Posted on 09/04/2007 7:48:46 PM PDT by RightOnTheLeftCoast
Ben Stein: Gestapo Tactics Got Larry Craig
Tuesday, September 4, 2007 7:39 PM
Former Sen. Larry Craig didn't do anything illegal and was railroaded with "Gestapo tactics," says actor and commentator Ben Stein.
Appearing recently on Your World With Neil Cavuto program, Stein remarked: "I don't like the idea that people are sitting in the next stall from you at a public bathroom listening to whether or not you tap your foot. This is, as I said, Gestapo tactics. Gestapo, Gestapo, Gestapo. It's not America."
Stein says Craig, who was arrested June 11 by Minneapolis police and pled guilty to a charge of disorderly conduct, is a victim of "pure police entrapment and thuggery."
"The police have real work to do at the airport," Stein says. "It's an airport, hello. There are security problems at airports. Al-qaida: Are you listening? Our security people are entrapping perfectly honest U.S. senators in lavatory stalls instead of looking for you terrorists."
Stein charges that police intimidated Craig into pleading guilty to disorderly conduct after he was arrested for tapping his foot in a bathroom stall at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport.
Police say foot tapping is a common overture used to signal interest in a sexual encounter. Minneapolis police had reportedly made several arrests in recent months for lewd conduct in restrooms at the airport.
"A policeman drags him off, or verbally drags him off, starts browbeating him, essentially threatens he's going to ruin his career if the guy doesn't plead guilty right away," Stein tells Cavuto. "This is Gestapo tactics in Minneapolis-St. Paul. It's not nice."
Stein adds that it was wrong for GOP stalwarts to join the drumbeat for Craig's resignation: "This is some way to treat the people who have been loyal members of your party for many years. What did he do wrong? Suppose he was soliciting for gay sex. Gay sex is not illegal in the United States, the Supreme Court has said that. If it were illegal, it would be a different story. It's not illegal. He didn't do anything illegal, they're just bludgeoning him into a confession."
The Craig scandal points out a fundamental question about the balance of political power, according to Stein.
"On trumped up charges, they bring down the legislator and change the balance of power within the United States generally," he says. "This is a really serious case of police overreaching and the victim here is Larry Craig and the Constitution of the United States."
Craig has represented Idaho in Congress for over a quarter of a century and was up for re-election next year.
You’re right. There are some people whose minds have been so seared they are not capable of rational thought. Things that can be easily understood by a five year old go over their heads. I am amazed by the inability or unwillingness of some to comprehend here. No matter how many times they are faced with the facts of this case, they would much rather ‘fill in the blanks with their own agendas.’
15 years ago pee wee herman was the subject of derision for his poor choices. now we have slunk down to the point of rationalizing US senators of the republican party cruising for gay sex. This is like the last days of Rome. Gawd. yikes. trying to think of a spell to cast to deflect this lowering of standards of acceptable public behavior. Apple Pie! Grandma and Sunday School! it’s not working.
Bump!
I thought you might want to see this.
I know I’m way down the thread.
My apologies if you’ve been pinged before.
I admit it...I’ve been stalking the other thread. ;o)
Rep. Frank Sad to See Sen. Craig Leave Congress
Senator Larry Craig (R-Idaho) announced his resignation following exposure of his arrest during a sting operation at a Minnesota airport men’s room three months ago. The sting operation was initiated after numerous complaints of harassment by men seeking anonymous sex at the facility. Craig was alleged to have solicited sex from a police officer staking out the next toilet stall.
The resignation of Senator Craig came as a cruel blow to Representative Barney Frank (D-Mass.). “If only I had been the one in the next toilet stall this scandal could’ve been avoided,” Frank observed.
Frank, one of two openly gay members of Congress, said Craig “should have come to me. We could have made beautiful music together.”
Since Craig’s effective date of resignation is September 30, Frank expressed the hope that he would be able to give him a “proper send-off.”
read more...
http://www.azconservative.org/Semmens1.htm
Well, it seems what bothers you is the idea of local law vs Federal, not the law itself.
Dogfighting is illegal in all 50 States and a felony in 48.
If the local authorities are not enforcing the laws, then it is the responsiblity of the Federal government to do so.
Madison was more concerned with corruption on the local level then he was on the Federal level.
Each level of law enforcement has a role to play in making sure that laws are enforced and the criminals do not use the States for their own private criminal activities.
Cruelty to any animal should be against the law, there is no excuse for it and no society should allow it.
The righteous man regardeth the life of his beast Pr.12:10)
"The police" are not all-purpose law enforcement, and Stein knows it. It's as shallow a statement as saying that violent crime is uncontrolled because there are cops whose primary job is to ticket violators of the speed limit. Would you like to see all the cops with speed guns walking a beat to prevent muggings and drug-dealing? Fine, but in that instance, every boulevard and freeway will become an American Autobahn.
Who wants to do away with the stings in the restrooms, and give the pervs the message that the restrooms at every rest stop, airport, department store, library, and university are now government-endorsed glory holes? Everybody who agrees, tap your feet!
Boy, among the three people that responded to me , I see a real talent for the selective pulling of quotes. It’s almost like you didn’t read the rest of what I said, which answers the quotes you DID pull and rhetorically questioned. Sometimes I wonder what kind of gradeschool forum I wandered into. For one thing, I already SAID it bothered me that he claimed not to be gay, and that in effect is what you’re calling for with the demand to “plead guilty”. This is a married man, pal, and as such he may have a little more to hide, than, say, Barney Frank.
Boy, among the three people that responded to me , I see a real talent for the selective pulling of quotes. It’s almost like you didn’t read the rest of what I said, which answers the quotes you DID pull and rhetorically questioned. Sometimes I wonder what kind of gradeschool forum I wandered into. For one thing, I already SAID it bothered me that he claimed not to be gay, and that in effect is what you’re calling for with the demand to “plead guilty”. This is a married man, pal, and as such he may have a little more to hide, than, say, Barney Frank.
It’s amazing isn’t it? As we become more technologically advanced and more wealthy and powerful, we seem to become more socially and morally retarded. Increasingly even the simplest judgement calls are completely beyond our grasp. As Bob Dylan said, “We’re idiots, babe. It’s a wonder that we still know how to breathe.”
The man peered at the officer through the opening at the stall door jamb. For two minutes.
He put his hand into the officer's stall from the adjacent stall several times.
He put his foot into the officer's stall and against the officer's foot.
He did all this while the officer was sitting on the can.
You're saying that's not a crime?
Or are you saying the officer is lying about all this?
That being said, there's absolutely NO reason why he should have to "resign" immediately instead of serving out the rest of his term til January 2009. There are at least a dozen RATS who have done FAR worse things than Craig and they continue to flagrantly remain in office and buck decency. If the RATs complain about Craig, all he has to do is bring up the name "William Jefferson" every time and promise to resign his seat the moment indicted felon Jefferson does. THAT will shut them up in a hurry.
So tapping your foot is lewd conduct? Craig should have plead restless leg syndrome.
-—This is like the last days of Rome. -—
I remember the Republic! — I think...
Ben’s wrong on this one. Craig has been at this a long time. Cruising for men in public bathrooms is bad stuff, and law enforcement has the duty to punish and prevent it.
“If the local authorities are not enforcing the laws, then it is the responsiblity of the Federal government to do so.”
Sodomy was also on the books of most if not all states. These laws were hardly enforced as well. Should the federal government have enforced them also? Maybe you’d like to see an FBI satellite office in every airport bathroom around the nation too?
The federal government’s expansion of the interstate commerce clause has led to the loss of more freedom than you will ever know.
LOL
-—Appearing recently on Your World With Neil Cavuto program, Stein remarked: “I don’t like the idea that people are sitting in the next stall from you at a public bathroom listening to whether or not you tap your foot. This is, as I said, Gestapo tactics. Gestapo, Gestapo, Gestapo. It’s not America.”-—
Actually, I think that Gestapo tactics are more like when they pull you off the street on an anonymous tip or mere suspicion, beat you almost to death to extract a confession, then execute you and send the death certificate to your family with no explanation. Has Stein gone senile or is he just trying to pull the wool over our eyes?
I cite dirty, because that is an adjective that many invoke when trying to amplify the crime - they don't say in the "vulnerable" bathroom. LOL.
I'm not defending the behavior, but I am confused (curious) about the schizoid treatment of same. Homosexual behavior is an acceptable (even heroic) lifestyle, but if you are so inclined, don't you dare proposition someone in the wrong setting! Pretty funny, don't you agree?
If Craig had said "Suck my d..k!" to the cop in response to some inferred cop initiated signal would that have been a crime?
Given the general incompetence of the police, they just got lucky by arresting a stupid person.
Ben Stein can be right on the issue of arrest but wrong on the actual innocence.
BTW has anyone asked if Senator Craig had a HIV test? His wife may not realize she has been exposed to a person engaged in high risk behavior.
Aye, Claudius.
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