Breaking: GOP Larry Craig Pleads Guilty to Disorderly Contact

by Jonathan Singer, Mon Aug 27, 2007 at 01:14:20 PM EDT

This could throw a wrench in Republican Larry Craig's hopes at winning another term representing Idaho in the United States Senate (subscription required):

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.
[...]
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.

At some point, all of this news of sexual improprieties on the part of Republican Senators is going to have to have a depressing effect on efforts next year to get social conservative voters to the polls -- particularly if the GOP nominates someone like Rudy Giuliani, whose record on these things leaves, um, some folks wanting.

Democrats have a candidate in the race, former Congressman Larry LaRocco. If you want to help out his campaign, head on over to ActBlue.

Tags: id-sen, Idaho, Larry Craig, Senate 2008 (all tags)

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Pleads Guilty to Disorderly Contact

Isn't Craig the Senator that was "outed" earlier this year by a gossip blogger?

by Vox Populi 2007-08-27 01:18PM | 0 recs

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Re: Pleads Guilty to Disorderly Contact

Yes, at a site called "Blogactive" over a year ago. The funny thing is, the outing involved alleged oral sex on another man in a DC-area men's restroom.

I hope this is a lesson to those on the closet realize that your sexually cannot be bottled up forever. It's bound to come out and this happened to Larry Craig. The urge was so strong that, even when outed previously, allegedly engaged in the very same behavior in Minneapolis.

by jgarcia 2007-08-27 01:21PM | 0 recs

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Re: Pleads Guilty to Disorderly Contact

Is anyone else just slightly disgusted by the idea of Larry Craig giving ANYONE oral sex?

by Vox Populi 2007-08-27 01:27PM | 0 recs

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Re: Pleads Guilty to Disorderly Contact

shrug... old guy, no teeth....

What disgusts me is that we have a country where people, even powerful people, feel obligated to hustle for anonymous sex in restrooms because society shames them out of living their lifestyle in public. It's not right and hopefully in the future the thought of remaining "closeted" will be considered nothing but an anachronism.

by Steve M 2007-08-27 01:29PM | 0 recs

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Re: Pleads Guilty to Disorderly Contact

I don't know how accurate this is... I know plenty of young, "out" people who like the thrill of anonymous sex in public places.

by Vox Populi 2007-08-27 01:43PM | 0 recs

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Re: Pleads Guilty to Disorderly Contact

Fell Obligated? Like Barney Frank feels obligated?

Only a Republican hypocrite would feel obligated to hide and denounce his own.

by antiHyde 2007-08-27 03:06PM | 0 recs

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Re: Pleads Guilty to Disorderly Contact

So in your opinion, only Republicans feel like they have to stay in the closet? I don't agree.

by Steve M 2007-08-27 04:29PM | 0 recs

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Re: Pleads Guilty to Disorderly Contact

Not as much as the idea of him RECEIVING it...
shudder...

Wow, just get a hooker; why risk arrest fucking a stranger in a bathroom

by yitbos96bb 2007-08-27 01:35PM | 0 recs

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Re: Pleads Guilty to Disorderly Contact

yes- hate to be age phobic- but eww.

by bruh21 2007-08-27 01:56PM | 0 recs

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Guilty to Disorderly Contact

Oh, and my bet is we'll be hearing about his retirement soon enough.

by Vox Populi 2007-08-27 01:18PM | 0 recs

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GOP: Group of Perverts

You would think, by now, that the RNC would issue pants with locking zippers for the morally challenged pervs who represent the moral values voters of America.

by dataguy 2007-08-27 01:22PM | 0 recs

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No way the corporate media will

report on this. Larry Craig is a Republican and those are immune from the harsh lights of the media.

Just imagine if he was a Democrat. It would be front page news for a week.

by Populism2008 2007-08-27 01:24PM | 0 recs

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Re: No way the corporate media will

If he was a Democrat, he wouldn't have to be closeted....and resort to repressed and inappropriate behavior in public restrooms...because the party he belongs to doesn't need to pander to homophobes and sex police.

by nanorich 2007-08-27 01:29PM | 0 recs

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Re: Breaking: GOP Larry Craig Pleads Guilty to

Let's hold our breath... wait... no...

HA!

Nothing cracks me up more than anti-gay Gay Republicans.

by KainIIIC 2007-08-27 01:25PM | 0 recs

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Re: Breaking: GOP Larry Craig Pleads Guilty to Dis

The media bloodhouds must have been asleep at the switch on this one, considering he was arrested a full two months ago.

Interesting how we're kept fully updated on what color of nail polish Paris Hilton is wearing today, but we have no idea when a US Senator gets arrested.

by Steve M 2007-08-27 01:28PM | 0 recs

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Re: Breaking: GOP Larry Craig Pleads Guilty to Dis

Not only did he get arrested...HE PLED GUILTY (to disorderly conduct).

by DaveB 2007-08-27 01:45PM | 0 recs

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Re: Breaking: GOP Larry Craig Pleads Guilty to Dis

Yes, but my point was that we're only hearing about this now because he pleaded guilty. The actual arrest was two months ago, but the media completely missed it.

by Steve M 2007-08-27 02:07PM | 0 recs

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Re: Breaking: GOP Larry Craig Pleads Guilty to Dis

You forgot the part where he showed the cops his "business card" and said "What do you think about that?"

Man this is a carbon copy of Bob Allen. Except the racism excuse...

by DaveB 2007-08-27 01:43PM | 0 recs

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I kinda feel sorry for him in a way.

The closet makes life hell for these guys. This is exhibit number one on why gay men urge our peers to get out of the hell of the closet. Although, the sympathy ends at his homophobic voting record.

Haha, at least he was smart enough to engage in this behavior in a blue state where he was not charged with a felony and as a sex offender. In Idaho, Arizona, Texas, and almost all the other red states, he'd be on lifetime probation and have to register as a sex offender. All because he needed an outlet as a closeted gay man and that closet in encourages by GOP policies.

Any gay person who is a Republican ought to be sooo ashamed of themselves.

by jgarcia 2007-08-27 01:46PM | 0 recs

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Re: I kinda feel sorry for him in a way.

I don't. Larry Craig is an adult, and he should be able to own up to his sexuality. He did this in a public place - that's disgusting and illegal.

by cilerder86 2007-08-27 01:49PM | 0 recs

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Re: I kinda feel sorry for him in a way.

I said, "kinda", so, yeah, I agree and don't feel sorry for him. Perhaps he should have just hired Jeff Gannon and left it at that.

btw, wasn't he one of those singing senators? I wonder if he and Lott and Ashcroft ever engaged in the homosex? Just kidding, lol.

by jgarcia 2007-08-27 01:54PM | 0 recs

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Prediction for Idaho Senator

My prediction; Senator Craig probably will not seek re-election in 2008, but Idaho is so red that a Republican stand-in will most likely skate to victory.
However the current minority leader in the Idaho Senate is a Mr. W. Clinton "Clint" Stennett, and he is also president of E-da-Ha Inc., which owns 3 television stations in Idaho.
State Senate Minority Leader Stennett turned down a chance to run for the open Idaho Governor's office in 2006, but I wonder if he would be interested in running for Craig's Senate seat, if Craig chooses not to run again now that his "outing" has been made nationally public in a rather humiliating fashion.
If Stennett does choose to run, how much of a chance does he have?

by fetboy 2007-08-27 03:04PM | 0 recs

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Re: Prediction for Idaho Senator

Why would Stennett get in, with Larry LaRocco already announced as a challenger?

Either way, LaRocco or Stennett do not have much of a chance.

With Rep. Mike Simpson announcing earlier he's running for re-election and has no interest in running for the Senate, the likely GOP nominee if Craig retires would be Jim Risch.

Risch is the current Lt. Governor, and in an odd quirk, is actually a former Governor, who stepped up to the post after then-Gov. Dirk Kempthorne was tapped to become Interior Secretary in the Bush Cabinent. Risch then ran for Lt. Governor, winning in 2006 and returning to his previous position. I can't think of another instance when a sitting Governor was actively campaigning to become the Lt. Governor.

As for electoral chances, since LaRocco is going to be the nominee, how would a match-up against Risch look? The best way to approach such a hypothetical match-up is to look at the 2006 Lt. Governor's race, when Risch faced, you guessed it, Larry LaRocco. Risch handidly defeated the former Congressman 58%-39%.

by Unabridged 2007-08-27 04:22PM | 0 recs

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Re: Prediction for Idaho Senator

Thanks for update Unabridged. As you can tell I know absolutely nothing about Idaho politics other than what I read on Wikipedia.
It sounds like you support my prediction; that a Republican stand-in will skate to victory if Senator Craig decides not to run. Is it possible that Idaho could at least be brought to the color purple? Or is just too red, like NJ was too blue for the Repubicans to capitalize on Jim McGreevey's resignation?
In any case, don't you think Stennett would give Risch a better challenge than LoRocco would?

by fetboy 2007-08-27 05:15PM | 0 recs

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Re: Prediction for Idaho Senator

New Jersey, no matter which party you belong to, was fortunate to have Dick Codey in office after McGreevey.

Yes, I think its extremely likely that this does not shake up the race terribly much, and that the seat is still a strong GOP hold.

I don't know much about Stennett, so I can't say with any degree of certainty who would present a stronger challenge. I do think it is unlikely that he gets involved, though. Larry LaRocco is a former Congressman, and has been campaigning actively for this election for close to a year. Given the shape of the Democratic Party in Idaho, I imagine he will not be challenged for the nomination, no matter what happens to Sen. Craig.

Given Stennett's resume, if he lives in the district, he may be a strong candidate to challenge freshman Bill Sali in the 1st district. That would also be a far more winnable race.

by Unabridged 2007-08-27 06:31PM | 0 recs

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Re: Prediction for Idaho Senator

I would give more credit to the Democratic party in New Jersey, but yeah Dick Codey is a class A statesman, and NJ in lucky to have him.
What can we do to strengthen the Democratic party in Idaho?
Obviously the work to make Idaho bluer needs to start from the bottom, and that means gaining seats in the state legislature, so maybe it's better if Stennett stays as Minority Party Leader, and works to make his title Majority Party Leader. Often we probably overlook the importance of the local politics. After all it's guys like Stennett who eventually get to the hill in DC, but they aint going to get there unless they generate success at the local level.
Barack Obama is a good example of a local guy who made it to the hill, and now he's poised to possibly take the white house.
Whether he stays in the Idaho Senate or replaces Bill Sali, I like Stennett, just from what I read about him on Wikipedia.org.
Larry LaRocco, well he's got his work cut for him, and I'll keep tabs on him.
In any case Idaho has just became a lot more interesting, and I'm eager to see what happens.

by fetboy 2007-08-27 11:53PM | 0 recs

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Re: Breaking: GOP Larry Craig Pleads Guilty to Dis

Apparently the Republican Party is now only 600 years behind the times on the issue of sanctioning gay unions ...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/2007 0827/sc_livescience/gayunionssanctionedi nmedievaleurope

by silver spring 2007-08-27 07:25PM | 0 recs

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ABC had the best coverage

All the gory details of what went down in the bathroom. How the guy can show his face at work, or at home is beyond me. Man oh man, the shame.

I can't see how he can make it through his term. No that it matter. Idaho has a Republican Gov., still it is great fodder to take on the GOP from coast to coast. Throw in Diaper Dave Vitter and Mark Foley and you have quite the horney cast of perverts in the GOP.

by dpANDREWS 2007-08-28 07:56AM | 0 recs