A Minneapolis police officer has accused Senator Larry Craig of lying in an interview after his arrest.
Posted on 08/30/2007 6:37:17 PM PDT by Stoat
Thursday, August 30th 2007, 7:57 PM
A Minneapolis police officer has accused Senator Larry Craig of lying in an interview after his arrest.
WASHINGTON - The officer who arrested Sen. Larry Craig in a police undercover operation at an airport men's room accused the senator of lying to him during an interrogation afterward, according to an audiotape of the arrest.
On the tape, released Thursday by the Minneapolis Airport Police, the Idaho Republican senator, in turn, accuses the officer of soliciting him for sex.
"I'm not gay. I don't do these kinds of things," Craig told Sgt. Dave Karsnia minutes after the two men met in a men's room at the airport on June 11.
"You shouldn't be out to entrap people," Craig told the officer. "I don't want you to take me to jail."
Karsnia replied that Craig wouldn't be going to jail as long as he cooperates.
At one point during the interrogation, the officer told Craig: "You're not being truthful with me. I'm kind of disappointed in you, senator."
Meanwhile, more of Craig's Republican colleagues moved away from him Thursday in the wake of his guilty plea earlier this month to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct in the undercover police operation aimed at sex solicitors.
Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, who chairs the GOP's senatorial campaign committee, stopped short of calling on Craig to resign, but suggested strongly that he should.
"I wouldn't put myself hopefully in that kind of position, but if I was in a position like that, that's what I would do," Ensign told The Associated Press in his home state. "He's going to have to answer that for himself."
Sens. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, each turned over to charity $2,500 campaign donations they had received from Craig's political action committee. Coleman and Collins both face potentially tough faces for re-election next year.
Coleman and several other Republicans - including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. - have called for Craig to resign his seat in the Senate. Craig already has agreed to a request by Republican leaders to give up his ranking status on the Veterans Affairs Committee and appropriations subcommittees.
Craig said Tuesday he had committed no wrongdoing and shouldn't have pleaded guilty. He said he had only recently retained a lawyer to advise him in the case, which threatens to write an ignominious end to a lifetime in public office.
GOP Senate leaders said they did not act lightly in asking Craig to give up his leadership posts temporarily. But they said their decision was "in the best interest of the Senate until this situation is resolved by the ethics committee."
On the tape, Craig and the arresting officer can be heard arguing over what happened in the men's room minutes earlier. Craig acknowledges that the men's feet bumped, but says nothing improper happened.
"Did we bump? Yes, I think we did. You said so. I don't disagree with that," Craig said.
But Craig disputes the officer's account that he swept his hand under the stall next to him in an apparent effort to advance the encounter. They even disagree whether Craig used his right hand or his left hand.
Craig said he was merely trying to pick up a piece of paper - an account the officer disputes.
"I'm telling you that I could see, so I know that's your left hand. Also I could see a gold ring on this finger, so that's obvious it was the left hand," Karsnia tells Craig.
"Well we can dispute that," Craig says. "I'm not going to fight you in court. I reached down with my right hand to pick up the paper."
Meanwhile, Idaho Republican Gov. C.L. (Butch) Otter told CNN that Craig's loss of his committee leadership posts was "problematic," adding: "I'm sure Larry and his family are going to take those things into consideration as they go forward with their decisions."
Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, said that "like most Idahoans, I was shocked by the allegations against Larry and by his guilty plea. However, I tend to judge people by the totality of their career and Senator Craig has been a dedicated public servant who has been an asset for Idaho for almost 30 years. At this time, I will not pass judgment on this matter."
Glad to be of service.
FRegards,
Polybius (Toe Tapping Heterosexual)
I've sat for over 12hrs in van on surveillances and believe me, all I ever wanted was a bathroom!
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Agreed. We have SUCH a strong field of potential candidates at this point, regardless of who is chosen to represent the Republicans in 2008 I would say that if the Dems end up getting back into the White House the only explanation would be that it came about as a result of corruption and vote fraud, not as a result of actual legitimate voting. I simply cannot accept the premise that the American people are so utterly, breathtakingly stupid as to legitimately elect Clinton, Hussein-Obama or Edwards. The American people appreciate real men, and they know that's what they'll get when they vote Republican.
Agreed, and if Craig cared about his State and his Nation that's exactly what he would do....for the good of the Party and the good of the Country.
Think what you will about Nixon, but he resigned so as to avoid putting the Party and the Nation through what Clinton had no problems at all putting us through. Nixon at least understood that he was harming the country, and his Country came first, so he resigned..
Hopefully Craig will come around to that point of view. Idahoans are good people and they deserve better than what Craig is doing to them.
“So what in the world does that have to do with the Senator going to a bathroom to use the bathroom and having the misfortune to be going next door to a police officer who is obviously keen on entrapping the Senator......with the stupidest of charges......LISTEN TO THE TAPE OF THE POLICE INTERVIEW. This “officer” would fit very well in Nifong’s menagerie.”
OMG! I was thinking the same thing...NIFONG...after hearing the tapes! This is a real shame.
Also, they said he did NOT plead guilty to a sexual crime. They said tonight he plead guilty to “disorderly conduct.”
A commentator on CNN just said, “He plead guilty to whatever he plead guilty of.”
Another commentator just said, “Why would a cop make things up?”
ARGH!
First of all, he took the bait and tried to cut a deal. The cop says, 'no jail--just a fine.' Larry says, 'OK.'
Unlikely behavior for someone who has no guilt.
Our Town Hall is right next to the JW Hall, does that count?
ummmm...are you saying that there's something wrong with your Town Hall? LMAO!
During a Medicaid fraud investigation a cop that told me that very thing. I told him to shove it. When you are truly innocent you have courage. Larry showed not one little bit of courage.
That's not what he said. He said, "I did not have sekshulrelashuns with that woman."
It was like subliminal man.
“but boy....you’d have to believe everyone else is lying”
Everyone else? It’s the word of ONE cop...
no, it’s the word of that cop’s tape and the officers in assist
and all of the other allegation swirling for years
the media has known of Craig’s pecadillos for years but ignored it till Roll Call ran with this..they feel awkward making outing a homo as a bad thing since they approve of and are disproportionately homo themselves
the local Idaho paper has it in for him since they view him as a homocrit
but to be fair....who says homos have to support the homoagenda anymore than blacks have to support the Great Society?
Regardless, Craig can’t unring this bell.
Sigh- sitting in the living room tonight, watching the tube, my husband starts tapping his foot....Best laugh I had all day:)
ROTFL!
“and all of the other allegation swirling for years”
I was not aware of that.
I want any canidate I vote for to not be so stupid to think that tapping the foot of a stranger in a bathroom stall to be “OK”...
The news of gay bathroom meeting places is known in most circles, especially political ones. You don’t accidently do anything in a bathroom stall. The “wide stance” arguement is a laugher. Any fool knows you pants prevent such positions.
One can not talk their way out of this poofer incident. This round mouth has to go and go now if the republican want to save any face whatsoever.
Ok. First of all this tape is disturbing to say the least. I was grossed out just listening to it. I do have some questions for the Senator though or at least observations from my experience going to the toilet. I have NEVER touched another foot in the stall! I have been in many bathroom stalls and can’t even imagine that happening. First of all you would really have to slide your foot to the next stall in order to touch another foot. Second, let’s say he did (just for the heck of it). Wouldn’t the first thing you’d say is “excuse me” or “Sorry about that” or something similiar to that. My second observation is “why would he pick up a piece of paper?” Toilets are pretty dirty and nasty and I know that I would not pick up some paper off the dirty floor. His story is a complete and utter lie in my humble opinion. Time for him to be put out to pasture. Good bye Senator!!!
Barney “homo brothel” Frank is just one recent example.
So what!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are better than that. I am so glad that this is being played all over the media. I hope this will teach the Republicans not to do stupid things!!! This is GOOD for the Republicans. What are you interested in the Democrats anyway. Let them take care of their own sandbox. We need good moral and values Republicans with 100 percent conservatism!!!
On this point I'll agree with you especially when you consider how nasty the area around the toilet might be in a men's public restroom. I know how nasty women's restrooms can get, I can only imagine how a men's room might be. Having been married to a man as well as having a son, there's been many a time I wished they'd do a little target practice.
I'd place my rolling bag as far away as feasible from the toilet.
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