Craig pleaded guilty to engaging in lewd behavior in a restroom. The part that bothers me is that he thought that his position as a United States Senator would somehow insulate him from criminal liability. That's most galling. I'd say that his career is done, and if he has the interests of the GOP at heart, he'd refuse not to run for reelection in 2008.
Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) "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.The GOP appears to have learned its lesson in dealing with sexual misconduct among its members - a lesson learned the hard way after the Mark Foley incident last year.
"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,' and said the office would release a fuller statement later Monday afternoon."
The GOP isn't taking any chances here. He was a member of Mitt Romney's campaign committee - he left that post earlier today (boot prints not included).
Craig says that this was all a misunderstanding. Right.
The sooner the scumbags can be purged from Congress, the better for everyone. It doesn't matter the party, but you know that the media will be sure to provide that detail prominently depending on which party is involved. And be assured that there are other sleazy characters on both sides of the aisle who are engaging in illicit behaviors or are taking advantage of their powerful positions to enrich themselves and their friends.
As for this affecting the outcome of the 2008 elections, I don't think it will have much effect because it happened so early in the process. Craig's candidacy may be toast, but if the Idaho governor can find a suitable replacement, the GOP may escape with the seat. It's not a given, but it does make the GOP's task that much more difficult.
Others blogging: Captain Ed, Jammie, Blogs of War, Sister Toldjah.
UPDATE:
And leave it to Jeff Goldstein to swing a cluebat on the media coverage, and the critique of the media coverage. There are problems with the way the media covers political scandals - there is a selectivity in the way news stories are generated and how political affiliations are reported.
Hugh Hewitt calls for Craig's head on a platter. I don't see that happening.
Gateway Pundit notes that there has been a pattern to Craig's behavior over the years - and all of it isn't that good.
UPDATE:
Craig entered a plea of guilty to a charge of disorderly conduct, paid a fine, and got a year of probation. No jail time.
No comments:
Post a Comment