Larry Craig's Real Mistake

I feel sorry for Larry Craig. Truly. Even though Craig voted to censure Barney Frank for Frank's tryst with a male prostitute. Craig has been behind some of the most intolerant and anti-gay legislation that a US Senator could put his mark on. Now the very condition that drives countless gay men and women into the closet, the bathroom stall or the hospital may have claimed Sen. Craig himself. That is not a cause for gloating. That is sad. Pathetic and sad.

No one can honestly say what Craig did or did not do. No one can know his real intentions. In the new, jacked-up reality of airport "security", maybe those cops in Minneapolis jumped the stall. But if Craig has the chance, especially now that his Republican colleagues have cut his throat, maybe he will experience a change of heart and realize that to be gay, whether he is or not, ought not be a shameful thing, let alone a crime, for anyone. Had he embraced at least that he might still be a Senator today.

Comments

[centralmnusa]

Bless me father...w­hat are you doing,fath­er?...If a male accepts fellatio from another male, that doesn't automatically mean he has been qualified as a "gay" man does it? Seems like it might if he was giving instead of receiving.

[Bluesman48]

When I saw the clip of Craig loudly pontificating "We now know Bill Clinton was a NASTY, naughty, naughty boy." my compassion drained away to zero. Craig, among his many sins, played a major role in the renewal of the mining act of 1872, whereby mining companies get to dig huge craters on public land while not paying a dime for the privilege and sticking the taxpayers with the bill for the cleanup.
One can also be sure that the incident at the airport was but the tip of a very large iceberg consisting of decades of bullying, intimidation and all around disgusting behavior, which I have no doubt included congressional pages. So no, I don't feel any sympathy for poor old Larry. We now know he is a NASTY, naughty naughty boy!
As to the solicitation aspect, some of you are missing the point of the arrest. Society has determined that it isn't a good thing for men and their young children to have to wait for a stall at an airport restroom while a couple of guys finish up doing whatever. That happened numerous times at the airport in question. First came the complaints by the public, then the forty or so arrests in the time period, of which Craig's was but one.

[Herbert]

The gay problem:
In a land where most people are right-handed, why do some people perversely choose to be left-handed ?

[Wisconsinjeff54]

Like many Right-Wing Extremists, Senator Craig is just another in a long line of hyprocrites who are in office.
When the American electorate falls for BUSH running as a "compassionate conservative," that's all one needs to know how naive we all are when electing politicians.
The thirty second soundbites are coming soon, and it's a tragedy that we select our Politicians based on who produces the most compelling, slick, yet untrue commercial.

[Hugo de Balsac]

we all make mistakes, but those of us with idealistic tendencies tend to make bigger mistakes than those of us who can't seem to even meet girls without scaring them out of their wits or getting nowhere fast. i am speaking from personal experience, mind you. i respect women and their unsolicited criticisms, anyhow.

by the way, you were great in The Cooler.

[Independent voter]

I believe that Alec is soaking wet on this post.

I don't care if Craig is gay and I don't care if he trolls for homosexual relations in airport toilets.

I am outraged at this man's hypocrisy. I'm sure that you have all seen the video of Craig calling Clinton a 'naughty boy'.

I'm glad that this weed got busted the way that he did. This is good karma. What goes around, comes around baby.

Craig is not the victim here. His wife may deserve some sympathy, but not Craig.

[ianrthorpe]

The most homophobic politician and the most homophobic preacher (Haggard) both turn out to have a liking for man on man action?

It only serves to remind us that in this world few things are ever what they seem to be.

http://greenteeth.blog.co.uk/2007/09/03/puff_the_magic_dragon_is_innocent~2917307

[janvoght]

GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOU ALEC....

[janvoght]

THIS HAS BEEN ANOTHER STRANGE AND ENLIGHTENING PUBLIC SCENARIO, WHICH BRINGS TO LIGHT MANY ISSUES WHICH THIS COUNTRY FACES, AND YET DENIES UNDER THE BLANKET OF POWER, CORRUPTION, AND CONTROL, OR LACK OF CONTROL IN THIS CASE.

[Petesdaddy]

I agree. But it is erroneous to say that only closeted homosexuals cruise the public restrooms. There are lots of out gay guys who do it, too.

[richardgordon]

I've got to admit I was pretty amazed when I read about, and heard about the story of Larry Craig. I mean, what exactly did he do that was criminal? Played footsie with an undercover cop? And to be honest the evidence of his "guilt" is so flimsy as to be non-existent. That's the problem with the American media. When its a slow news day they have a habit of manufacturing the news and destroying a man's reputation just for the sake of a news story.

But on the other hand, I can't help but feel that its ironic and fitting that it was Craig, a man who viciously attacked other people's reputations, that is caught in this venus fly trap of suspicion and innuendo.

Perhaps the Republicans will learn from this experience that destroying a man's reputation on the basis of innuendo and lies is not in societies best interest.

[AverageWhiteMan]

When its a slow news day they have a habit of manufacturing the news and destroying a man's reputation just for the sake of a news story.

A senator pleading guilty to a misdemeanor crime of lewdness or whatever it was is HUGE news.

What needed manufacturing ?

[AlfredNYC]

I have to disagree strongly Alex. There is nothing sad about a man who works hard to suppress those whom he identifies with. This is 2007 and closeted homosexuality seem to be a chronic disease in the conservative movement. The only cure is disclosure. The only victims of such a disease are those of us who are trying to live open an HONEST lives that do not harm anyone else. I can't have one ounce of sympathy for a hypocrite.

[trinibcn]

To all the obviously heterosexual men and women on this blog. As a gay man self-exiled in europe(just until Bush leaves)I want to say a great big Thank You for your super-intelligent comments on this issue. Most of all, we need your support more than other gay supporters I believe.Li­ke the reader above who still loves his gay daughter, real change and progress occurs when you; the intellingent thinking heteros stand up with us and say 'this guy/gal is my neighbour my friend my coworker. he/she has never tried to impose his/her lifestyle on me or my children, so enough of the verbal gay bashing.On the brighter side, the younger generation of Americans like most western Europeans dont understand what all the fuss is about.I live in Spain the most traditionally catholic of countries where gay marriage is allowed and guess what? It did'nt undermine the social fabric of the country and from what I can tell even the gays aren't all rushing to get married, so maybe we in the USA we just want it because of the stigma of not being equal to the rest of you all. Even in Rome the Italians are starting to reject the Vatican forcing its fake and hypocritical ideas on the masses while the priests prey on the innocent for their sexual outlet. Tell our politicians to stop wasting our time and money trying to opress gays when we have so many other pressing issues in this country.Yo­u bloggers make me again proud to be an American I can return home...Tha­nk You Much. This is the America I fell in love with as a child; a place of intelligent and compassionate people not sheep scared shitless by terrorists and fearmongering.

[dora rice]

are you soliciting for sex in Europe's bathrooms?
There in lies the difference. Most public european bathrooms have now a one man bathroom with a self wall flushing and toilett flushing apparatus. If two want to sqeeze in there, then my god go for it. If I can't spread out on a bed in a decent room, and have more to say then f me...I won't have sex. Gay or hetero. I am considering myself civilized.

[terramoto]

I also agree. The best thing is that this infighting and censure of Craig really exposes the Republican position and infighting for all to see. This has to be gratifying for us Democrats, Independents and the " on the fencers".

[ScapeGoat]

I think that Senator Craig is guilty of public lewd behavior. This is not the first time he has had a problem with sexual behavior. I also think that he is bisexual. A gay man only has sex with men, a straight man only has sex with a women and a bisexual has sex with both. Kinsey also noted that some people while primarilly heterosexual will also engage in homosexual sex.