Senator Craig - part I

http://www.newsday.com/news/columnists/ny-oppin305351459aug30,0,2457073.column

This is Pinkerton's article, but there are thousands of others out there.

Here are my quick rushes to judgment on the matter which I'm sure many others have already stated:

* A Sting Operation? Do we really need to have law enforcement involved in these types of sting operations? Keep in mind that the crime here was a misdemeanor. And yes, I do not want to have to go into a bathroom in an airport restroom and listen to two men (or even a man and a woman, or two or more people) going at it. I've seen that in other countries primarily. It's amusing when you're blasted drunk at a bar in Reykjavik at 2am, but otherwise it's not something you really want to encounter. But again, is this something law enforcement really needs to be involved in for sting operations? How about just calling the cops when something is going on to have it stopped and have the people arrested on the spot? What kind of cop would volunteer for this? At least prostitution stings sound fun.

* GOP Bashing. The hypocrisy of some left leaning groups on this is pretty interesting to watch. If this were not a conservative Republican Senator we would hear all kinds of conspiracy theories about how this was a set-up by the right wing media, how the police are strictly targeting homosexuals who have sex in inappropriate places instead of straight couples who do the same, etc., etc. Instead, a lot of the people who claim to represent the gay community are seeing this as a better chance to republican bash rather than use it as an opportunity to prove their points that homosexuality is much more widespread among the general population than anyone cares to admit. Way to shoot yourself in the foot! way to show your real agenda!

* Senator Craig. I'm reading about this and I cannot help but come to the conclusion that Senator Craig is on the down-low or is a full blown homosexual (no pun intended) but is either in a state of denial or is lying through his teeth to save himself. It's sort of fascinating to watch but in the long run I don't care what his own personal demons have lead him to. He didn't harm anyone as far as I can tell and he is guilty of nothing more than having low class in this instance. He's probably done this before though, so who knows what this will do to his home life.

* Bashing by the GOP. Everyone seems to be keen to throw him out of the Senate but it seems obvious at this point that a simple misdemeanor is not sufficient to give rise to an expulsion. I have such contempt for Congress, the President, and the government at this point with the way they have spent us into oblivion and seem keen on keeping us in Iraq and possible Iran for the next 20 years, that someone attempting to get his jollies in public restroom doesn't strike me in the least as being a real crime. The quick call to sacrifice him to the masses by his own party leadership shows what a contemptible bunch of scoundrels the GOP has become. Keep in mind also that Ted Kennedy killed someone by driving drunk and he is still in the Senate. Senator Craig didn't even get the satisfaction of committing a real crime.

* Police Interrogation. The interrogation of the Senator sounded pretty intense and it's seems at certain points that were badgering him to get a confession. It almost seems that he pleaded guilty just to get out of the office. Now granted, that works sometimes to get innocent people to confess if they don't have a very strong will, but this is, after all, a U.S. Senator. He's attempting to recant his guilty plea now on a number of bases that don't sound terribly convincing. As I see it though, this is not a real crime or one that should really be used against him. If Clinton can lie in a civil trial, cheat on his wife, and first lie and then later admit to it in public, I don't see why this is such a big deal.

I still think the real story hear is that they are conducting sting operations in an airport men's room to curtail consensual gay sex. Just call security.

Also, I will be avoiding public bathrooms in airports for a while.