Larry Craig's Dilemma ... or Our Own?

Senator Larry Craig’s (R-ID) post-excuse is somewhat lame coming from a US senator. However, his “explanation” seems to be rather typical of what we have come to expect from a politician: ‘I didn’t really do it. I was just being expeditious.’ To be fair to the senator, however, if it is true that the Idaho Statesman has been “investigating” his sexual orientation (what else was there?) based solely on a blogger’s claim, a claim that, like the newspaper’s, lacks any credible or “hard” evidence (the newspaper writer’s admission), then a plea-out to disorderly conduct might have seemed the most prudent course of action. Perhaps it was reasonable at the time to conclude that such a minor charge would slip quietly away without notice.

Now the Senate Republican leadership wants an ethics inquiry, and for what reason? Apparently Sen. Craig produced a card to the arresting officer identifying himself as a US senator perhaps in hopes that the matter would be handled quietly. With a newspaper reporter dogging the trail desperately hoping to finding a “smoking gun” somewhere? Good luck with that one, senator.

I suppose the fact that Sen. Craig has been so openly anti-gay while dealing with proposed legislation has this sort of thing just dripping with irony so much so that reporters would gleefully jump at the chance to have their names attached to such a scoop. To achieve what, though? How will this nation or even the good people of Idaho benefit from such exposure? What harm has been done besides what is now happening to Mr. Craig and his family, which is substantial to say the least? Have the people of Idaho been somehow let down? Do they feel cheated? Does anyone besides the people of Idaho have a legitimate gripe in the first place?

That Mr. Craig produced a US Senate card while being arrested was a cheap shot, to say the least. I have personally witnessed high-ranking public officials receive special treatment in public places (whether the officials demanded it or it was extended to them because they were public officials, I cannot say) that I considered to be inappropriate because they are citizens just as we commoners who still must wait our turn, so it could well have been a rub-the-wrong-way gesture toward the arresting officer. It was still inappropriate, no doubt, but what is happening now is not teaching anyone any kind of important lesson. Justice is not necessarily being served at this juncture, having already been served in a Minneapolis court. The man said, “guilty”, and that was that.

Today the ones who are being truly harmed are Senator Craig’s loved ones and especially his grandchildren (he is blessed with nine) who will certainly pay for granddad’s indiscretion or misjudgment or whatever it was. Beyond Mr. Craig’s lack of judgment, however, the grandchildren will pay due to the overzealous determination of a newspaper reporter who has determined for himself – absent any “hard evidence” - that Mr. Craig’s sexual orientation is a matter worth investigating. Shame on us for demanding such news.