It was a hot June afternoon in 2007 when well-seasoned Idaho Republican Senator Larry Craig landed at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on a layover. After departing his plane, Craig hustled past four perfectly fine bathrooms before finally entering a bathroom airport police had identified as a "hotbed" for gay sexual activity. An undercover police officer had been stationed in one of the stalls where he noticed Craig peering at him through the door crack. Craig then slithered into the adjacent stall and proceeded to make clear to the officer that someone had gotten off his plane plenty horny and ready for some bathroom
sexy times.
At 1216 hours, Craig tapped his right foot. I recognized this as a signal used by persons wishing to engage in lewd conduct. Craig tapped his toes several times and moves his foot closer to my foot. ... The presence of others did not seem to deter Craig as he moved his right foot so that it touched the side of my left foot which was within my stall area. Craig then proceeded to swipe his left hand under the stall divider several times, with the palm of his hand facing upward.
When the officer arrested him on charges of lewd conduct, Craig's "Wide Stance" defense became one of the most laughable demonstrations of cynical hypocrisy to ever come from a "Family Values" Republican who has ever been caught with his britches bunched at the ankles. This politician who consistently voted against LGBT rights while indulging in a little bathroom tap dancing for himself was about to get some karmic comeuppance.
Larry Craig would go on to paint an elaborate story to the officer about his suspiciously randy actions while on the toilet that afternoon. When the officer wasn't buying what he was peddling, the Good Senator finally handed over his business card hoping his position of power might change the situation. It didn't and Larry Craig's day in the sun was done. Poor sad Larry.
Yet Larry has lurked in the legal bathrooms these many years since and his Wiki page finally got a welcome footnote yesterday. Even though this man was caught, erm, red-handed and pleaded guilty to the charge, he still couldn't face his own personal responsibility for his actions. Getting caught in an indefensibly wide stance in a bathroom stall doesn't come cheap to defend for a sitting Senator. Larry Craig and his attorneys thought it would be perfectly ethical to use his campaign coffers to fund his defense, claiming that Craig was on official duty at the time of his arrest and his campaign contributions could be used to defend him. The Federal Elections Committee laughed in his face while warning him that pursuing that argument would end in tears.
Yesterday it ended in enough tears to send a message. The FEC ordered Craig to return $197,533 in campaign funds and tacked on another $45,000 in fines.
That is substantial coin. I have no idea of Larry Craig's financial situation today. I don't know if this will be a major financial hit for him and his family, and frankly, I couldn't care less. All I know is that a measure of justice was metered out today to a pathetically damaged, yet truly harmful person to our struggle for equality.
I hope to never have to read his name again.