Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

A Scandal-Scarred G.O.P. Asks, ‘What Next?’ (NYTimes, Of course)
NYTimes ^ | August 29, 2007 | SHERYL GAY STOLBERG

Posted on 08/29/2007 6:40:03 AM PDT by RDTF

-snip-

Just when Republicans thought things could not get any worse, Senator Larry E. Craig of Idaho confirmed that he had pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct after an undercover police officer accused him of soliciting sex in June in a Minneapolis airport restroom. On Tuesday, Mr. Craig, 62, held a news conference to defend himself, calling the guilty plea “a mistake” and declaring, “I am not gay” — even as the Senate Republican leadership asked for an Ethics Committee review.

It was a bizarre spectacle, and only the latest in a string of accusations of sexual foibles and financial misdeeds that have landed Republicans in the political equivalent of purgatory, the realm of late-night comic television.

-snip-

It is enough to make a self-respecting Republican want to tear his hair out in frustration, especially as the party is trying to defend an unpopular war, contain the power of the new Democratic majority on Capitol Hill and generate some enthusiasm among voters heading toward the presidential election in 2008.

“The real question for Republicans in Washington is how low can you go, because we are approaching a level of ridiculousness,” said Mr. Reed, sounding exasperated in an interview on Tuesday morning. “You can’t make this stuff up. And the impact this is having on the grass-roots around the country is devastating. Republicans think the governing class in Washington are a bunch of buffoons who have total disregard for the principles of the party, the law of the land and the future of the country.”

-snip-

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-76 last
To: Wil H

but no money changed hands?


61 posted on 08/29/2007 7:54:06 AM PDT by RDTF (Republicans believe every day is July 4th, but Democrats believe every day is April 15th. - Reagan)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: dashing doofus
The interesting thing is that he drew only a few more votes than during his previous, unsuccessful run, while his R opponent (Charlie Bass), received far, far fewer, meaning that alot of Republicans stayed at home in my District, and caused Hodes (a Pelosi acolyte) to be elected. Sad.

It wasn't wise to chase libertarians out of the party.
.
62 posted on 08/29/2007 8:04:55 AM PDT by radioman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: Obadiah; alicewonders; ClearCase_guy

It is beyond me how the Dems can go all these years in bed with the driveby and still the public doesn’t get it. We are made out to be the ‘weird’ ones, in much the way Christians are, more and more often.

I noticed that civility is hard to find, away from here!


63 posted on 08/29/2007 8:38:06 AM PDT by Froufrou
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: what's up

I don’t understand how the foot tapping is a crime, either.


64 posted on 08/29/2007 8:42:39 AM PDT by ARCADIA (Abuse of power comes as no surprise)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: ARCADIA; what's up

I’m sure we’ll hear every detail down to how much bath tissue was on each man’s shoe.


65 posted on 08/29/2007 8:47:50 AM PDT by Froufrou
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: RDTF

What does money have to do with it?

There are no charges of prostitution, just soliciting a lewd act in a public restroom.


66 posted on 08/29/2007 9:17:33 AM PDT by Wil H (Islam translates to "submission", not "peace" - you can figure out the rest.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: jaydubya2

One can be pretty sure there is a law against it or the police wouldn’t be running a sting operation against it, would they?

Besides, it’s all moot, Craig more than compounded his crimes by his flagrant lying to the nation yesterday, and for that alone he should resign.


67 posted on 08/29/2007 9:19:51 AM PDT by Wil H (Islam translates to "submission", not "peace" - you can figure out the rest.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: ARCADIA
I don’t understand how the foot tapping is a crime, either.

because, in this instance, it was a specific communication that he wished to commit a crime, and his other actions corroborated his intent.

You are looking at the action, not the communication, and it's clear intent.

68 posted on 08/29/2007 9:30:26 AM PDT by Wil H (Islam translates to "submission", not "peace" - you can figure out the rest.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: what's up
Yep...GOP constituencies adopt the "Yessir" attitude whenever the MSM directs them to unseat their GOP "scandal-ridden" politicians.

Right the GOP voters should just shrug their shoulders at their scandal ridden politicians

Happy to see you have standards
69 posted on 08/29/2007 9:44:43 AM PDT by uncbob (m first)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: Wil H
B: blocked the gap under his stall door with his luggage, a known ploy used by gays to give them added privacy

This is the most stupid of the charges.

What's he supposed to do...leave his luggage outside? Sheesh.

70 posted on 08/29/2007 11:31:00 AM PDT by what's up
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: RDTF

Nothing sells like sex.

Who wants to read some boring, dry story about hinky campaign contributions?

We are going to have to wait for their fellow Dems to force the story on Hillary!, her minions in SF, and her top grand theft campaign contributor. (yes, I’m sure there are more criminals we don’t know about that, just darn it, don’t raise as much as he did).

We’re going to have to wait. Since it’s only if and when that’s made a story by say, Obama, Edwards, or any of the other front runners for “them” that it’s ever going to make anything but page A20.

That, and sex sells.


71 posted on 08/29/2007 11:36:13 AM PDT by FourtySeven (47)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: uncbob
Happy to see you have standards

Yes, I have standards.

They are not to believe every last thing the MSM tells me about the GOP (or the WOT, or taxes, or global warming, etc. etc. etc.).

72 posted on 08/29/2007 11:40:26 AM PDT by what's up
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 69 | View Replies]

To: Wil H

Are you saying that I can get arrested for telling you “Hey, let’s rob a bank.”

.


73 posted on 08/29/2007 3:28:45 PM PDT by ARCADIA (Abuse of power comes as no surprise)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 68 | View Replies]

To: ARCADIA

Yes, if if you are seriously conspiring to do so with me, Absolutely.

What do you think the “Fort Dix Six” were arrested for?

It wasn’t for blowing anything up or killing anyone, was it? They conspired to kill people and were arrested on the basis of their intent, corroborated by their actions, which presumably included conversations they had about the plot.


74 posted on 08/29/2007 3:45:45 PM PDT by Wil H (Islam translates to "submission", not "peace" - you can figure out the rest.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 73 | View Replies]

To: RDTF

What a biased reporting. No, it is not scandal scarred GOP, it is one senator. Not nearly as important a story as the Hillary scandals.


75 posted on 08/29/2007 3:48:44 PM PDT by Jane Austen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: what's up
This is the most stupid of the charges.

What's he supposed to do...leave his luggage outside? Sheesh.

I think we are missing a subtlety here, I believe the practice is to lay your luggage down to form as much of a barrier as possible, so for instance, if he was pulling a roll-away with him, he would lay it on it's side (the long side), to obscure as much as possible, instead of just standing it upright in the corner behind the door.

Not an illegal practice in itself, as was not foot tapping, but I guess it goes to "modus operandi" that Craig knew the exact routine used by the gays that were infesting the mens' room and followed the practice to sufficient extent to identify himself to an officer that was on the lookout for precisely that behavior.

The funniest thing about this is that nobody has given a thought for the poor police officer. I mean, what's the worse job you've ever had?

- Bet it wasn't sitting all day in a smelly toilet stall while others came and stank the place up around you, waiting in the hope that some pervert would solicit you for a blow job.

Not my idea of wholesome work!

76 posted on 08/29/2007 3:58:35 PM PDT by Wil H (Islam translates to "submission", not "peace" - you can figure out the rest.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 70 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-76 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson