Craig takes a hit in national media
BOISE (MCT) -- The attention to Sen. Larry Craig's arrest in a Minnesota men's room started strong Tuesday morning and kept increasing all day. Craig's story and his news conference were hot topics on talk radio, network news and cable channels such as Fox and CNN. The details of his arrest in an airport sting for lewd conduct -- and his guilty plea to a lesser crime of disorderly conduct -- captured key space on nationwide Web sites like Wonkette, Huffington Post and thesmokinggun .com. Many poked fun in headlines. "Brokeback Bathroom" led the conservative Drudge Report (which also included "Craig's List" and "His Own Private Idaho." Other quotes: "Once again, we've found people in Washington have not lived up to the level of respect and dignity that we would expect for somebody that gets elected to a position of high influence. Very disappointing. He's no longer associated with my campaign, as you can imagine." -- GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, in an interview on CNBC. "I'm trying to understand, you know, this is not about gay or straight. I'm trying to understand people who would go and have sex with strangers like this. The idea that this is a big problem, it's stunning to me, to say the least. ... Sen. Craig, if you have been engaged in this activity, resign. Resign. Get out of office. If you have been a hypocrite. ... because Republicans don't need you to drag them down." -- Conservative radio and television host Sean Hannity Arrest report The official police complaint on Craig's case said airport police Sgt. Dave Karsnia, who was investigating allegations of sexual conduct in airport restrooms, went into a stall shortly after noon on June 11 and closed the door. The officer said he saw Craig gazing into his stall through the crack between the door and the frame. After a man in the adjacent stall left, Craig entered it and put his roller bag against the front of the stall door, "which Sgt. Karsnia's experience has indicated is used to attempt to conceal sexual conduct by blocking the view from the front of the stall," said the complaint, dated June 25. Craig then tapped his right foot several times and moved it closer to Karsnia and then moved it to where it touched Karsnia's foot. Karsnia recognized it "as a signal often used by persons communicating a desire to engage in sexual conduct." Craig then passed his left hand under the stall divider into Karsnia's stall with his palm up and guided it along the divider toward the front of the stall three times. The officer then showed his police identification under the divider and pointed toward the exit, "at which time the defendant exclaimed 'No!' " The Aug. 8 police report says Craig handed the arresting officer a business card that identified him as a member of the Senate. "What do you think about that?" Craig is alleged to have said. Source: Associated Press
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