ANOTHER Republican politician caught in gay sex public restroom scandal

[Lemon law]

Well, as was posted earlier, Craig has said he will withdraw the 9/30/2007 resignation only if he can achieve both of two things.

(a) Get a reversal of the guilty pleas in Minnesota and also put the entire legal matter behind him by 9/30.

(b) Having done step (a), then get the GOP leadership to forgive him.

To some extent step (a) is far more important. Should Minnesota do anything but totally caving by dropping all charges, any remaining charges from Minnesota will drag the entire GOP back into the mud. Then see step (b).

So game, set, and match, will Minnesota drop all charges or not?

 

[imported_Equinox]

Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham are both a shred of confetti away from joining him in the bathroom parade. I think there might be two people left in the gay community that don't know everyone has figured them out by now. If they are gay, that is fine, but enough with the hypocrisy. If you are currently hooking up with men in the bathroom, you have no business voting against gay marriage. It makes you look like you want to keep them all single so you will have more playmates.

 

[Uhtrinity]

This is just too good considering how the rightwingers are constantly bashing the ACLU.

Senator Craig gets support from the ACLU

(CNN) -- Conservative Sen. Larry Craig got support from an unexpected source on Monday. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a brief in court saying the lawmaker's bathroom bust was likely unconstitutional. The ACLU urged a Minnesota District Court to let Craig withdraw his guilty plea.

"Sen. Craig has not always been a great friend of civil liberties, but you shouldn't have to endorse the civil liberties of others to keep your own," said ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero, alluding to Craig's history of voting against gay rights.

 

[tw1164]

Originally posted by: Uhtrinity
This is just too good considering how the rightwingers are constantly bashing the ACLU.

Senator Craig gets support from the ACLU

(CNN) -- Conservative Sen. Larry Craig got support from an unexpected source on Monday. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a brief in court saying the lawmaker's bathroom bust was likely unconstitutional. The ACLU urged a Minnesota District Court to let Craig withdraw his guilty plea.

"Sen. Craig has not always been a great friend of civil liberties, but you shouldn't have to endorse the civil liberties of others to keep your own," said ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero, alluding to Craig's history of voting against gay rights.

If the police really wanted to stop people from having sex in public bathrooms, they "should put up a sign banning sex in the restroom and send in a uniformed officer to patrol periodically," Romero said.

I don't agree with the need to put up a sign, but having an uniformed officer stopping by seems more reasonably then setting up a sting operation.

 

[Lemon law]

Hey, if the ACLU is good enough for Rush Limbaugh, Craig should be thrilled to find any remaining friends.

The GOP leadership might not be so thrilled to have the ACLU in Craig's corner.

But I assume the game is still afoot and Craig still is straddling the fence. And the battle is still in Minnesota. But this whole sting operation constitutionality issue is extremely complex and could take years to resolve in court. And its going to heavily depend on the exact wordings of various statues. And it could cost the State of Minnesota a bundle
to defend. So it may also depend on how froggie the State of Minnesota feels. And they too may straddle the fence and prevent even hearing anything until well after the September 30 deadline set by Craig. But it seems to me, if Minnesota caves in, they are going to have to refund some past fines and could be fielding some lawsuits from those previously arrested.

Its going to be a strange battle and I see little hope of the USA learning anything positive.

 

[shira]

Originally posted by: Uhtrinity
This is just too good considering how the rightwingers are constantly bashing the ACLU.

Senator Craig gets support from the ACLU

(CNN) -- Conservative Sen. Larry Craig got support from an unexpected source on Monday. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a brief in court saying the lawmaker's bathroom bust was likely unconstitutional. The ACLU urged a Minnesota District Court to let Craig withdraw his guilty plea.

"Sen. Craig has not always been a great friend of civil liberties, but you shouldn't have to endorse the civil liberties of others to keep your own," said ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero, alluding to Craig's history of voting against gay rights.

And the ACLU is completely in the right here.

Suppose two people are passing each other on the street. One looks into the other's eyes, The other looks back. The first gives a little head nod, the other also nods. Then the first says, "You wanna go somewhere?" And so on.

It's outrageous that this illustration would constitute illegal behavior, but that in essence is what the Minnesota courts are saying. The fact that the subtle first moves are made in adjacent bathroom stalls changes nothing. It's not illegal to "feel someone out" to see if they would be a willing sex partner. And nothing that Craig allegedly did suggests he was going to actually perform sex in public.

 

[Lemon law]

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.'

Its only Poe, but what do we all know?

 

[UberNeuman]

Originally posted by: Lemon law
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.'

Its only Poe, but what do we all know?

Ah, but his hand, outward reaching,
along the bottom of the stall, fingers beseeching,
as he tapped, tapped, tapped his foot on the tile floor..
Looking for a mid-day lover and nothing more....

Quote the Craigin, nevermore....

/I think Craig's love of Poe is what got him to this mes...

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

The judge he is appearing before to try to withdraw his plea, Charles Porter, is a real hard-ass. I would be surprised if he allows this. He initially pled guilty before Judge Gary Larson, who is very experienced and well-respected, and I doubt Judge Porter will permit Craig to withdraw a plea taken by Larson.

 

[Thump553]

I saw a little blurb in the paper recently that this restroom has become quite the tourist attraction now in the airport.

Also, Craig showed up yesterday in the Senate-two weeks late.

 

[Lemon law]

I suppose it should be asked, but what can the GOP do if Craig refuses to resign? If the GOP
had a Senate majority they might be able to get him expelled, but other than that I can't think of much else they could do in the near term. I suppose they could toss him out of the GOP but then he might start voting democratic.

 

[theeedude]

Looks like Craig changed his mind again:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09...ington/27craig.html?hp
Now he wants to stay until the judge rules. I hope he takes a wide stance and holds on to his seat for dear life.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Link

No Swift Ruling on Craig Plea Request

A judge considering Idaho Sen. Larry Craig's request to withdraw his guilty plea in an airport sex sting said Wednesday he probably wouldn't rule in the case until late next week, well past Craig's self-imposed deadline to resign.

 

[rstove02]

Judge just rejected Craig's bid to withdraw his guilty plea.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: rstove02
Judge just rejected Craig's bid to withdraw his guilty plea.

10-4-2007 Judge denies Craig motion to revoke plea

"Because the defendant's plea was accurate, voluntary and intelligent, and because the conviction is supported by the evidence ... the defendant's motion to withdraw his guilty plea is denied," Hennepin County Judge Charles Porter wrote.

He also wrote that Craig hadn't produced any "newly discovered evidence" that would clear him.
==================================================
Interesting

What is the evidence of guilt?

The cops word Vs the Senator?

I don't like the wording by the Judge, it reeks Guilty till proven innocent.

 

[RightIsWrong]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: rstove02
Judge just rejected Craig's bid to withdraw his guilty plea.

10-4-2007 Judge denies Craig motion to revoke plea

"Because the defendant's plea was accurate, voluntary and intelligent, and because the conviction is supported by the evidence ... the defendant's motion to withdraw his guilty plea is denied," Hennepin County Judge Charles Porter wrote.

He also wrote that Craig hadn't produced any "newly discovered evidence" that would clear him.
==================================================
Interesting

What is the evidence of guilt?

The cops word Vs the Senator?

I don't like the wording by the Judge, it reeks Guilty till proven innocent.

How in the world do you get that?

It reeks of innocent until admitting guilt and not being able to take it back cause you realized that your admission has hurt your career.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: rstove02
Judge just rejected Craig's bid to withdraw his guilty plea.

10-4-2007 Judge denies Craig motion to revoke plea

"Because the defendant's plea was accurate, voluntary and intelligent, and because the conviction is supported by the evidence ... the defendant's motion to withdraw his guilty plea is denied," Hennepin County Judge Charles Porter wrote.

He also wrote that Craig hadn't produced any "newly discovered evidence" that would clear him.
==================================================
Interesting

What is the evidence of guilt?

The cops word Vs the Senator?

I don't like the wording by the Judge, it reeks Guilty till proven innocent.

Based on the evidence at the time, Craig admitted guilt. He was in full control of his facilities when he filed the guilty plea.

He has not provided anything new that justifies overriding the conviction.

Equivalent to a person being convicted.
He then goes before the "appeals" court and says that he was wrongly convicted.
Yet he can not provided anything to show why.

The appeals court tosses out the appeal.

 

[jonks]

Originally posted by: Common Courtesy

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: rstove02
Judge just rejected Craig's bid to withdraw his guilty plea.

10-4-2007 Judge denies Craig motion to revoke plea

"Because the defendant's plea was accurate, voluntary and intelligent, and because the conviction is supported by the evidence ... the defendant's motion to withdraw his guilty plea is denied," Hennepin County Judge Charles Porter wrote.

He also wrote that Craig hadn't produced any "newly discovered evidence" that would clear him.
==================================================
Interesting

What is the evidence of guilt?

The cops word Vs the Senator?

I don't like the wording by the Judge, it reeks Guilty till proven innocent.

Based on the evidence at the time, Craig admitted guilt. He was in full control of his facilities when he filed the guilty plea.

He has not provided anything new that justifies overriding the conviction.

Equivalent to a person being convicted.
He then goes before the "appeals" court and says that he was wrongly convicted.
Yet he can not provided anything to show why.

The appeals court tosses out the appeal.

Facilities or faculties....Freudien slip there?

And dave, read the 27 page opinion before calling for the judge's head, eh? He's not guilty until proven innocent. He plead guilty, so he's guilty. If a senator and lawyer can claim he didn't understand the charges, what chance does our justice system have against the tens of millions of non-lawyer defendants?

 

[Thegonagle]

Originally posted by: rstove02
Judge just rejected Craig's bid to withdraw his guilty plea.

Was I right or what?

I knew they wouldn't reopen his case after it had been plead out.

 

[Lemon law]

Originally posted by: Thegonagle

Originally posted by: rstove02
Judge just rejected Craig's bid to withdraw his guilty plea.

Was I right or what?

I knew they wouldn't reopen his case after it had been plead out.

Thank you for the bit of news. But I still wonder of this is the end of it? I will believe its ended when Craig formally resigns from the Senate and his replacement is formally sworn in.

New edit from Yahoo news. Craig still will not resign.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200...GxChEN7xxBS3Kjkj2s0NUE

Which well may make the day for Mitch McConnell and the religious right. Politics makes for strange bedfellows seems to apply.

 

[Stoneburner]

There is no need for Larry Craig to resign.

 

[Pabster]

Originally posted by: Stoneburner
There is no need for Larry Craig to resign.

Good point. I think he should be made chairman of a powerful subcommittee, just as Democrats have done with their own time and time again. What's the big deal?

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Stoneburner
There is no need for Larry Craig to resign.

Of course not, he's just Officially a member of the hypocritic Ted Haggard GOP club.

 

[Lemon law]

Craig is a problem the GOP leadership will have to patch up with its own religious right. The ball is now basically on the religious right's side of the net. They will likely have to make the next move or we can probably expect Senator Craig to serve out his full term.

Will the religious right be bound by the 11'th commandment remains to be seen. Or will their hypocrisy be obscene?

 

[Stoneburner]

Originally posted by: Pabster

Originally posted by: Stoneburner
There is no need for Larry Craig to resign.

Good point. I think he should be made chairman of a powerful subcommittee, just as Democrats have done with their own time and time again. What's the big deal?

He should be put in charge of the Committee to remove gay sex from public restrooms. Republicans are strong believers in "Fox-guarding-henhouse-ism"... just look at the other left wing smear campaign, Mark Foley.