WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2007
Sen. Craig: I Was Wrong To Keep This Quiet
Idaho Republican Insists He Did No Wrong, And, Is Not Gay; Ethics Panel Asked To Investigate
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Play CBS Video Video Sen. Craig: I'm Not Gay
Idaho Sen. Larry Craig told a news conference that he shouldn't have pleaded guilty to charges of public lewdness and denied again that he is gay. Sharyl Attkisson reports.
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Video First Look: Larry Craig
Sharyl Attkisson previews tonight's "Evening News" story on Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, who is trying to clear his name after pleading guilty earlier this month to charges of lewd conduct.
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Idaho's Republican Senator Larry Craig speaks to the media on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2007, in Boise, Idaho. (AP)
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Sen. Larry Craig, a three-term Republican who has represented Idaho in Congress for more than a quarter-century, is up for re-election next year. He has not said if he will run for a fourth term in 2008 and was expected to announce his plans this fall. (AP)
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Photos released by the Metropolitan Airports Commission Police Department show Sen. Larry Craig, R-ID., taken at the time of his arrest June 11, 2007 at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. (AP/via M. A. C Police Department)
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"I did nothing wrong at the Minneapolis airport," he said at a news conference with his wife, Suzanne, at his side.
Craig's defiant news conference came as Senate Republican leaders in Washington called for an ethics committee review into his involvement in a police sting operation this summer in the airport men's room.
Craig is the first sitting U.S. Senator in recent memory to have his own mug shot, reports CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson.
"In the meantime, the leadership is examining other aspects of the case to see if additional action is required," Sen. Mitch McConnell and other top GOP lawmakers said in a written statement obtained by The Associated Press.
Earlier, the private group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics filed a complaint with the ethics committee seeking an investigation into whether Craig violated Senate rules by engaging in disorderly conduct.
Republican leaders also are "examining other aspects of the case to see if additional action is required," Sen. Mitch McConnell and other top GOP lawmakers said in a written statement obtained by The Associated Press.
They released the statement shortly before Craig's scheduled appearance before television cameras in Boise, his first public comment since confirming his guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct.
Craig entered his plea several weeks after an undercover police officer in the Minneapolis arrested him and filed a complaint that said the three-term senator had engaged in actions "often used by persons communicating a desire to engage in sexual conduct."
Police Report On Bathroom Arrest of Sen. Larry Craig
The bathroom incident in the Minneapolis airport occurred on June 11. Craig signed his plea papers on Aug. 1, and word of the events surfaced on Monday. The senator issued a statement Monday night that said, "In hindsight, I should have pled not guilty."
The statement by McConnell and other members of the GOP leadership was brief - and contained no words of support for their veteran colleague.
"This is a serious matter. Due to the reported and disputed circumstances, and the legal resolution of this serious case, we will recommend that Senator Craig's incident be reported to the Senate Ethics Committee for its review," they said.
The statement did not specify what other actions might be under consideration.
The married Craig, 62, has faced rumors about his sexuality since the 1980s, but allegations that he has engaged in gay sex have never been substantiated. Craig has denied the assertions, which he calls ridiculous.
Back in 1982, CBS News broke stories on a Congressional page sex scandal. The story didn't implicate Craig, or any other member of Congress by name, but Craig was the only one to issue an immediate denial, reports Attkisson .
Twenty-five years later he's in the same boat. Tuesday he said his only transgression was keeping the arrest to himself.
The arrest changes that dynamic, said Jasper LiCalzi, a political science professor at Albertson College of Idaho in Caldwell, Idaho. He cited the House page scandal that drove Florida Rep. Mark Foley from office.
"There's a chance that he'll resign over this," LiCalzi said. "With the pressure on the Republican Party, he could be pressured to resign. If they think this is going to be something that's the same as Mark Foley - the sort of 'drip, drip, drip, there's more information that's going to come out' - they may try to push him out."
Already Craig has stepped down from a prominent role with Mitt Romney's presidential campaign. He had been one of Romney's top Senate supporters, serving as a Senate liaison for the campaign since February.
"He did not want to be a distraction and we accept his decision," said Matt Rhoades, a Romney campaign spokesman.
According to a Hennepin County, Minn., court docket, Craig pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct charge on Aug. 8, with the court dismissing a charge of gross misdemeanor interference to privacy.
The court docket said Craig paid $575 in fines and fees and was put on unsupervised probation for a year. A sentence of 10 days in the county workhouse was stayed.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 890 Comments'' ... try not to dance porno get sick tax world get well feed world songs rallied round the sick beds drifting tens millions spore bloom weed dragon trail fickle first aid lunch farm cottage studio trail groups ... ''
'' ... they were five, the twelve year old men and women were screaming we dare you to stay off drugs we dare you to stay off drugs, the parents and teachers and police laughing kids will be kids kids will be kids, and the journalists screeching no lusty naked kids in the news room no lusty naked kids in the news room ... and a twenty eight billion year old bunch of dragons through some of the girls from a great height and they crashed into a patch of weeds soft and gentle and broke all their bones, but weed goos permeated like some exo immune and kept them alife for surgeons to piece them together again ... and they''ve since sprouted wings and gills and tails of such of their own ... ''
when my computer breaks, beating it doesn''''t tend to help, so i ordered a more biological calculatot, fresh from the egg: a huvan version 2.007, and the more i criticize it: the more well it performs
I always sit on toilet this way!
I have get out of jail business card!
I need representation. Gonzo will be out of work!
Defense of "I don''t recall"!
Pary of family values, Indeed!
What would a republican "GOD" do?
**I''m guessing he goes around looking for gay s#x
Hell ... Bill Clinton groped Kathleen Willy and HER name was dragged through the mud. What do you think he was doing checking her cup size?
Posted by katg21 at 08:08 AM : Aug 28, 2007
So now it is the Democrat''s fault for this guy''s behaviour. Yeah, right !!!
Just put on the blue dress and go to the Oval Office - the Shrub wants to pollinate !!
Posted by katg21 at 08:08 AM : Aug 28, 2007
Wake up katg21! This is not the politics of personal destruction. This is the politics of self destructrution! Senator Craig, did what he did and got busted for it. Then he tried to slip the whole thing under the table by quietly copping a plea to disorderly conduct. Why point the blame anywhere else?
BTW, the term "politics of personal destruction" was coined by the Democrats to describe the practices of the Republicans during the Clinton years. Unfortunately, the Republicans like it so much that they even use it on their own. Witness what the Bushies did to McCain during the primaries.
Posted by parrot2 at 08:18 AM : Aug 28, 2007
I don''t deny anything, unlike you lefty wackos! All I''m sayin is that there is a double standard in Washington. You automatically call a republican guilty before any of the facts are out and democrats get a pass on everything. Congressman Jefferson is just one exampe, if he were a republican he''d be long gone with his reputation in the mud. Instead, you all rally behind him, he gets re-elected and now the story is burried.
Its an evil cabal. All white people sit around wondering how we can get the black male ... (here is a view behind enemy lines) bwahahaha. I know we can convince black men that education is for white folks .... oh wait that one is taken .... I''ve got it!! We can convince black males to solve there problem with guns ... what was that Jasper, that one is take too?! Oh well, I guess we can just watch tennis. It wasn''t the best meeting I have to admit.
Ah yes, another "family values" Republican. I wonder where he stands on gay marriage?
Posted by CADmanTWO at 08:35 AM : Aug 28, 2007
You''re a brainwashed fool! Feel sorry for you.
It probably would because when Repubs get caught being gay, they are usually the ones voting against gay marriage and hate crime legislation and therefore are hipocrites, which is something people despise. Dems, on the other hand, since they are usually for those things, aren''t being hipocrites and get off lighter. Understand now? Or are you just goona whine some more about how you poor Repubs are just such victims?
Your theory about a double standard has no factual basis to back it up. Ted Stevens and John Vitter aren''t gone. Jefferson hasn''t been re-elected.
Craig and the others mentioned may not be guilty and deserve a presumption of innocence until proven so; time will tell if the blue dress fits others.
You say that democrats deny everything but no democrats are thunbing their noses at legal subpoenas then whining about being dragged through the mud. The truth is, they created the mud and are dragging us through it and their stonewalling is dragging out the agony for everyone.
I know I cast a broad swath with my remarks, but so did you and I''m just responding to your broad allegation.
- Posted by katg21
Oh, you mean the partisan *** that the Repugnicons shilled out during their witch hunt on Clinton? You mean the $80 million in taxpayers dollars they spent with THEIR investigation???
What goes around, comes around...you neocons just can''t handle a little taste of your own medicine, can you?
Why don''t you go blog somewhere else about how children shouldn''t receive health care...
Wrong (again). First of all, all you neocons do is deny. Deny Gonzales shenanigans, deny Rove is a CIA-leaking traitor, Libby just has a bad memory. No Repub ever does wrong in your eyes, they are all just victims. On the other hand, few Dems outside his district are rallying behind Jefferson. Ask his district voters why he got elected, that''s their problem. By the way, DeLay got caught far earlier than Jefferson and we are still waiting for his trial. So no double standard, nice try.
Actually, I think he did, winning his seat in 2006 even thought the charges (cash in the freezer) were known. But politics in New Orleans is pretty f*cked up to begin with.
It''s comforting to know that we have so many "family values" Republicans of high moral standing like Craig running our country.
It''s Larry Craig, the "I-''da-ho-mo" senator!
(Performing in a stall near you)
Some further observations since you brought Jefferson into this issue that has nothing to do with him.
He''s been indicted by a Grand Jury but not yet convicted, so he deserves the same presumption of innocence that the aforementioned republicans do.
When he was indicted the dems didn''t rally around him, I believe that he was asked to step down from his committee asignments. On the other hand, when Delay was indicted, the repubs rallied around him, he kept his leadership post and he used public time to whine on incessantly about how he was being crucified. Turns out, he was full of *** and no republican will ver own up to that. If Jefferson is convicted, no dem will defend him;none is now.
Regarding Sen. Craig, he isn''t being hounded by dems but by the police. Take it up with them.
What ever happened to Mark Foley?
I do not know about you but you keep your mouth shut get a lawyer and sue the department for defamation. It is not like he walked in and smelled marijuana now that is evidence to arrest someone but this; I am calling Shana gins on this.
Nothing good comes out of Idaho
Bible thumping, perverted senators
and snake oil salesman selling potatoes
war, hate, potatoes, republican snakes...
nothing good comes out of Idaho.
Sorry...I thought Seven Pesos should have some input
**********************
Did I hear someone say double standard???
lol, look at what you gay republicans did to CLINTON when he was fu((king around. Couldn''t stand that he was doing it with a women that you had to go and impeach him. lol, and now that all the gay republicans are getting caught in dirty bathrooms looking for gay ***, you guys scream DOUBLE STANDARD. LMAO.
What are we waiting for, he''s already pleaded guilty:
"Idaho''s Larry Craig Pleads Guilty To Misdemeanor Charges Of Lewd Conduct; Political Future In Doubt"
KAT....all you should worry about is that you don''t end up with a gay republican who sneaks around in dirty bathrooms for gay ***.
It''s so comforting to know that the Republican party are the champions of "family values" in this country.
Posted by ainttaken at 09:10 AM : Aug 28, 2007
Good point - call me an indipendent.
Who needs terrists when we have Republicans?
deny, deny, deny. Haggert tried that for a few days too, then it was admitting to a massage and drugs...BUT nothing else (until someone had a talk with him and showed him how stupid that sounded) then it was a full scale admittance of a lifetime fighting and losing to the urges for ''secks'' with other men. Just admit it Craig, before someone with a video phone proves it and makes it even worse for you.
It will be interesting to see this bunch of crooks and hypocrites try to run on a "family values" platform again. Actually it will be quite comical.
***Go around looking for gay s#x, that''s what.
However, he is a strong supporter of 10 minute gay honeymoons in airport bathrooms!
Parties certainly aren''t perfect but neither is government without them. Jesse Ventura found out once he became Governor that he had to try to get things done with people that had no sense of loyalty to him whatsoever. He got even less done than in the case of divided government because nobody could accuse his opponents of being partison.
No party will ever be perfect but working within a party structure to make it better is still the most pragmatic way to get anything at all done.
There''s nothing stupid about infidel-us wanting to change parties. I''ve done it myself as well as supporting independents and experience has taught me that you need party structure to accomplish any good at all.
Well, to be fair, I didn''t know that tapping feet was "the signal" either. But I do know if I was in the can and some dude next to me was tapping my foot, I would not be waiting around long enough to find out what he wanted.
Posted by omega39 at 09:07 AM : Aug 28, 2007
LOL....Just don''t do a lars008 or an MCVet!!!! :)
I only hope they can forgive themselves and move on with their lives, but we would have to call THEM liberals...
Harhar
"shoe tapping" - the mating call of a republican senator.
Kinda like Bu$h, who is a rancher, a member of NASCAR, has close, gun-totin'' buddies, and even closer friends like Jeff Gannon running around the White House at night...
Good point. Until reading these blogs, I wasn''t sure whether shoe tapping meant tapping your own shoes or someone elses...
I thought I''d need to remind myself not to think about music while taking a dump anymore!
However, his personal weaknesses is not relevant to his stand on gay issues in that maybe he, himself realises, by his own weaknesses, the importance of his stands.
The senator would do well to release the details of the legal proceedings, and explain his actions in full and what he plans to do to correct future behavior, otherwise he should resign.
Vitter took specific actions to correct his behaviour, the senator has not.
We must accept the good things that homosexuals have to offer, but we don''t have to accept some aspects of their personal behavior.
Craig and the others mentioned may not be guilty and deserve a presumption of innocence until proven so; time will tell if the blue dress fits others. Posted by realpatriot1 at 08:51 AM : Aug 28, 2007
CORRECTION:
JEFFERSON WAS RE-ELECTED after the freezer incident. He should have been drummed from office. Whether it was a set up and a fake sting (ie., bribed with money then trumped up search to get to it) the fact is, anyone that falls for bait ain''t all that innocent.
As for Vitter, Haggert, Foley, West, Guiliani, Gingrich, etc and now Craig--it is obvious that being "Christian" is only hypocritical lip service. the real lip service is being done by the same self proclaimed holy ones--in brothels, airport bathrooms, with pages, on desks...etc.
republicans appear to be sexually repressed and in denial--such a flood of ''want'' has to come out some time. Plus, their wives must be really, really lousy fvcks--they are always looking for another woman or man to do the job.....
Kinda makes me wonder what little Dubya is doing to his binky right now.
It just occurred to me that by voting against gay marriage Larry Craig was discouraging gay men to commit to long term relationships. Thereby increasing the chances for all un-committed gay men to get lucky in an airport restroom.
I wonder if that is the reason so many conservatives are so opposed to gay marriage.
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