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Monday, August 27, 2007

The Gentleman from Idablow

posted by on August 27 at 14:32 PM

senatecraigimage.jpg

Atrios is quoting from Roll Call, which I can’t get to load… he he… load

Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) was arrested in June at a Minnesota airport by a plainclothes police officer investigating lewd conduct complaints in a men’s public restroom, according to an arrest report obtained by Roll Call Monday afternoon.

Craig’s arrest occurred just after noon on June 11 at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. On Aug. 8, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct in the Hennepin County District Court. He paid more than $500 in fines and fees, and a 10-day jail sentence was stayed. He also was given one year of probation with the court that began on Aug. 8.

A spokesman for Craig described the incident as a “he said/he said misunderstanding”

Hm… I’ve dragged my ass through that airport about a hundred thousand times—hell, I’m a regular at one of the bars (hey, Mindy!)—and I’ve never been arrested after a he said/he said misunderstanding in a toilet. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten into a conversation in a toilet in Minneapolis—or anywhere else—that could possibly be misconstrued by anyone, much less an undercover officer. Because I don’t talk to strange men in toilets. Because I’m not a fucked-up, closeted, conflicted Republican pervert.

I also don’t have a 100% rating from the Christian Coalition, like Sen. Craig does.

Here’s a little more from Roll Call about how that “misunderstanding” went down…

According to the incident report, Sgt. Dave Karsnia was working as a plainclothes officer on June 11 investigating civilian complaints regarding sexual activity in the men’s public restroom in which Craig was arrested

Airport police previously had made numerous arrests in the men’s restroom of the Northstar Crossing in the Lindbergh Terminal in connection with sexual activity.
Karsnia entered the bathroom at noon that day and about 13 minutes after taking a seat in a stall, he stated he could see “an older white male with grey hair standing outside my stall.”

The man, who lingered in front of the stall for two minutes, was later identified as Craig.

“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. Craig would repeat this cycle for about two minutes,” the report states.

Craig then entered the stall next to Karsnia’s and placed his roller bag against the front of the stall door….

“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,” the report states.

Craig then proceeded to swipe his hand under the stall divider several times, and Karsnia noted in his report that “I could … see Craig had a gold ring on his ring finger as his hand was on my side of the stall divider.”

Karsnia then held his police identification down by the floor so that 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.”

Do the good people of Idaho know that one of their two U.S. senators is currently on probation? For cruising restrooms in liberal cities? My God, he could have accidentally blown a liberal Democrat!

It seems to me that with this revelation about Craig—he pleaded guilty, he’s on freakin’ probation—that anyone who votes against gay rights measures, or opposes them, or rants and raves in public about the lavender menace, and gets a high score from the right-wing Christian bigots, should be presumed to be a toilet-cruising, knob-gobbling, deeply-closeted FAGGOT until proven otherwise.

RSS icon Comments

1

i'm corn-fused (and i can't get roll call to load eaither). am i to understand you can be arrested for playing footsie in a restroom? is this disorderly conduct? i'm all for outing the fucked-up, closeted, conflicted Republican perverts, but i'm not sure this activity is deserving of arrest...

Posted by phillyjen | August 27, 2007 2:39 PM
2

What is it about Republicants and Red Bushies that they talk talk talk so much about how other people are sinners while they are the worst Liars Pedophiles Cowards Apostates and Felons there are?

Only those who hate America would join such a failed group.

Posted by Will in Seattle | August 27, 2007 2:45 PM
3

At least he did not offer the officer $20.00 to give the cop a blow job like the guy in Florida did.

Posted by Stephanie Miller Fan | August 27, 2007 2:58 PM
4

Why (especially in this post-9/11 environment) would you cruise in a public restroom at an airport? Not only are these Republican perverts totally creepy, they're complete morons too. It's almost as if they want to get caught ... hmmm.

Posted by chris | August 27, 2007 3:02 PM
5

Also, meant to post this about, but this pretty much confirms the rumors that were put out last October that Sen. Craig was a notorious cruiser in the restrooms at Union Station.

Posted by chris | August 27, 2007 3:06 PM
6

Even the Christian bloggers are picking up on this.

By far the best part of the above is the author - one David Neff referring to DS as a "Haggard-baiting lust columnist".

Lust columnist. Me like.

Posted by Alex Churchill | August 27, 2007 3:24 PM
7

@1 yeah, like, wha? illegal? okay.

Posted by infrequent | August 27, 2007 3:24 PM
8

Tikkun Olum and our obligation to Tzedakah is well served by exposing these Christian idiots.


Conservative Jews simply are never sex offenders. Something about Judaism makes people righteous. It's only the conservative, Christians who are perverted by their toxic religion become creeps.


Jews, even the most religious Jews are never like this.

Posted by Issur | August 27, 2007 3:35 PM
9

Ooops. My comment is about the Haggard thing. So many Republican gay baiting cocksuckers so little time.

Posted by Alex Churchill | August 27, 2007 3:39 PM
10
Posted by chris | August 27, 2007 3:44 PM
11

This?

"So many Republican gay baiting cocksuckers so little time."

Is classic! Thanks for the laugh Alex!

Posted by D | August 27, 2007 3:53 PM
12

Since when is toe tapping and finger wagging against the law? What is this country coming to? It's not like he offered money or anything! And since there a law against trying to pick someone up? If that were true, then half the guys in bars would be arrested!!!

Posted by Nick | August 27, 2007 4:53 PM
13

The cycle continues…

• Closeted homosexual politicians join the Republican party (whose gay sector is likely one of the most well-fortified closets available in the USA), where they absorb and espouse bigoted fundamentalist values;

• Still unable to control their urges (just as few humans can be expected to), they resort to any number of shady, non-family-friendly means of fulfilling the need, often without regard for the feelings of those on the other end;

• "Obviously," says the gay-ignorant public, "homosexual politicians are all shady, hypocritical perverts — thank God we're voting for people totally unlike that!"

The tricky part will be to find the wedge — some appealing candidate or well-articulated philosophy — that can break through this and convince people that if you vote for a happy, well-adjusted homosexual, with his smiling husband (or her smiling wife) and their smiling adopted kids, he (or she) will not have *any reason* to attend anonymous meth orgies or otherwise embarrass and betray the constituency.

Posted by Lenoxus | August 27, 2007 5:08 PM
14

maybe if he worked out more.

Posted by konstantConsumer | August 27, 2007 7:54 PM
15

@1 - it seems to me that he could've probably beaten the charges, but, well, he didn't. And let's face it ... regardless of its legality, we all know what his little game of footsie was really all about, and it's still pretty damn embarrassing for him.

Posted by tsm | August 27, 2007 10:15 PM
16

@13- the answer is simple: Barney Frank

The problem comes that closet cases don't want respectable role models, because respectable role models make them feel like the repressed pathetic tool-bags they are.

It's better to have a tragic homo stereotype as opposition, as it fortifies the closet... and ironic then, that inevitably they become said stereotype.

Posted by UNPAID BLOGGER | August 28, 2007 1:48 AM
17

Larry Craig should not fly Northwest Airlines anymore. At least he needs to stay off my flights to Milwaukee.

Posted by Dave Coffman | August 28, 2007 1:52 AM
18

The New Jersey governer aside, it seems you hear a lot more about Republican hypocrits going down in flames more than democratic ones. Why is that?

Is it because the stories are just too savory?

Posted by OR Matt | August 28, 2007 9:49 AM
19

Then again, maybe he truely does believe in family conservative values. Isn't that what homosexuals did back in the old days? Self loathing, closeted hyprocrits, who engage in self-destructive means to satisify their natural albeit evil urges.

He still gets the 100% rating from the Christian Coolition.

Posted by OR Matt | August 28, 2007 9:52 AM
20

This part bugs me.

The man, who lingered in front of the stall for two minutes, was later identified as Craig.

“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. Craig would repeat this cycle for about two minutes,” the report states.

Can't a guy get a little privacy after a long flight? What a jackass. I say arrest him for spying on men taking a dump.

Posted by keshmeshi | August 28, 2007 10:32 AM

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