Honestly, Idaho Republicans should be beyond incredibly embarrassed about the Larry Craig disaster - and getting angry about it. He shouldn't have any credibility left with them - he's been deceitful in this bathroom case ever since it came to public light. Didn't understand what he was doing when he plead guilty. Would quit if he wasn't cleared by the end of September. Why is anything that comes out of Larry Craig's mouth on this story believable at this time?
It's not. It's too late for Larry Craig to "clear his name", he sealed the deal when he plead guilty. His choice, his result.
I can envision a time when Idaho Republicans, no matter what office they may be running for, will run into chants of "Larry Craig" by the opposition whenever they say something unbelievable. Rather than clearing his name, Larry Craig is on the road of having his name clear a room.
a) He was entrapped and blackmailed ("If you plead guilty to disorderly conduct, we won't need to involve the media, SENATOR.") Why all this concern about consensual sex behind the closed doors of a men's room stall when there are much more serious matters for the police to deal with?
b) "Coming out" was not really an option for most men of Craig's generation, who came of age before gay lib. And in order to be accepted by straight society, they had to prove their bona fides by bashing and ridiculing gays more vehemently than anyone else. David Sedaris has written a sad, painful, funny memoir about just this phenomenon, desribing how he and his first lover turned on eachother viciously, each one accusing the other of being a "f*ggot."
I like it that Craig is standing up to the bullying and hypocrisy from his Republican colleagues, who certainly have demonstrated what good friends they aren't. But I wish he'd take the next step, quit the party, and finally take an honest stand FOR gay rights, instead of trying to hide behind "family values" rhetoric.
Honest stand - Craig? Really, is he the kind of person anyone would want to have as a spokesman? What has he done the past couple of months in the incident that can be considered "honest"? Hiding it from his wife? Lying to constituents that he would step down? He's an abyssmal spokesman for just about anything at this point.
I'm sorry, but if Craig actually thought his conviction wasn't going to go public eventually, he's a mighty stupid Senator.