Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Reconsidering Larry

After a week of heavy press coverage and press conferences we know one thing for certain, that Larry Craig is not gay. And maybe that is up in the air for the moment. It seems as if the Idaho senator has had a change of heart and is thinking about taking back his resignation declaration after people like Senator Arlen Specter have told him to fight on. I will say one thing about this entire situation, I have not come away very impressed with Senator Craig's judgment. We have him declaring he was not involved in a scandal involving pages back in 1982 before names were named and he pleads guilty to some sort of activity in a Minneapolis airport bathroom. I have been thinking about this situation as I turn from channel to channel and listen to talking head after talking head. I realize that lewd or sexual behavior in a public environment is wrong but is that the case in this situation. I am still very much confused with what exactly took place and what the crime was. To me it looks like at the most a man flashing his hands under a stall and touching another man's foot with his. I am not a lawyer but I thought solicitation involved certain acts being performed in exchange for money. With the absence of money being exchanged you have two individuals with consenting feet. It might have helped if the police officer in the other stall had been wearing a camera to record the lewd activity that Mr. Craig apparently exhibited. Or intent might have been better established if the officer had been able to get Senator Craig to enter his stall. I hope if Craig is innocent that he decides to fight on and clear his name. I think his excuse for pleading guilty to a lesser crime to make things go away is troubling. I think if you are innocent you should declare it up front and not take the fall for something you have not done. These people should be able to fight their charges without have to try and hide them for fear of the public hearing about them. In the end their innocence will either be proven or not. I still do not know what the whole truth surrounding this situation is. I think it comes down to two possibilities. You either have an innocent senator with a lousy judgment or you have a politician with a penchant for foot philandering.

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