Political Punch

All I can say is that this is weird! It has nothing to do with the republican party, if someone says it does, then I guess the Democrat/libs are all Drunk cowards that leave women at the bottom of a bridge.

Another outstanding performance from the political party that strongly supports family values, just not what normal people would consider those values to be.

Actually, the disorderly conduct charge to which he plead guilty is only a misdemeanor in Minnesota. But the fact that Sen. Craig didn't have the sense to seek legal counsel before making his plea, or even knowing that as a senator he is constitutionally protected from being questioned, much less arrested, for this charge, one has to wonder if he really is fit to serve. Besides he will be hounded by the Washington D. C. press; and there could be individuals out there ready to come forward. So Sen. Craig is better off just leaving office, even if the plea is eventually vacated.

Senator Craig admitted on the tape of his recorded interview with police that he peeped into a public toilet stall "to see if the fellow in there was finished", to use his own words. Under Minnesota law (see State v. Bryant,
177 N.W.2d 800 (Minn 1970)) this constitutes an unlawful invasion of privacy. As conduct that may be considered "offensive, obscene, boisterous, or noisy, tending reasonably to arouse alarm, anger, or resentment in others", which it certainly is, Craig's peeking through the stall crack "to see if the fellow was finished yet" constitutes disorderly conduct under Minnesota statutes, and that is a felony. Case closed.

Spock, he certainly was. And he cast a vote later that same evening!

James Danley - interesting point, was he on his way back from a congressional session? if so very true.

There's a new twist to the Sen. Craig case! The police violated his Constitutional rights! Article I, Sec. 6 reads in part: "They (Senators and Representatives) shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either house, they shall not be questioned in any other Place."

The only person that knows what went on in the bathroom is Craig! Each of the thing by themselves mean nothing, tapping a foot, reaching for dropped paper, putting luggage bag in front. Well at least he did not drive a woman drunk off a bridge, 900000 in a freeze, sex with interns, involved in the disappearance of an intern, oh lying under oath etc....

See Conservatives are not hypocrites they get rid of any politician who commits crimes the libs make them chairpersons of commitees.

I wish most of you would not incriminate someone with out knowing the facts. but waht do you expect from the those dividing the country who only have one sided opinion.

dad who is not out of the closet...makes senate salary

daughter looks like she is out of the closet...life of crime

the fact they love bondage and handcuffs so much....PRICELESS

James - "according to an oversight investigation by the House International Relations Committee, al Qaeda may have have been involved with Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on Apr. 19, 1995."

Nice conspiracy theory!!

They seem to like this arrest stuff!?

What do you expect from, a congress and senate full of drunks, a killer, pedifiles, perverts, big buisiness pawns, and just a bunch of liers? Exactly! this should be nothing new, to the American citizens. What would be new , dimantle the Government to a constitutional need. Kick all the politicians out of Washington!

If you are going to quote me, isupportshae, get it right, I said, "gouge others", in this case everyone else is wrong, it's the court's fault, it's the cop's fault, it's the judges fault, and these we're all you're comments, but, a bunch leading up. When you pled guilty....to get it overwith....whose "fault" was that, bet you're gonna say it wasn't your's. So far, I agree with one comment I read, there's nothing involving Dems here at all, it's the "righteous Republicans" asking him to step down. Sorry you are in SUCH A HURRY to blame it on someone else AGAIN!

rewire1 - "straight men dont do that..period"

what you find out if you stray into those circles and see what's going on, is that
an awful lot of supposedly "straight" and even married men are seeking to have sex acts with gay men...some of these "straight" and married men believe that receiving oral from a gay man is not a
"gay" act or doesnt make them gay or bi, no matter how many times they do it...
there is a lot of denial going on about this subject

Rewire1, it's not me saying that al Qaeda may have been involved in the Oklahoma City bombing, it's the evidence. Three months before the Oklahoma City bombing, Terry Nichols was in Cebu City, in the Philippines. At the exact same time, Ramzi Yousef, the convicted mastermind behind the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, was also in Cebu City. Several eyewitnesses place the two in the SAME MEETING with Abdul Hakim Murad and Wali Khan Amin Shah, who were also involved in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. You can draw your own conclusions! (NOTE: If your buddy's dog was in the same meeting...)

isupportshea: So how is it you know the Senator isn't gay? He may not be gay but he is at least bisexual. And if he wasn't so vocal about his "views" on the matter this wouldn't be such an issue. Straight men don't do that...period. He was arrested on June 11th and it wasn't until August that he pleaded guilty. That is a long time to contemplate the ramifications of such a plea. He is also a Senator and should know better. Apparently he doesn't know the law and is incapable of dialing a simple phone call to his attorney. It is also obvious that his daughter thought because her dad was a Senator, she didn't have to appear in court and was above the law. Oh and one more thing: Who really cares how aggressive you are? Is that how you know he goes both ways? Just a thought.

James Danley: Ok I will give you that failed attempt at the WTC. So with that logic in mind, I can say that because of Clinton, we weren't attacked until Bush. I can't even say that with a straight face. Why, because it is just as ridiculous as the statement of us not being attacked since 9/11 because of Bush. As for the Murrah Building et.al., I can say that I think Al Queda was responsible for my buddys dog biting the mail lady too, but that doesn't make it so.

Jake Tapper-

its kind of sad and pathetic for you to try to tear down private citizens,,,,

jpt- your agenda is showing!!! tsk tsk

O.K.; So who cares about these people anyway? God bless'em and let'em go.

hey art! i never gouged any of you idiot democtrats til just now! i support craig becuase i am positive he is not gay! he has done his job as a senator, he has worked very hard for idaho. thats what this is about! who cares about the scandal? art do you judge people like this, really? seriously people this is such crap and i think you know that! have you done your research? how do you know for sure he is gay? please tell me! i wamt to know! because he plead guilty to some stupid charge! i have done the same just to get the crap over with! not because i was really guilty! seriously people come on!

Rewire1, "...never attacked here before Bush." Actually al Qaeda had a hand in the first World Trade Center bombing on Feb. 26, 1993. AND according to an oversight investigation by the House International Relations Committee, al Qaeda may have have been involved with Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on Apr. 19, 1995. These attacks were long before Bush!

Don't rush to judgement, maybe he had heartfelt feelings for the cop, he was peeping at him from outside the stall for 90 seconds. Rejection is an awful feeling.

mysterious moe! hugs and kisses! you have no idea!

so if anyone would like to chat find me on myspace! oh, wait please don't! someone might think i am soliciting sex. this whole thing is soooo 5 minutes ago! have a great night AMERICA!

LBTartaglia, the story is about her coming out this morning, supporting her father. But, she's having problems of her own. I suppose if she wanted anonymity, she should have stayed off the TV.

I asume that cheesjet69, cheestoping69. and delethis are all the same person, who is real fast on the send button, g three repeats of the same statement in about 9 minutes. Was it really so great that you had to send it that many times? This is aking a long time to read. Even "I support Shea" seems to think so. Oh my God, we agree on something!

Jake. I fail to see the point of your article. What does Ms Howell's personal life and difficulties with her ex-husband have to do with her father? Desparate for a story or what? You're really stretching it here.

What is your definition of "a crime", he was soliciting to HAVE sex in a PUBLIC place, seems that's a crime by most definitions, and if someone's child would have seen anything, it should have been a felony. Just because he didn't COMMIT the crime, doesn't mean he wasn't soliciting one, same as if you tried to have someone "rub-out" an enemy. He did plead guilty, to a crime.

hey! friends isn't this so much fun! its like a chatroom on myspace! you just go with the flow!

If a person makes a mistake,say, kills someone. I think it's great to find Jesus, ask for forgiveness, and find salvation, overnight. BUT, don't let the courts do the same! THIS is one reason why church and state should remain seperate. It is the business of Religion to forgive, NOT the government. Resign, you may want forgiveness, but, not here. These are the people that govern our country.

isupportshae is a she!

i am very aggressive! i am one determined women! thats why and how i make a living! i know what its like to have nothing! i am dam aggressive you better believe that! thats why i do well for myself! people like me don't take the backseat! never have never will! i will defend what i believe and because i am a christian i can forgive and forget!

Now, I guess you're implying you work harder than I do, what if I work harder, in a field that just isn't growing financially? I pray, the same happens to your family.

You asked how I knew so much, I'll say this 'one more time", under oath, in front of a judge in a courtroom, as reported by the entire media, HE PLED GUILTY. I think you whine too much to be normal, you are way too agressive on something way too easy. He said he was guilty, he knew the implications.

i get my raises, i work hard to make sure i work very hard so my family does not go without! don't over qualify yourself for the position! just remember when you get a raise you have to donate it back to the state of idaho!

The New Testament condemns homosexual activity in no uncertain terms. It condemns all types without exception, and that would include all types by conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats. This means that Christians must come out in public condemnation of Sen. Craig or refrain from calling themselves followers of Christ. Kindly read the first chapter of the book of Romans for proof. You can't have it both ways. In spite of what you may have heard, God loves people like Sen. Craig not in their present state of wickedness but for what they might become were they to give up their vile, selfish behavior and choose instead God's holy principle of divine love and unselfish living on a consistent basis. Those people have no valid excuse for their evil actions. Craig should be expelled from the Senate if that governmental body has the slightest self respect left.

isupportshae, I'm NOT stupid enough to go under OATH, in front of a JUDGE, cop a plea and STILL say UNDER OATH, that "I AM GUILTY". I don't feel sorry for him, his daughter may be different, but, he has it coming to him and MORE! You're right, I should run for his office, I have more qualifications, I can't be AS STUPID, and it would be nice to control my own wages. Thanks for rubbing my nose in my lack of raises, hope you have the same for you and your family! I pray the people that count on you do without also.

he won't admit to being gay! he isn't gay! have fun with the thought and the obsession of it all! you folks make me laugh! you have no idea! you all just think you do! america is not going to crap becuase of our leaders its the general public that screw everything up for the rest of us! if it wasn't for all these people complaining all the time maybe this country would be worth something! as aaron would say "people ruin everything"

Let's face it folks!! Our government is full of self serving hypocrites. Larry Craig is gay and needs to come to terms with that. Although he feels he needs to clear his name with the American people, he should be more concerned with hoe he will be judged by his maker. He is so typical of most politicians. Out of touch with reality and the American public. Do your country a favor and resign!!!

Question, Did he vote to give his "buddies" a raise?

oh, able if i could vote myself a pay raise i sure would! i get a raise based how well i do my job! able my my of you haven't received a raise in 6 years you must be doing something wrong! or better yet since your so smart run for senator in idaho!

hey able were you there! tell me how you know that interesting fact and then i will believe you! could you please tell me! i really need to know how you know so much!

anytime larry recieved a raise he gave it back to idaho!

I don't feel sorry for these people, he knew what he was doing in the restroom was indecent, he knew that he was pleading down, and still faced the possibility of public humiliation. HE double hocky sticks, they just voted themselves a new pay-raise and I haven't had a raise in 6 years. They get free health care, they get paid well to stay out of trouble and this guy just couldn't resist. Fire him, and take away his benefits, just like he wished on all of us.

Hey shannangreen if he didnt commit a crime then why did he plead Guilty to one. Bringing up Ted Kenndey you are really reaching.What a joke ....

I agree, he may be a pervert or deviant, but I feel for the guy, it can't be easy for him. I did think it was funny though when he said he was a wide guy and likes his pants to slide down, I think he was still trying to get a little arousal out of the cops.

Why does it keep running to Dems vs. Reps.? Here is a clearcut case of a Father that pleads "guilty" under oath to a Judge, and a Daughter that has warrants for her arrest. Explain to me how Democrats are guilty of ANYTHING in this case. All you people that are "supporting" Larry and his daughter seem to be doing it because you are Republicans....THAT bothers the good people of our country. Better yet, why don't all you goofy Republicans that want to blame anyone else for your problems, start a "support" group where you can privately gouge others, you can call yourselves "THE HYPPOCRITES".

Sorry ommish, the metaphor speaks for itself, and you can garner whatever you want. Not that it matters, it seems as though abcnews.com didn't like references to opinions, poachers, and whale intestines as they have censored my posts.

I'm not amazed, this is like a forum for 14 year olds that think they know too much about videogames. Except the 14 year olds are attempting to talk about politics, sounding off about personal and vindictive *Expletive Deleted* that has NOTHING to do with the substantive problems of running a government.

Carry on, emotional children... I will be entertained at your expense. If I can swallow the bile that rises in my throat and keep it down long enough to type abcnews.com in my browser ever again.

Two things:

1. What this guy was doing was incredibly common. I don't even use the highway rest areas to go to the bathroom anymore because of the creeps. And now, thanks to the press, the ones that didn't know how to do it, have directions (A. bag in front of door, B. Tap foot, C. Reach around.)

2. Sadly, humans have evolved enough as a race to devise magnificent technologies including weapons of mass destruction (and min. destruction) but have not evolved emotionally nor intellectually enough to survive. We are temporary and since we lack the selflessness and willpower to save the planet from our abuses, we will be extinct in just a century or so (after we kill most of each other off for dwindling resources). So, maybe we should stop preoccupying ourselves with stories of hypocrites in men's rooms and start really trying to understand our purpose for our short run on the planet. Doing unto others would be a really good start.

Hey Isupportlesbefriends, give the caps a break,

HER NAME IS SHAE NOT THE DAUGHTER!

HIS KIDS ARE NOT EMBARRASSED OF THEYRE FATHER! THANK YOU! THEY LOVE AND SUPPORT HIM, THANKS AGAIN!

Nice pic of the daughter. Larry may not be the only one in his family with a taste for forbidden fruit.

LARRY CRAIG WE LOVE YOU AND SHAEPAL KEEP YOUR HEAD UP!

I WONDER HOW MANY PERVERTS WE HAVE LEAVING COMMENTS HERE RIGHT NOW! HMMM? I BET MOST OF YOU LEAVING COMMENTS HAVE A FEW SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET! LETS HEAR IT! OR WOULD THAT BE A VIOLATION OF YOUR PRIVACY! YOUR MOM OR DAD MAY BE A PERVERT THEY JUST HAVEN'T BEEN CAUGHT! OR YOUR NEIGHBOR, MAYBE YOUR BROTHER OR SISTER!

I AM TOTALLY FOR SENATOR LARRY CRAIG AND I STILL SUPPORT OUR PRESIDENT! THANK YOU LARRY CRAIG FOR YOUR SERVICE IN IDAHO! THANK YOU PRESIDENT BUSH FOR KEEPING MY FAMILY SAFE!

TEL US HOW YOU KNOW WHAT HIS MORALS ARE! I WANT TO SEE HOW YOU ALL KNOW WHAT HIS VALUES ARE? I WANT TO SEE IT WITH MY OWN EYES! SORRY HE IS NOT GAY! HE HAS A GREAT FAMILY AND ITS TO BAD PEOPLE HAVE OR WANT TO DISTROY A SUCH A GREAT PERSON AND A GREAT FAMILY

HE IS NOT RESIGNING FOR BEING GAY! SHOW US ALL FACTUAL INFO ON THAT! SERIOUSLY PEOPLE DO YOU KNOW HOW RIDICULOUS YOU ALL SOUND

LARRY CRAIG IS NOT GAY! NOR DID HE PUT HIS KIDS IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. THEY CHOSE TO SUPPORT THEIR FATHER! HE HAS DONE A LOT OF GREAT THINGS FOR OUR STATE! HE IS HARDLY A HIPOCRIT! HE IS NOT GAY! HE IS AND STILL IS A GOOD MAN! MY FAMILY HAS ALWAYS SUPPORTED HIM! HE NEVER GRABBED AT ANYONE!

djermano,

He's not resigning for being gay rather he's resigning for pleading guilty & being convicted of lewd behavior in a public washroom.

Making grabs into an invisible stranger's stall is a violation of privacy & person of the sickest order. Honestly is that anyway to ask for a date, gay or straight by reaching into a stranger's stall & feeling for parts? Talk about skipping the foreplay but by all means defend the corrupt Gay Ole Party of Grand Ole Perverts if you want.

His moral family values hypocrisy is what brought him down.

He hasn't even admitted to being gay yet though that's the worst kept secret on earth. LOL

Personally, Craig is looking silly trying to protest that he really isn't gay. Sorry the world isn't buying it. He would have been smarter to just keep quiet. Surely a senator has enough legal experience & advisers to have known better but he pleaded guilty with both eyes wide open.

Nobody put a gun to his head.

To badbadleroybrown,

I hope you still believe that when someone violates your stall during the most vulnerable moment.

Get real seeking gay dates & sex is one thing but trolling stalls & making organ grabs to some invisible stranger in an adjacent stall is a VIOLATION of privacy & person!

Please don't tell me that you would be perfectly comfortable with some greasy old creeps' hand reaching for your private parts while your trying to use the toilet or interfering with your legs while your trying to crap. That could cause someone to make a mess all over themselves.

One should have the reasonable expectation of privacy without solicitation while sitting on the commode in a vulnerable position.

What about Sen. Stevens from Alaska? He is being investigated in a felony, and last time I checked this was much more serious than a misdemeanor in a public toilet. Vitter should also have been asked to resign, having partaken in illegal behavior as engaging in prostitution. It's all out of wack!

The resigning for being gay is absurb. Who cares! The man did nothing wrong, except being a republican and supporting Bush I guess. Bush should resign for not being gay, the murdering, lying, knucklehead.

John,

Quite the contrary because Vitter was engaged in prostitution which is illegal. Further he was exchanging political favors on certain bills in exchange for his diaper sex it appears.

If the GOP had one ounce of credibility they would have asked Vitter to resign. In many ways his offense was much more serious, repetitious & over a long period of time.

Craig also has quite a history of offenses but none were proven until he pleaded guilty. He can't take that back.

Vitter has also admitted guilt in a general sense but has been even less forthcoming about it than Craig.

Bottom line is that neither of them are honest, both are hypocrites & both should be shown the door right along with freezer man Jefferies.

I don't defend any of these scumbags in either party.

We need to clean out all of the corrupt creeps.

Vitter was having sex with hot 18 year old college girls, yes, he is scum and his wife is an idiot for staying with him, but that is a different story than a man peeping and waving, while you are sitting on a toilet.

This gets stranger and stranger on the one hand we have dems who hate the right so much that anytime they can take one out, they will fire at will, on the other hand we have republicans who hate gays, for simlpy being gay, saying this guy is terrible. The truth is he did not do anything wrong, other than just being gay and he was targeted because of it. To be sure the fact that he has made it his life's work to bash gays and became a victum of his own hate makes it interesting, but the real question should be why does anyone think that a gay guy flirting is grounds for criminal prosecution? We don't do this to straight people. This IS facism.

Senator Larry Craig has never committed any crime as there was not a bit hard evidence to prove it. Feet tapping and hand gesture are not crime. Most importantly, he is not a hypocrite as he has never been gay! He is great man. He is at least a better person than Ted Kennedy.

Get real people. Does anyone for one minute believe the lazy police were suddenly spurred into action by her appearance?

Or that the democrats have anything to do with it?

Look the democrats do not want to interfere with a perfectly good self-inflicted republican meltdown. So they are keeping it zipped.

The republicans on the other hand are in a real big hurry to dispense of senator Craig who decided to resist & renege on his already announced but qualified departure.

And who is the dirty trick party??? Can you spell the party of Nixon.

So the more likely scenario is that senator Craig's daughter was getting special treatment & nothing would have ever come of her divorce situation as that was water over the dam anyway & a personal domestic matter so to speak.

So this is the way it may have worked. Some GOP operatives started calling tips into the media & perhaps even the police to take Craig's daughter down to help hasten Craig into keeping his original departure date by sending him a nasty signal as to what might happen if he doesn't comply.

Speculation to be sure but much more plausible than these silly democratic conspiracy theories. See the republicans are the ones with a motive to get Craig out of the picture not the democrats. The democrats would be happy if Craig decided to hang around so the scandal could just keep drip, drip, dripping. They would have no motive to drag Craig's daughter into it because that might hasten his departure.

I hope some of the right wing nuts will read this & think logically for a moment & then realize just how morally bankrupt the GOP has become. The GOP is overreacting to the hilt like that would make one iota of difference in 08 anyway. They already dug their political graves but still cling onto the false hope that if they can just get Craig out of the way all will be OK.

Well they still have Vitter that likes prostitutes while preaching family values to the rest of us. Also I read that a bunch more GOP hypocritical family values closet gays are going to be outed soon.

Yes Craig deserves the door but it was over the line to drag his daughter into it. She has probably already suffered enough being forced into going before the cameras to defend the sap.

i agree, get this gay hypocrite out.

What a pathetic joke this has all become and sad that it involves a long-time US senator. Its no wonder few have respect for our elected officials anymore.

Because Kennedy did it 40 years ago doesn't make it less of a crime. And because Ted Kennedy got away doesn't mean Republican crimes should be condoned. On the contrary Kennedy did not preach high moral values where as Craig lashed out at Clinton for his promiscuity, while he was tap dancing in public bathrooms all the while. All the right wingers have been lashing at Kennedy 40 years. Now it's the turn of independents, centrists and progressives.

Hey Rev.( Hank Bates ) the Craigs did not think they were human. They set high morality for everyone and made it so difficult to live and now they turned out to be immoral that's the outrage is about. The hypocrisy. If it wasn't for their moral values prounouncements the outrage would be way less than what we are seeing here. Same goes for you. Please practice what you preach.

Seriously, you guys are going to have to do better than Ted Kennedy. What was that, like 40 years ago? If you have a beef, take it up with the folks in Massachusetts that keep electing him. Dems don't get bashed as much simply because they don't go around crowing about how morally superior they are - folks like Craig yell the loudest and judge the most so it's that much more delightful when they get caught with their pants down. Pun intended.

Defending her Dad against what? That he got caught? Your father was caught for lewd and unlawful behavior. His hypocracy caught up to him. He's a total embarrassment to congress, his family, his resonsibilities. Forgive you Dad yes, but consider what he has stood for all these years and what a liar and two faced person he is to us all.

I am absolutely sincere when I say that I am glad Shae has been a great friend to you, It is nice to have friends and there is no punch line or insinuations. I would like for SAM to finish the whale story.

I KNOW AARON, ITS A WASTE. MY FRIENDS ARE JUST NOT A WASTE OF MY TIME! I DON'T BACK OUT ON MY FRIENDS WHEN SOMETHING GOES DOWN! ITS OKAY THAY ITS ON THE NEWS IN A SENSE! I JUST DON'T WANT PEOPLE TALKING AND ASSUMING THINGS! AND I WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT I UNDERSTAND WHAT ITS LIKE TO MAKE A MISTAKE, AND I WOULD NEVER JUDGE A PERSON BY WHAT HAPPENS IN THEYRE PERSONAL LIFE! SHAE HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT A GREAT FRIEND TO US!

Why does the cop in these stories always seem to be named "Hightower". LOL

I'm usually anti-Republican, but this is completely out of proportion. I seriously dont think this is any of mine, or the public's business.

These guys all must have been trained by Larry. Claim to be sore but just keep picking at the scab.

Aaaah the right wing hypocrites. The gift that keeps on giving! LOL

HEY AARON! I AM FEELING A LITTLE SASSY! HMM!

HEY SHAE! S.A.M.!

How is this political? What does this have to do with Democrats or Republicans? Bringing up a Ted Kennedy incident from 40 years ago? Is that the best you democrat haters got? Pretty lame.

i was married to a manipulative jerk! and thats just what her husband did, he played the victim and manipulated the situation. she is hardly abusive! shae howell is highly sesitive and very compassionate! i know shae how those men work! i to have been at the grunt of a liar and a cheater! i am sorry you are going thru this!

Of course she has a right to express her opinion, as does every person in this forum.