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.
“same-sex attraction disorder”
——interesting “concept”, if one can call it that.
sort of like “attention-deficit disorder” but with weird sex thrown in, just for the sake of argument!. I will admit it’s not “normal” by the most obvious standards, but I don’t know what we’re saying when we say that. Not much.
Call it a disorder all you want, it’s been around as long as heterosexuality, and will continue on till the end of time, getting worse in its public expressions, if people like you have anything to say about it. See, it’s people like you who bring out the worst kinds of in-your-face behavior in gay people. But that’s what you want.
I don’t believe you’ve ever known any gay people. Have you?
Sorry Ben, but Larry Craig got Larry Craig. No one will ever be able to convince me that a United States Senator “accidentally” plead guilty to something like this. He plead guilty because he really was cruising the men’s room.
He might have been a reliably conservative perv, but he’s still a perv.
“interesting “concept”, if one can call it that.”
It’s a disorder. You know it.
“Call it a disorder all you want, it’s been around as long as heterosexuality”
And you know this...how? That strikes me as a remarkable statement of dogma based on nothing more than wishful thinking.
“and will continue on till the end of time”
Most likely. However, the problem waxes and wanes in its severity.
“getting worse in its public expressions”
Only to a point. Eventually, sanity will prevail.
“See, it’s people like you who bring out the worst kinds of in-your-face behavior in gay people.”
Right, blame their hideous conduct on those who are repelled by it. That sort of irrationality is typical of those on your side of the argument.
By the way, there are no “gay” people. There are only people who suffer from same-sex attraction disorder.
“That’s what you want.”
No, I want people to stop preaching that SSAD is a good thing. I want people who suffer from this disorder to get help. And I want to minimize its incidence by minimizing their contact with the young.
“I don’t believe you’ve ever known any gay people. Have you?”
I have known many people who suffer from same-sex attraction disorder.
I think we are at an impasse. But it’s been an interesting debate. Have a great weekend. I plan to rest up! :)
susie
Really?
He doesn't ask the police officer how he can make this 'all go away'?
There is no speculation at all on this.
In fact, he did not even turn the papers in until Aug., so it is not like he panicked at that moment.
He had plenty of time before filing the plea in order to reconsider and fight the charges.
He just hoped that it would be the end of it.
Stop defending the indefensible, like the liberals do!
You can insult me all you want, but using the liberal card, like using the race card pretty much means you’re an immature debater.
Your opinion on why he did what he did is just that. Your opinion. And I don’t know you well enough to know if your opinion is worth a hoot.
susie
yes
except for breach of the peace
What part of 'pleading guilty' do you not understand?
This was no 18yr old kid, this was a sitting U.S. senator, who had ample time to reconsider his plea agreement before filing it.
So stop trying to twist the facts
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