I Don't Just Walk Away From A Fight" (Except When I'm Quietly Pleading Guilty And Hoping It Will All Go Away) [ETP]

Comments

[Graywolf48]

I have no sympathy for either of the Craig's. He is a self loathing, despicable, dishonorable man. He's a homosexual and he hates the fact that he is and can do little about it. He takes out his anger and fear on other homosexuals who are more comfortable in their skins. It is his desire to make them as unhappy and as miserable as he is. His "beard" Mrs. Craig knows and I'll venture to guess has known for quite some time of her husbands desire for men. If she has honestly not been aware of her husband's homosexuality, amid all the rumors and innuendos that have followed dogged her husband, then she is either a fool or a liar. Like the wife of an abuser, she decided to stick it out for any number of reasons. She's trapped and either can't leave or just refuses to leave him for any number of reasons. They are a sick and pathetic couple. My sympathy is with the children, drawn into this twisted lifestyle of lies and denial and who will be now and forever tarnished by their parent's co-dependency. Sad, very sad. Larry Craig is indeed a cruel, selfish and hateful man who needs to face up to his demons. His wife is either his willing or unwilling enabler. I wish the best for his children, for it is they who are the real victims of this tragedy.

[badnana]

Suzanne was the mother of three when Larry married her. Not that that makes any difference. He still is their father--in that family role, anyway.

[THISTLE]

GrayWolf48:

I totally agree with everything you said, and
you said it very well. Craig votes against
every bill for gay rights, he attacks "the gay
lifestyle," he is beyond pathetic. And his
wife smiling and appearing to be amused by
many of Lauer's questions was as pathetic as
her "self-loathing and despicable" husband.

[Tom95134]

I find this from the stage play Boys in the Band appropriate to the moment...

"You're a sad and pathetic man. You're a homosexual and you don't want to be, but there's nothing you can do to change it. Not all the prayers to your god, not all the analysis you can buy in all the years you've go left to live. You may one day be able to know a heterosexual life if you want it desperately enough. If you pursue it with the fervor with which you annihilate. But you'll always be homosexual as well. Always [Larry]. Always. Until the day you die."

[NoblesseOblige]

Excellent. You nailed it perfectly. I did see this film when it came out (in the late 60's / early 70's?). And, I remember that scene so well. Yes, that describes Larry and his ilk to a "T".

[pangardenguru]

that is perfect Tom95134, I knew the author of Boys in the Band, it was about friends of mine. the quote is appropos.

[Horus]

You know a shitload about how they really feel on the inside. You must be psychic.

[cmd333]

hmmm...a loving husband gets arrested and pleads guilty...he then gets home and doesn't say a word to his beard...i mean wife about the whole ordeal???
you'd think that someone in politics would be a better liar...after all, he's had a lot of experience in that area...
craig is a sad, self hating man and a giant fake!
he has his life broken down into so many different compartments it must be exhausting to keep them all straight (so to speak)...

[NavyMom]

Yet the wife sticks up for him, or more likely, for the comfortable life of a sitting Sn.

[transendentilist]

This is the first I am hearing of the term, "beard," and it's too funny. How fitting.

[sockman]

CRAIG'S LIST

1 pair of size 11 winged-tip leather Shoes. Suitable for gentleman with wide stance. Normal wear and tear from rhythmic toe tapping and some minor pee stains. will clean if new owner desires but otherwise in good shape.
$20 Frim.

[BobSF94117]

When is the last time that ANY journalist spent that much time with ANY politician discussing ANYTHING related to gay people? A twenty minute conversation about the reasoning behind Craig's abysmal voting record on gay rights -- with explanation that go beyond trotting out "family values" -- would have been more rivetting television...

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

I agree Bob. Why NOT call him on his hypocrisy?

And that stupid beard... I mean wife just sitting there... like... it's ok. Typical political wife.

[JimR]

Not sure if you watched the interview or not, but Lauer asked him repeatedly about his views on gay people, and if he thought being gay was something he would be ashamed of.

[Thalia]

This is really sad.

And of course, he goes the Clarence Thomas route and slimes his accusers. Evidence of guilt, actually.

Does he explain why so many people seem to be accusing him of this sort of behavior? Does he explain why no women are accusing him of coming on to them? What's the conspiracy and why?

I actually feel sorry for Craig...until I think about his viciousness toward gay people in his legislative votes and his (hilarious) condemnation of Bill Clinton.

What a pathetic man.

[Libsrule]

That woman is just as hypocritical as her husband. She loves the life of a wife of a senator.

ALL kinds of perks, travel aboard Air Force One occasionally, first class dinner parties at embassies, fund raisers, private jets, hanging with the rich and famous.

She's just in it for the ride.

BUT nonetheless this is nothing but good news for democrats because the longer Larry "wide stance" Craig sticks around, the better the chances of a democrat getting his 'ahem' seat.(sorry I couldn't help it).

The polls in his home state are running SEVEN TO ONE against him. Yep, he's nothing but good news for dems.

NOW if we could just get dems to grow a pair and a spine, maybe things might get done.

[Ihaveadream]

Youtube clip of BBC's Little Britain Sir Norman Fry explaining his public toilet encounter. Hmmm, it's uncanny how much his wife looks a lot like Mrs. Craig

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cQ3Y4OIhgU&mode=related&search=

[N678]

That is hilarious. You still can't beat British humor. LOL

[mlv1055]

Mrs. Craig wouldn't be the first person to trade a loving marriage for some wealth & prestige. I would guess many Republicans have relationships like this.

[Bobaloo]

Larry should show some pride and adopt a new stance.

[MissingAmerica]

His feet? I feel sad for this guy's wife. This man appears to have been living a whole other life even before his marriage. It's sad that he was in a "Bible-based" religion that caused him to fear being his real self, and that he compensates by railing against those who feel the need to be open. Another sad thing? This hypocrite is using his values to make decisions that affect those of us who believe in honesty above all else.

[Aanya]

Oh my, Larry Craig! The gift that just keeps giving! Suffer you rethug bastards! You deserve everything that you're getting, and everything yet to come!

[MrsBettyBowers]

"I have a medical discharge based on my feet."

He has Restroom Leg Syndrome.

[sugarmoes]

ohhhhhhhhhhhh snap!!! good one!

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

LOLOLOL!!! Most clever MBBowers!

[workingboy]

BRILLIANT!

Now does Big Pharma have a pill for that? Y'know, one of those goodies with all sorts of side effects?

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

LOL!! As in the Simpson's episode... where they make fun of ambien... and the quickly uttered side effects are "loss of scalp and penis may occur"... or was that the hair growth episode? I forget...but it was perfect clever.

[cranialknowledge]

That is fantastic. Well done.

[pangardenguru]

that's funny. I am a HUGE fan of mrs bowers.

[sugarmoes]

i bet "mrs." craig is really a mister. wouldn't that be funny?

[ming099]

...watched the first 10 min of the interview last night....knew he and SHE were LYING through their teeth in the first MINUTE......

....poor woman INDEED..........she is as deeply in denial as HE is.......and about as effective covering it up.........


...hope the ethics committee sticks it to him good!.... (pun or NO pun intended)

[VSamuels]

The self-denial in which you cite is systemic in the dominate culture, but because some within the dominate culture possess enormous political power, issues like healthcare, eduction, race, gay rights are not addressed. The common acknowledgement that our society is failing cited by many today, often fails to account for an America which tragically was failing so many of its non-white citizens, since the inception of the republic.

If America is to flourish in terms of its human potential there must be a 'shock & awe' in terms of the respect for 'honesty.' We, as individuals, can not survive each committed to having our own reality, at some point we must favor the preponderence of reality and facts, to measure if our views are balanced or unbalanced, and then be willing to discharge those views which have been proven to be wrong.

Here, we have a sitting U.S. senator paralyzed by his own physical and emotional leanings, appearing before the world, attempting to re-arrange the facts which he, himself agreed were valid when he pled guilty. Craig's behavior; not as gay man, but as a public figure who dispects the nature of his office and the enduring message he sends to the public that is wrong: that it is permissible to lie rather than tell the truth.

And, if we are to change course in America, it is unlikely that it can be done when those in powerful positions lack courage, convictions and honesty in their own personal lives. Craig is a living example of why our national morrass has taken hold of us being able to face down and resolve the issues of our days.

[SaintZak]

HIS POOR WIFE?!

They're all the same! They turn their heads and put up with it because they don't want to give up the perks that come with being a politician's wife. She has as much self respect as he does. There have been rumors and accusations swirling around him for many years...of course she knew.

They both were very creepy in that interview.