And So, The GOP Gets Ready To Lose Another Senate Seat

Sigh...apparently, Senator Larry Craig (R ID) was caught engaging in lewd conduct in an airport restroom. This from the NYTimes;

Senator Larry E. Craig, Republican of Idaho, pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct charge earlier this month after his arrest in June by an undercover police officer in a men’s bathroom at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
[...]
Mr. Craig was fined more than $500 at the Aug. 8 proceedings and was placed on unsupervised probation for one year. His 10-day jail sentence was suspended, according to a copy of a court document in the case.

According to a police report...a plainclothes police officer investigating complaints of sexual activity in the bathroom arrested the senator on June 11 after what the officer described as sexual advances made by Mr. Craig from an adjoining stall.
[...]
[T]he officer said Mr. Craig tapped his foot as a signal to engage in lewd conduct, brushed his foot against the investigator’s and waved his hand under the stall divider several times before the officer showed him his badge. After his arrest, the senator denied any sexual intent and in a statement issued this afternoon he attributed the matter to a misunderstanding.

“At the time of this incident, I complained to the police that they were misconstruing my actions,” Mr. Craig said in a statement. “I was not involved in any inappropriate conduct.

“I should have had the advice of counsel in resolving this matter. In hindsight, I should not have pled guilty. I was trying to handle this matter myself quickly and expeditiously.”

Mr. Craig, whose seat is up for election next year...is married and has three children, is known for his advocacy for the rights of gun owners and has a close association with the National Rifle Association.
[...]
In 2006, Mr. Craig publicly rejected allegations by a gay rights advocate that he had engaged in a homosexual behavior, calling them “completely ridiculous.”

Or, maybe not. He also has announced he was stepping down as Senate co-chair of the Romney campaign.

So, the Democrats can run a dead cat against this muppet and win another Senate seat in '08. But, more importantly, how the hell do freaks like this get into office? What happened to the good old days when elected officials just screwed their secretaries...or at least paid a discrete visit to a "professional"? At what point does "hit on guys in a public restroom" become a good idea? And, what does this say about any other decisions the Senator has made?

Of course, another GOP Senator - Vitter (R LA) - has recently gotten into trouble for using a DC brothel...sorry, completely legal escort service...but, at least he was not trolling for men in an airport restroom. That has to count for something...somewhere...or maybe not.

Hey, here's an idea for any public figure who isn't...umm...satisfied at home...Playboy...Vaseline...right hand...and then head back to the office and make policy...umm, after washing your hand, please.

(Sources: New York Times, Boston Globe)