August 29, 2007

ID SEN: No Sparing This Square

Sen. Larry Craig's (R-ID) 8/28 press conference denying any inappropriate bathroom behavior did not convince any conservatives to back down from call for his resignation. RCP Blog's Tom Bevan writes: "Craig wants the public to believe his actions in the bathroom of the Minneapolis terminal were somehow misinterpreted or misconstrued by the arresting officer. The problem with this line of argument is that we're not talking about some abstract situation that leaves much room for reasonable doubt in the mind of the public. Everyone in America has been in a public restroom, and everyone knows what kind of behavior to expect there. The sort of behavior described by the officer is way out of the norm and defies simple or alternate explanations like "I have a wide stance." It's just creepy, and everyone knows it."

Also at RCP, John McIntyre notes Survey USA polling showing 89% of IDans are aware of the story and 55% of them want Craig to resign. McIntyre adds: "I would expect the pressure for Craig to resign will only grow until it is clear to him, his best option is to step aside." Only 2% of Michelle Malkin's readers want Craig to serve out his term.

AmSpec Blog's David Hogberg makes his case for resignation: "If the GOP can't figure out that this is time to push aside one of their own so that someone with a clean slate can run in his place, then this party has some huge problems." The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez also sees big trouble for the GOP brand: "I also think that the longer Craig hangs on...it's going to hurt folks who I want in office; the cloud is not just over Idaho. And I think the pile-on may have something to do with that frustration - with yet another elected official (and Republican again) in trouble."

A lengthy Glenn Greenwald post accuses conservatives of hypocrisy for ignoring 10/6 blog rumors that Craig had a history of public restroom dalliances while immediately calling for Craig's resignation after he plead guilty to disorderly conduct. Greenwald blogs: "As always, it is astonishing to observe how the same human brain can accommodate those two opposite thoughts only a few months apart without even realizing that it is doing so." Greenwald later responds to arguments that there might be a difference between ignoring blog rumors and ignoring official police reports: "The outrage at Rogers was not based -- certainly not principally -- on the premise that his report was unconfirmed. The crux of the condemnation, often the exclusive argument, was that Rogers' report about Craig was completely irrelevant even if it were true, because it was only about Craig's private sexual behavior, which should be immune from public consideration."

Townhall's Dean Barnett responded to charges that he was a hypocrite for supporting the ouster of Craig, but not admitted prostitute patron Sen. David Vitter (R-LA): "I don't think it's hypocrisy. By dint of thousands of years of tradition, seeking out sexual liaisons in a Men's Room is a lot more, um, exotic, than doing the same with a prostitute of the opposite sex. That's just the way it is. I don't think it's homophobic or hypocritical to take note of that obvious fact."

At TPM CafePaul Kiel reports Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a complaint against Craig with the Senate Ethics Cmt. From CREW ex. dir. Melanie Sloan: "If pleading guilty to charges stemming from an attempt to solicit an undercover officer in a public restroom is not conduct that reflects poorly upon the Senate, what is?"

Also at TPM, Eric Kleefeld sees little chance of a Dem pick up: "Do Dems have a chance of picking up Larry Craig's Senate seat in the wake of his conviction for disorderly conduct in a public men's room? The short answer: A Dem pickup is not very likely." Daily Kos' mcjoan also sees a Dem pick up as an uphill climb but argues the scandal is just another vindication of Howard Dean's 50 state strategy: "Ground-shifting political events can happen anywhere, and while Alaska and Idaho are still long-shots for the Dems, we have a shot precisely because of the 50 state strategy--because there are now people on the ground to actually take advantage of any opening we get and run with it."

In other Craig related squibs, TPM's David Kurtz links to a CBS affiliates re-enactment of the bathroom scene, The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez notes that Craig opposed renewal of the Patriot Act on privacy grounds, and Jonah Goldberg cracks jokes:

Since prominent liberals feel perfectly comfortable lecturing everybody else about how we all have to reduce our CO2 emissions while they fly private jets, maintain numerous - lavish - homes and in all other ways burn through a whole lot of carbon so long as they buy "carbon offsets," perhaps closeted gay Republicans can buy "gay offsets" which would allow them to privately take the Nestea plunge into a lake of cabana boys so long as they cut a check to the "heterosexual" cause of their choice.

Posted by Conn Carroll at August 29, 2007 01:06 PM