Poor Senator Craig...

[LinasK]

1. Of course it would be your business, but only 1 person is his wife, so Rino's comment makes sense.
2. See #1.
3. What does your taxes have to do with his sexuality?
4. Who elects people based on their sexuality? Seriously.
4. What does it matter if you're gay and he's gay.

Paladin, are you ignoring the fact that he committed a crime by his own admission, then tried to take it back, has lied, and is a hypocrite? These are not admirable qualities in an elected official! Gay doesn't enter into it.

 

[nanandjim]

1. Of course it would be your business, but only 1 person is his wife, so Rino's comment makes sense.
2. See #1.
3. What does your taxes have to do with his sexuality?
4. Who elects people based on their sexuality? Seriously.
4. What does it matter if you're gay and he's gay.

* His wife and his children's lives are all affected by this exposure.
*He was arrested by police and prosecuted by the court system. These officials are paid with tax money.
*Many people elect officials based on their beliefs, religious or otherwise.
*He voted against gay rights issues, which affects the lives of those who are gay.

 

[Paladin]

Paladin, are you ignoring the fact that he committed a crime by his own admission, then tried to take it back, has lied, and is a hypocrite? These are not admirable qualities in an elected official! Gay doesn't enter into it.

What's the crime? Trying to pick up a guy in the bathroom? Gay does certainly enter it because a woman can't pick up a man in the lady's room, and a guy can't pick up a woman in the men's room.

The law is obviously geared towards gays.

 

[LinasK]

What's the crime? Trying to pick up a guy in the bathroom? Gay does certainly enter it because a woman can't pick up a man in the lady's room, and a guy can't pick up a woman in the men's room.

The law is obviously geared towards gays.

Didn't he get arrested for sex in a public place? If it was only a "pickup", then Craig should be working to help gay rights and be true to himself, not voting against them.
...On the other hand, young boys also have to use public restrooms, and their rights have to be protected first and foremost, we don't need any more Michael Jacksons on our hands.

 

[Paladin]

Didn't he get arrested for sex in a public place? If it was only a "pickup", then Craig should be working to help gay rights and be true to himself, not voting against them.
...On the other hand, young boys also have to use public restrooms, and their rights have to be protected first and foremost, we don't need any more Michael Jacksons on our hands.

This isn't about young boys.

From what I understand Senator Craig was sitting in a stall and a police offer sat down in the stall next to his, and Craig moved his foot to where the officer would see it, and tapped it, which I guess it a signal for soliciting sex.

No sex was had.

As for the Senator's obvious denial about his sexuality and doing things which contradicts his behavior, I don't have anything to say. Sure, I guess that makes him a hypocrite and a liar, but all politicians are. That doesn't necessarily indicate what type of public servant he will be. Look at Clinton. The guy lied through his teeth and I think he was a fantastic president.

 

[LinasK]

As for the Senator's obvious denial about his sexuality and doing things which contradicts his behavior, I don't have anything to say. Sure, I guess that makes him a hypocrite and a liar, but all politicians are. That doesn't necessarily indicate what type of public servant he will be. Look at Clinton. The guy lied through his teeth and I think he was a fantastic president.

The difference is that Clinton did eventually admit his mistakes and he was never hypocritical about any laws he passed as an elected official.

 

[Paladin]

The difference is that Clinton did eventually admit his mistakes and he was never hypocritical about any laws he passed as an elected official.

But being hypocritical and not owning up to your mistakes isn't illegal, and as far as I know isn't grounds for losing a job as a public servant.

 

[GlitchWizard]

But being hypocritical and not owning up to your mistakes isn't illegal, and as far as I know isn't grounds for losing a job as a public servant.

I'm going to eat more fiber. I don't want any co workers to think I'm trying to pick them up if I have to spread my feet wide to push... and then have to concern myself with whether or not my foot tapped in the process.

I guess that's why they call them PUBLIC bathrooms. You can't do anything in private anymore.

 

[Rino]

I'm going to eat more fiber. I don't want any co workers to think I'm trying to pick them up if I have to spread my feet wide to push... and then have to concern myself with whether or not my foot tapped in the process.

Now thats offensive :hand:

 

[luthersmama]

I don't see what the big deal is here. If he's gay then he's gay. Is it that he propositioned a guy by tapping his foot in a stall? If so, who cares? If people weren't so uptight about homosexuality then some men wouldn't need to resort to picking up men in bathroom stalls.

Why should he lose his position over this?

Suppose he was saying that using alcohol is immoral and so it should be illegal and he was working toward re-instating prohibition, all the while sneaking drinks? And planning to continue the same behavior even after it is made illegal?

I don't care if he's gay. He should just let gays be gays and not get on a high horse about it. When he's saying its evil and doing it on the sly, that's just wrong.

 

[Nova]

On the assumption that you are being serious, I think that it is a big deal because (1) Craig denies being gay; (2) He is married with children; (3) His voting record is against gay rights; (4) He apparently picks up strangers in all sorts of places; and (5) After the act, he threatens the strangers to keep their mouths shut.

There are many gays in this country, most who do not resort to picking up strange men in bathroom stalls. I would venture to say that your assumption would be quite offensive to them.

nan, I think Paladin's point was that the remaining stigma against homosexuality encourages furtive behavior such as bathroom pickups. I think he's right about that. Not in all cases, certainly; some people (gay and straight) like the supposed "thrill" of risky sex.

But on the whole, Pal makes a good point: when we stigmatize an entire orientation, we can't be surprised if some with that orientation resort to "secret" sex so as to avoid the stigma. One appeal of bathrooms to those in the closet is that they can always claim they weren't there for sex; it's a lot harder to do that in a gay bar (though some have tried).

I'm sure Pal knows that lots of us have no interested in bathroom sex. (Or in Senator Craig, for that matter. )

 

[Nova]

But being hypocritical and not owning up to your mistakes isn't illegal, and as far as I know isn't grounds for losing a job as a public servant.

Americans get very self-righteous about hypocrisy, as I'm sure you know. Otherwise, I pretty much agree that the Minnesota incident doesn't have much to do with Craig's ability to be a senator. (Which isn't to say I feel sorry for him, as I'm sure you can understand.)

 

[believe09]

Americans get very self-righteous about hypocrisy, as I'm sure you know. Otherwise, I pretty much agree that the Minnesota incident doesn't have much to do with Craig's ability to be a senator. (Which isn't to say I feel sorry for him, as I'm sure you can understand.)

It is certainly cause to question his sincerity, his word and whether or not he can accurately represent people who may have elected him based upon a lie. He presents himself as being ultra conservative and against gays. Perhaps he is expressing hatred of himself, perhaps he is really infiltrating the right...who knows? We have incredible expectations of our elected officials-they must be all things to all people, perfect credit, perfect lives...instead of having the normal set of pecadillos that most people have. It is genuinely silly. Does being a womanizer impact your ability to take office (JFK to mention one)? It is Senator Craig who is doing the most harm to himself...he should just say "no comment" and either stop putting himself and his image in harms way, or simply come out and be done with it.

 

[Nova]

It is certainly cause to question his sincerity, his word and whether or not he can accurately represent people who may have elected him based upon a lie. He presents himself as being ultra conservative and against gays. Perhaps he is expressing hatred of himself, perhaps he is really infiltrating the right...who knows? We have incredible expectations of our elected officials-they must be all things to all people, perfect credit, perfect lives...instead of having the normal set of pecadillos that most people have. It is genuinely silly. Does being a womanizer impact your ability to take office (JFK to mention one)? It is Senator Craig who is doing the most harm to himself...he should just say "no comment" and either stop putting himself and his image in harms way, or simply come out and be done with it.

I think he has begun saying "no comment," at least to the Idaho Statesman.

I don't think there is any such thing as "infiltrating the right," but otherwise, you make a fair point: even if sexuality is not an issue per se, can we trust someone who has misrepresented himself so completely?

 

[bnhall]

And now...the talking Sen. Craig Action Figure!

http://www.stupid.com/stat/LCAF.html

 

[Nova]

And now...the talking Sen. Craig Action Figure!

http://www.stupid.com/stat/LCAF.html

I can only imagine having so much money I could spend it on something like that!

 

[Peter Hamilton]

No, I mean, I've known some men who have admitted to thinking about what it would be like to be with another man... but not wanting to "be gay". Just as a side kink. Their wives let them go "experiment".

It isn't for everyone, but if I care about someone, I'm not going to force them to conform to only what interests me and pretend their feelings don't matter.

--lol--"but not wanting to be gay", well "what it would be like to be with another man" is the very definition of being gay in the first place

 

[GlitchWizard]

--lol--"but not wanting to be gay", well "what it would be like to be with another man" is the very definition of being gay in the first place

Not in my dictionary of life experiences. Sexuality is a spectrum - and where you fall on the spectrum can be anything from totally non sexual to the truely bizarro. Gay, Straight, Bi, or just a little curious and wanting to check it out once or twice - that's just points on a spectrum of sexuality. Unless you identify yourself as gay to yourself - you're not necesarily gay based on some arbitrary definition placed on you by someone else.

 

[Filly]

I can only imagine having so much money I could spend it on something like that!

I just looked. They ran out of them. LOL For someone who really wanted it for under the tree they'll have to somehow work with Ken minus Barbie.

 

[GlitchWizard]

I just looked. They ran out of them. LOL For someone who really wanted it for under the tree they'll have to somehow work with Ken minus Barbie.

Barbie doesn't come with Ken. She comes with GI Joe. (She fakes it with Ken.)