BREAKING NEWS: Sen. Craig denies being gay

"I am not gay," Sen. Larry Craig said twice during a 10-minute statement today following news that he had pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after being arrested at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on suspicion of lewd behavior in a men's restroom in June.

"I did nothing wrong at the Minneapolis airport and I regret the decision to plead guilty," the Idaho Republican added. He said he had "overreacted" to the stress of the moment and did not consult with family or an attorney. The revelations of the arrest and guilty plea, first made by John McArdle in the Roll Call newspaper yesterday, threw the conservative world of Idaho politics into turmoil.

The 27-year veteran of Washington said the stress was compounded by the Idaho Statesman newspaper, which he said had for eight months "relentlessly and viciously harassed" him and his family. He apologized to his family and the people of Idaho.

The 62-year-old Craig is up for reelection next year, but his political future seems clouded now in what has been a safe Republican Senate seat since the days of Ronald Reagan. Even conservative bloggers such as Hugh Hewitt were urging Craig to give up his seat today and allow another Republican to salvage it in a political year when the GOP already must defend more congressional seats than the Democrats.

In Washington, Senate Republican leaders called for an investigation by the ethics...

committee. "This is a serious matter," according to a statement by the leadership, which includes Sens. Mitch McConnell, Trent Lott, Jon Kyl, John Ensign and Kay Bailey Hutchinson. They also said they would investigate to determine if further action was warranted.

Monday night Craig resigned from supporting the campaign of Mitt Romney. Today, Romney's son Josh cancelled a trip to Idaho and the former governor had some harsh words for his former supporter. He called the senator's conduct as reported by airport police "very disappointing."

And Romney added, "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. He's no longer associated with my campaign, as you can imagine...I'm sorry to see he has fallen short."

Craig has earned top ratings in recent years from socially conservative groups such as the American Family Assn. and the Family Research Council. He has earned a zero rating from the Human Rights Campaign, a prominent gay rights group, based on his votes on seven issues, including voting to add the Federal Marriage Amendment to the Constitution, defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

"While he's reflecting on his latest actions," said Joe Solomonese, campaign president, "maybe he'll finally realize that standing in the way of equality and being hypocritical with his politics is wrong for the country."

If Craig resigned, a Republican governor, C.L. "Butch" Otter, would appoint his successor, probably a Republican. Larry LaRocco, a former Democratic congressman, is already campaigning for his party's senate nomination.

The Statesman's investigation of Craig's sexual orientation, Craig said, is "a witch hunt" and has fueled unfounded rumors. The newspaper has recalled Craig's denials in 1982 of being involved in a congressional page scandal and he denied statements last fall on a gay website that he was a homosexual, calling it "completely ridiculous."

In another story today Roll Call's McArdle noted that under Minnesota law Craig could file a motion requesting to withdraw his guilty plea. The senator said he had retained an attorney to study his options. Experts noted there is a high level of proof required for a plea withdrawal and it might backfire because as part of the plea to disorderly conduct a more serious charge of interference with privacy was dismissed.

The Times' Richard Simon has the complete story on this website here and in Wednesday's print editions.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Greg brandt]

So what that he's gay.

[Mike]

Dear Senator Craig,

Your Michael Vick before his plea agreement impression was not effective.

Resign today so that Israel is not nuked by Iran by the ascension of another weak on Defense Democrat to the US Senate.

Mike in Reno

[Madison]

The fact that he has to deny it should tell you something?

[Pam, Long Beach, California]

Who cares if he's gay or not?! He's a hypocrite! I now take it for granted that when a right-wing wacko wants to deny people their rights and takes a stand that we need an amendment to the constitution to make sure gays don't marry, well, I now just assume that that person is just a self-hating gay person. Maybe because I'm from L.A. and have always known gay people, I don't get the whole prejudice against them. Who cares? I would hate to be in a world without gay guys! I don't think it's an accident...I think that if there's a God, gays were one of his best ideas! By the way, I'm a straight women, married (yes, to a man) for 30 years. I guess I just don't get the whole "hate homosexuals" thing. How stupid!

[Fred]

I am a democrat and I dont care whether he is gay or not (yeah it is a bit illegal and he probably is a hypocrite but dammit, as much as I want to see another republican tossed, I want any politician who actually can do a kickass job of leading his state [I have no idea if this guy is good or bad, I never heard of him]). We are desparate for real leaders and I dont care what they are doing in their personal life.

[Shag]

This just a shame. When all else fails, hold on to the seat, forget integrity.

[Inquirer]

Just another sanctimonious dirty old man in the Republican fold.

Next?

[R.Burt]

Good grief, this man is quite simply a hypocrite. Unfortunately, in exercising his sexual proclivities, he has given gay men a bad rap. This, in addition to what he does to denigrate the gay population thru his politics. Personally I don't believe his behavior was so much about being gay as it was about being predatory and controlling (i.e. handing the officer his business card as if this was an entitled "get out of jail card"). Gee senator, what does it feel like to be at the other end of a gay witch hunt? Honey, you're just some kind of mess.

[Kevin Norte]

I'm not making light of this but when someone in the next stall taps their foot (either right or left depending on what stall I'm in) and sticks their hand under, I always give them toilet paper.

I never knew until Senator Larry Craig's "story" was plastered all over the place that it meant something more.

I would rather not have known this.

Why didn't Craig just say he needed toilet paper (at the press conference or when arrested)?

[Kathy]

I remember when Larry Craig was elected with Reagan in 1980. He has practiced a politics of hate since he got in office. He doesn't care about the environment and during his tenure in office look what has gone on in Idaho. It has become a state that is a refuge for neoNazis and whackos of all sorts. I moved from there because I was afraid to live there, even though it was beautiful and I loved it. As a lesbian, I couldn't take a chance. I loved to camp and travel the state, but couldn't take the risks.

Gay or straight, it doesn't matter to me. His guilty pleas tells me he thought he was caught dead to writes on lewd conduct in a public restroom. It's illegal, it's a lapse of judgment, and it's disgusting. What if the person in the next stall had not been a cop but a 16-year-old?

[Anthony]

An old saying says that gaybashers turn out to be gay themselves in a lot of cases. Has to do with sexual frustration. This case seems to be yet another example of that statement.

The hypocrisy is gigantic of course althoug it is a personal drama. The good man has had no life by supressing his sexual prefference.

When is America waking up and doesn't make an issue anymore if politicians are gay or not.

[sixtypercent]

Craig??? Naw, He ain't GAY, he GOP.

[J. Baker]

He denies being gay, as if it is a "sickness", but yet he is in a restroom looking for sex, that is "sick". "Straight men" that want to have sex with a man (they do exsist) have to look for sex in discreet , perverted ways like this. Respectable gay men do not need to seek out restroom sex.

[andrew]

The fact that he has to deny it should tell you something?

-Ya it tells you that people are accusing him of being something he is not. The media is such bull. One police officers statements just ruined this guys political career and his life.

Since when is touching a stall or putting your luggage in a stall a crime? give the man a damn break. This gay witch hunt, just proves the governments collective stance on gays, they hate them and punish them just like they did to the blacks after they abolished slavery. Segregation ring a bell? No blacks in the gov't, and no gays either if they have it their way.

[asdfa]

sooo wa if he is gay ! ! if his views are just then so wa about his personal prefferences..

[Derek]

Nobody cares if he's gay, or if he tried to picked up some gay tail in a restroom. People are making such a big deal out of nothing, when we have much more important things to deal with. Iraq, the war on drugs, Bush's self fulfilling prophecy of war with Iran, the ridiculous gap between rich and poor... but yea, lets focus on some guy trying to get laid. That's really the way to prosperity.

[Whiteshark8]

The senator's hypocrisy notwithstanding, Im not sure what it is he did wrong. He wiggled his fingers, tapped his shoe on the ground, and placed his bag against the stall door at an airport. Where is the crime? These "sting" operations are BS. The police in thic country can, apparently, now arrest you for considering acting out a fantasy. If intent of lewd behavior is a crime and you can be arrested for considering it end not for doing anything, shouldnt we arrest every single girl in Vegas right now who is putting on a short skirt and makeup to go hit the clubs tonight? I dont get what crime he committed. The police need to be investigated, not this hypocritical old gay man.

[Andy D]

To the person who said all he has done is give gays a bad name, when did they have a good one?

[Fima Fimovich]

Will Minnesota put him on sex offender register. This is sexual predatory conduct and our children must be protected from predators

[Michael]

I am retired Navy. Everyone who has served in the Navy knows what the "foot tapping" in the mens room stalls means, often there are written instructions on the stall wall. No, Craig is not gay, I guess he just thought he was in the Women's restroom.
As for 'Mike in Reno"; you need help son. For the record, our policy of supporting Israel militarily and financially in their efforts to expand into other people's lands, throw them out of their homes, kill their men, women ,and children, much like the Nazis did to them, is why crazed people fly planes into our buildings. Also for the record, we gave Israel nuclear Pershing 1 and Pershing 2 missiles many years ago (Jericho Missiles). Israel has in fact threatened to use them on Egypt once before.
With people like Craig running the Committee on Veterans Affairs
it is no wonder the Department of Veteran's Affairs (VA) is so messed up! Veterans deserve better!

Signed: Veteran from Pennsylvania

[Susan in Los Angeles]

Lewd act in a men's bathroom...like George Michael?

I wonder if he can find a new job on Craigslist.

[joell]

The line that he just tapped his foot is being pushed by his defense - the police report also says he peered into the cubicle the plainsclothes cop was in for about 2 minutes, then entered the next cubicle and did the foot tapping, stretching, rubbing part.

mind you, if he wasn't an anti-gay hypocrite and a liar I'd feel a little sorry for him

[Jason Larsen]

Sen. Craig is only a hypocrite if he refuses to pass laws to permit gay sex in sleezy bathrooms. Even someone who has gay sex in sleezy bathrooms can be opposed to passing laws to expand the definition of the sacrament of marriage.

[Larrys Lover]

Its not gave if you give it only if you recive I hear

[RJ]

Just another closeted self-rightous, holier than though Republican who got with his hand in the cookie jar. People in glass houses........