Slog - Comments on Sen. Craig: Undercover Officer "Misconstrued" My Actions http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue Via TalkingPointsMemo... "At the time of this incident, I complained to the police that they were misconstruing my actions. 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." What were those actions again, the ones the officer misconstrued? “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.... “At 1216 hours, Craig tapped... Copyright 2008 Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:17:44 -0800 Tue, 28 Aug 2007 12:19:55 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Carollani What? Doesn't everyone do that?

]]> Carollani http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791515 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791515 Politics Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:35:10 -0800 Comment by yikes nasty. i don't mind a little restroom love, but with him...yikes.
the undercover officer probably needs therapy.
i worked on cap hill for a few years and it was always the joke that he cruised the union station boy's room. i could never get any action there, but apparently he fared well!

]]> yikes http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791521 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791521 Politics Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:44:26 -0800 Comment by Blaire So he plead guilty to a crime he claims he didnt commit?

]]> Blaire http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791523 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791523 Politics Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:45:36 -0800 Comment by laterite Ah ha ha ha...seeing Idaho politicians get their comeuppance is such a delightful experience! Now someone just needs to find dirt on Butch Otter and Dirk Kempthorne.


Though I do wish I had never read the following sentence:


"Craig stated “that he has a wide stance when going to the bathroom...""

]]> laterite http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791540 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791540 Politics Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:59:25 -0800 Comment by Carollani This just in: Larry Craig is Mormon. Heh. I think that's hilarious.

]]> Carollani http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791544 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791544 Politics Mon, 27 Aug 2007 17:00:50 -0800 Comment by Mahtli69 @4 - Isn't a wide stance is typical of a power bottom?

]]> Mahtli69 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791553 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791553 Politics Mon, 27 Aug 2007 17:05:54 -0800 Comment by chris Plagiarising this comment from another blog: Republicans: For a party with such a small tent, they sure have a big closet. Still laughing at that.

]]> chris http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791562 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791562 Politics Mon, 27 Aug 2007 17:10:23 -0800 Comment by mr. ryan (@6) there's the word(s) power bottom again! hahaha

]]> mr. ryan http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791568 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791568 Politics Mon, 27 Aug 2007 17:24:17 -0800 Comment by Fnarf So, he's got a wide stance, and he's "handling the matter", and he's playing with a cop's foot. Look, that john is full of people who've just endured long airplane flights. HAVE A LITTLE MERCY.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791569 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791569 Politics Mon, 27 Aug 2007 17:27:56 -0800 Comment by catalina vel-duray It's Just that one of those good, old-fashioned hymns (the ones that you LIBERALS would outlaw, with your thought police) was going through his head as he took care of his business.

Could he help it if he was set upon by a secular humanist cop? Everyone knows that about the liberal law enforcement establishment.

]]> catalina vel-duray http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791628 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791628 Politics Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:12:20 -0800 Comment by catalina vel-duray oops, sorry - I meant to say one of those good, old-fashioned TOE TAPPING hymns. Like "Faith of our Fathers" or "Onward, Christian Soldiers". When those pop in your head, your feet Just can sit still.

]]> catalina vel-duray http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791630 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791630 Politics Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:14:34 -0800 Comment by flamingbanjo The "misconstrued" defense reminds me of this.

]]> flamingbanjo http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791636 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791636 Politics Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:33:01 -0800 Comment by Midwaypete New slogan for the GOP: We support Larry Craig, not Larry and Craig.

]]> Midwaypete http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791664 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791664 Politics Mon, 27 Aug 2007 20:32:03 -0800 Comment by mirror just cracked up reading Drudge right now... he's leading with several catchy headlines: "brokeback bathroom..." "craig's list..." and my fave, "his own private idaho"

]]> mirror http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791665 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791665 Politics Mon, 27 Aug 2007 20:34:07 -0800 Comment by Dave Coffman Sounds like handling yourself quickly and expeditiously while changing planes at MSP gets you into very big trouble.

]]> Dave Coffman http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791823 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791823 Politics Tue, 28 Aug 2007 02:12:22 -0800 Comment by Marc I want to say the same thing here which I said in the comments of the TPM-piece Dan has linked to above:

Leaving aside all the political fallout of this incident, all the Republican/Democrat bickering that is sure to follow - am I the only one concerned abou the fact that the actions as described by this officer are sufficient reason to ARREST someone?

I find this deeply troubling and disturbing. If someone tries playing footsie in the bathroom to indicate his interest in maybe going further... well, as peculiar as I might find this, the only thing REPULSIVE about this is that this should constitute a criminal offense.

Now, it's different if an officer catches someone "in flagrante delicto" in a public bathroom - okay, I understand that he has to act on this... (still, I'd be curious as to whether a hetero couple would face the same recriminationas as a gay couple).
But, again, what this officer describes in the TPM piece should NEVER, in any sane society, be sufficient reason to f@%&ing ARREST someone!!

]]> Marc http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791885 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791885 Politics Tue, 28 Aug 2007 04:12:10 -0800 Comment by Alphonse @16, I hear you Marc. It doesn't seem like this was grounds for arrest. Actually, if this had just been some homo without any hateful right-wing political power who was arrested under the same circumstances, it would be an outrage. I agree with you, but I'm too thrilled to see another hateful right-wing politically powerful Republican turn out to be a cock-loving hypocrite. Stories like this, which seem to be coming in droves, discredit the anti-gay political movement. That's what I keep focusing on, although I do recognize the injustice.

]]> Alphonse http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791991 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c791991 Politics Tue, 28 Aug 2007 07:49:56 -0800 Comment by Toby If I recall correctly, he offered $20 to perform oral sex... that's solicitation, which is a little more than playing footsie in a bathroom stall.

Perhaps exchanging money for sex acts shouldn't be illegal (I don't have a problem with that, personally), but my point is this: he wasn't arrested because he's gay, or bi, or whatever he is.

]]> Toby http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c792011 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c792011 Politics Tue, 28 Aug 2007 08:14:31 -0800 Comment by infrequent wrong story toby... this is yet another case...

]]> infrequent http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c792068 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c792068 Politics Tue, 28 Aug 2007 09:38:42 -0800 Comment by It's Mark Mitchell @17 My sentiments exactly.

]]> It's Mark Mitchell http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c792075 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c792075 Politics Tue, 28 Aug 2007 09:41:46 -0800 Comment by michael strangeways This is sooooooo funny; it is EXACTLY like a character/situation from the third season/series of "Little Britain"...I know there are fans of that show on here, and I know you know who I mean....the politician who has the press conferences in front of his manor house trying to worm his way out of situations exactly like this one....

Brilliant.

]]> michael strangeways http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c792165 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c792165 Politics Tue, 28 Aug 2007 11:25:46 -0800 Comment by Algernon Hate to say anything for Craig, but there's not a helluva lot here:

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/docs/craig-arrest-doc/?resultpage=1&

]]> Algernon http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c792181 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c792181 Politics Tue, 28 Aug 2007 11:43:01 -0800 Comment by Fnarf Soliciting for sex in a public toilet isn't "a helluva lot"? For a US Senator? A rabidly anti-gay US Senator with a 100% rating from the Christian Coalition?

Au contraire. It's an early Christmas present is what it is.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c792224 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c792224 Politics Tue, 28 Aug 2007 12:16:00 -0800 Comment by andy niable boy does this story have, er, legs--an agog heterosexual news anchor on NPR's Day To Day just interviewed someone from the Kinsey Institute about the particulars of Tea Room Trade. Heelarious.

Please, someone write a tap-dance musical about this affair.

]]> andy niable http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c792231 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/sen_craig_undercover_officer_misconstrue#c792231 Politics Tue, 28 Aug 2007 12:19:55 -0800