Let Idahoans decide Craig’s fate
Neither my wife nor I are gay. But we love and respect our friends, whether gay or straight. We even support gay marriage. But I draw the line at creeps prowling bathroom stalls looking for a “date.” Nevertheless, I believe the voters of Idaho should have the final say in whether or not Sen. Larry Craig’s behavior warrants being turned out of office.
The speed with which Craig’s party dumped him for essentially a morals parking ticket (which, dear readers, is not to be confused with the moral equivalent of a parking ticket) speaks more to the sorry state of the Republican Party than anything else. The timbers from which the party was built have slowly rotted to the point where one woodpecker seems close to bringing it down to the foundation.
As a lifelong Democrat, I take no joy in that. Heaven knows we Democrats need a worthy opponent to challenge us to do our best, not our worst.
I ask my Republican friends to think long and hard about how and why they arrived at this point. Our country needs a vibrant two-party system if our democracy is to survive.
Harry Doby, Denver
One woodpecker, huh? That was a good one, and probably unintentional.
Posted by Sharon B. on September 17, 2007 12:33 AMand just think if craig was a dumocrat this would not be a story just another day in promoting diversity. if your gay and a dumocrat you receive a free pass for anything you do and get praised from the dnc, but if you are gay and a republican you are the slime of the earth.
now we will here how the real issue is how Republicans always talk of morals and the dums dont have any.
It is sad to read posts like that of Sharon B. who has who has to resort to name calling and launch into "what if" scenarios. Such posts reflect more of a "non thinking" and emotional person than any form or rational thought. That may be appropos a child throwing a tantrum but certainly not for anyone laying any claim to maturity and adulthood. One has to wonder if such individuals realize how well they discredit themselves every time they post?
Posted by Robert I. Laitres on September 17, 2007 07:02 AMCraig's most serious crimes are his national security violations. He hold's top-secret military security clearances. Federal law requires that he reports his arrest to Gates and the US Congrtess in a very timely fashion. Craig failed.
Posted by draftdodgingisntafamilyvalue on September 17, 2007 07:30 AMAnonymous 05:51 AM...Oh esteeming judge of moral values. It's not the "dumocrats" as you call them that prance around the country, pontificating on how high, mighty, and moral they are and then get caught in a tryst like Sen. Craig. Republicans looks so ridiculous when they get caught because they run around ranting about gays and the homosexual agenda, when some are homosexual themselves (remember Mark Foley). It's their hypocrisy that makes them so rediculous. Plus, Craig is a moron for pleading guilty to a crime if he truly didn't commit it. He's a senator for crying out loud and should have more brains. He's an embarrasment to the GOP and our congress as a whole. He's not the only one either. People like Craig, Dem or GOP, are always exposed eventually. I say take a broom to both houses of congress, and both parties, and sweep out the trash!
Posted by Keith and Hank sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G on September 17, 2007 08:05 AMHomo barney franks in home was used as headquarters for a gay escort,prositution house.Nothing happens to homo franks.A cop from anti-american liberals Minn. makes allegations against Craig which also could of been entrapment.It wrecks his career.
Posted by Keith on September 17, 2007 09:02 AMKeith and the other stooge at 5:51. You missed the point of the letter. The GOP is eating their own simply because they are gay. There is nothing wrong with people being gay. your party needs to come to grips with that.
Posted by It's True on September 17, 2007 10:22 AMRobert L. Has your sense of humor completely dried up?
When writing about a man looking for bathroom sex, it is best if your letter does not include the word "woodpecker".
Many write, few think.
Posted by Sharon B. on September 17, 2007 10:53 AMSharon B
I, for one, appreciated your observation and subsequent comment.
I letter write makes a decent point while waxing poetically. However, I believe that more public officials ought to be cited with "moral parking tickets" and ushered out the door posthaste. Integrity is sorely lacking on both sides of the aisle in Sin City.
Posted by mongoose on September 17, 2007 11:00 AMKeith, please elaborate on your entrapment theory.
Posted by Jeff on September 17, 2007 11:19 AMHi Sharon,
The "conservatives" just don't have any sense of humor to begin with. They take their self-righteous "superiority" far too seriously to even have a notion of what humor is, much less how much humor contributes to a more sensible view of life as a whole.
They are the drab, dreary, desolate bunch who want everyone reduced to their own status of blind obedience, and abject fear of unknown future consequences, in the name of "christianity"; which is something else they lack any real knowledge or understanding in, of, or about.
The record seems to show that there are really a rather goodly number of woodpeckers among them. And the timbers are even more rotten and shaky than they can ever admit. But, that's life in the world of what they insist are (their) "god's politics".
Three Cheers for the woodpeckers!!!
Posted by Old Grouch on September 17, 2007 11:22 AMCraig's Stall a Tourist Attraction...or, a lot of people want to see the woodpecker nest...
MINNEAPOLIS —
"Where's the bathroom?"
That's the question camera-toting tourists in Minneapolis are asking as they visit the men's room where U.S. Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, was arrested in a sex sting.
"It's become a tourist attraction," said Karen Evans, information specialist at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. "People are taking pictures."
Craig was arrested June 11 by a Minneapolis airport police officer. The Idaho Republican pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
Craig has since said his guilty plea was a mistake. His request to withdraw the guilty plea will be heard Sept. 26, just four days before he has said he will step down from his Senate seat.
Craig's arrest came to light Aug. 27, and Evans said the airport has since been giving directions to the men's room near a central food court and shopping area.
Just 15 minutes into her shift at the airport on Friday, Evans said she had been asked directions to the new tourist attraction four times. Other airport workers field the same question.
"It's by the Lottery shop, right next to the shoeshine shop," said newsstand worker Abdalla Said, adding he gets the question daily.
At the Royal Zino Shoeshine shop, the owner's grandson, Royal Zino, said he might have been working the day Craig was arrested.
"I might've actually been here. Me and my buddy were watching them doing a sting," he told the Idaho Statesman.
The newspaper published a detailed map of the airport in its Sunday edition locating the restroom, about midway between Craig's 11:51 arrival gate and 1:25 p.m. departure gate.
Zino said he gets to watch tourists now.
"People have been going inside, taking pictures of the stall, taking pictures outside the bathroom door — man, it's been crazy," he said.
On their way to Guatemala, Jon and Sally Westby of Minneapolis made a visit to the new tourist attraction.
"We had to just stop and check out the bathroom," Sally said. "In fact, it's Jon's second time — he was here last week already."
"I checked it out," Jon said. "It's the second stall from the right."
Posted by on September 17, 2007 11:25 AMDoes GOP stand for Gay Ol' Party? Just wonderin'.
Posted by TJ on September 17, 2007 12:24 PMI just figured out that Robert was responding to the post after mine. Anon insulted and used the word slime.
Now I feel worlds better.
MSNBC called it the "Grand old Potty".
Posted by Sharon B. on September 17, 2007 01:21 PMKW,
Have you been browsing through the postings of "Blinded in the Left Eye", and the one using the handle, "Just a Suggestion" lately?
Such humerous people, nu? So full of joie d' virve, eh?
So typically "conservative", no?
Sharon's ahead of us both, twice now with the MSNBC one. But, I do agree, the woodpecker one is better.
Posted by Old Grouch on September 17, 2007 03:43 PMThanks to you two, but KW you have beaten me a number of times.
I hope people never get over rushing to write. If they proof read, we are out of luck.
Posted by Sharon B. on September 17, 2007 04:48 PMOG, Sharon B - What happened to my original post???
Oh yeah, I used the word pi**ed.
At least Sharon knew I wasn't only funnin'.
How cum the liberals can say fuck and shit but I can't say pissed?
In jest even.
Posted by KW on September 17, 2007 06:51 PMKW, I saw the post. Then it was gone.
We need some new letters. No one seems very upset lately. We are loosing our sparks.
Posted by Sharon B. on September 17, 2007 08:50 PMKW,
I have no idea what you are talking about. I didn't see the item. I have said before, I do not hold for ANY KIND of censorship - allowing for editorial discretion in eliminating long strings of repeats to keep the line moving along. Let the poster say what he, or she, wants to say, profane or "proper" as the case may be. That's it, so far as I be concerned.
Posted by Old Grouch on September 18, 2007 07:23 AMOG, Sharon - I purposely threw the profantiy in on my 2nd post just to make a point.
And they're still there, no censorship.
Too funny!
Posted by KW on September 18, 2007 10:47 AMKW, this isn` the first time I have seen a letter, and even answered it, then it goes by by. Makes my answer look silly sitting all by its lonesome.
Posted by Sharon B. on September 18, 2007 12:25 PMHi Sharon,
I'm sorry I missed your original post. I'm sure I would have found it interesting and hopefully funny.
"It's True" at 10:22am got my point exactly. Some of the other posts were pretty embarassing (you know who you are!)
I think "Old Grouch" may be a friend of mine. Thanks for coming to my defense!
The woodpecker reference was made knowingly, but I thought two parenthetical asides (pun intended) would be a bit much, as I knew it would fly past most of the readers anyway -- sorry, I did it again.
But the reference came from a common software saying: If buildings were constructed the way software is written, one woodpecker would destroy civilization.
You're welcome.
Posted by Harry Doby on September 19, 2007 11:37 PM