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Larry Craig

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This article is about the Idaho senator. For the football player, see Larry Craig (football player).
Larry Craig
United States Senator
from Idaho
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 1991
Serving with Mike Crapo
Preceded byJim McClure (R)
Succeeded byIncumbent (2009)
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Idaho's 1st district
In office
January 5, 1981–January 3, 1991
Preceded bySteve Symms
Succeeded byLarry LaRocco
Personal details
NationalityAmerican
Political partyRepublican
SpouseSuzanne Thompson
ProfessionRancher

Larry Edwin Craig (born July 20, 1945) is an American politician from the state of Idaho. A Republican, he has served in the United States Senate since 1991. Previously he served in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Idaho's 1st congressional district (1981–1991).[1] Including his service in the House of Representatives, Craig is the second-longest serving member of the United States Congress in Idaho history, trailing only William Edgar Borah.

In addition to serving in Congress, Craig has been on the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association since 1983.[2]

On August 27 2007 the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call revealed that Craig had been arrested for lewd conduct in a men's bathroom on June 11 2007, and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct on August 8 2007.[3]

Craig is expected to announce his resignation from the Senate at a news conference on September 1, 2007, to take effect September 30. The Associated Press reports that Idaho Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter will appoint Lieutenant Governor Jim Risch as Craig's replacement until January 2009.[4]


Early life and family

Craig was born in Council, Idaho, to Dorothy Lenore McCord and Elvin Oren Craig.[5] He grew up on a ranch outside Midvale in Washington County. In July 1961, he received his first press mention as part of a United Nations' Youth Pilgrimage Tour, a traveling group of 35 teenagers and adults.[6] In 1969 he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Idaho. At the University of Idaho he was student body president and a member of the Delta Chi fraternity. He pursued graduate studies at George Washington University before returning to his family's Midvale ranching business in 1971. Craig was a member of the Idaho Army National Guard from 1970 to 1972, attaining the rank of Private First Class (E3).[7]

Craig is married and has adopted the three children that his wife, Suzanne, had from her previous marriage.[8] Through his adopted children, Craig has nine grandchildren.[9]

Political career

Craig was elected to the Idaho Senate in 1974 and reelected in 1976 and 1978.[10]

In 1980, Craig was elected to an open seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Idaho's 1st congressional district. He succeeded Republican Steve Symms, who left the House and was elected to the Senate. Craig was re-elected four times, serving until 1991. While in the House, he supported President Ronald Reagan's push to expand vocational education.

U.S. Senate

Craig announced his candidacy for the 1990 Senate election for the seat vacated by the retiring James A. McClure. Craig defeated Idaho Attorney General Jim Jones in the Republican primary. In the general election he defeated Democratic former Idaho Legislature member Ron J. Twilegar with 57 percent of the vote.

Craig was reelected in 1996, again with 57 percent of the vote, defeating Democrat Walt Minnick. He was reelected again in the 2002 election with 65 percent of the vote, when he spent $3.2 million to defeat Alan Blinken.

In 1999, Craig became sharply critical of U.S. President Bill Clinton for his sex incident with a White House intern. Speaking on NBC's Meet The Press, Craig told Tim Russert: "The American people already know that Bill Clinton is a bad boy - a naughty boy. I’m going to speak out for the citizens of my state, who in the majority think that Bill Clinton is probably even a nasty, bad, naughty boy.”

Craig has not indicated if he will run for reelection in 2008. Announced candidates include Democrat Larry LaRocco, a former U.S. Representative elected to Craig's House seat when Craig was elected to the Senate. Idaho Lieutenant Governor Jim Risch is a possible Republican candidate if Craig retires, either by not running for reelection or resigning early as is now expected.[11]

Craig served as Senate Republican Policy Committee chairman from 1997 until 2003.[1] During this time, he exposed Clinton Administration support for Iranian arms shipments to Bosnia and Herzegovina.[12] He then became chairman of the Special Committee on Aging. After the Democrats gained control of the Senate in 2006, Craig became the ranking member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and a member of the Appropriations Committee and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He served as the ranking member of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee. Amidst the controversy surrounding an arrest and guilty plea to charges of disorderly conduct, Craig temporarily stepped aside as ranking member on the Veterans' Affairs Committee and two subcommittees in August 2007.[13]

Craig is a long-time, leading advocate for a Balanced Budget Amendment to the United States Constitution.

In May 2003, Craig put a hold on more than 200 Air Force promotions in an attempt to pressure the Air Force to station four new C-130 cargo planes in Idaho, claiming he received a commitment from the Air Force almost seven years earlier that the planes would be delivered. Defense Department officials said the reason the C-130s had not been sent to Idaho was that no new aircraft were being manufactured for the type of transport mission done by the Idaho Air National Guard unit where Craig wanted the planes delivered.[14]

Craig is a supporter of the guest worker program proposed by President George W. Bush. In April 2005, Craig attempted to amend an Iraq War supplemental bill with an AgJOBS amendment that would have granted legal status to between 500,000 and one million illegal immigrants in farm work. The amendment failed with 53 votes (60 votes were needed because the amendment was not germane to the underlying bill).[15] A version of the AgJOBS bill legislation was included in the Senate-passed immigration reform bill in 2006. Craig, the principal sponsor of AgJOBS, continues to support amnesty for illegal immigrants who are "trusted workers with a significant work history in American agriculture."[16] This position has been sharply criticized by anti-immigration activists.[17] On June 26, 2007, Craig once again reiterated his support for the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007.

In October 2005, Craig suggested that flooded sections of New Orleans should be abandoned after Hurricane Katrina had hit and was quoted in a local newspaper as saying that "Fraud is in the culture of Iraqis. I believe that is true in the state of Louisiana as well."[18]

On December 16, 2005, Craig voted against a cloture motion filed relative to the USA PATRIOT Act; the motion ultimately earned only 52 votes, and so a Democratic filibuster against extension of the act (due to expire at the end of 2005) was permitted to continue.[19] On December 21, 2005, Craig backed a six-month extension of the Act while further negotiations took place.[20] On February 9, 2006, Craig announced an agreement among himself, the White House, and fellow Senators John E. Sununu, Arlen Specter, Lisa Murkowski, Chuck Hagel, and Richard Durbin to reauthorize the Act.[21]

In 2006, Craig posted to his Senate website all the earmarks[22] he had inserted into federal spending bills since joining the Senate Appropriations Committee in 1998.

The American Conservative Union gave Craig's 2005 voting record 96 points out of 100. Americans for Democratic Action gave him 15. Considered a social conservative, Craig has long been an advocate of adoption. Craig supported the Federal Marriage Amendment, which barred extension of rights to same-sex couples; he voted for cloture on the amendment in both 2004 and 2006. However, in late 2006 he appeared to endorse the right of individual states to create same-sex civil unions, but said he would vote "yes" on an Idaho constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages when pressured to clarify his position by the anti-homosexual group Families for a Better Idaho.[23] Craig voted against cloture in 2002 which would have extended the federal definition of hate crimes to cover sexual orientation.[24] (This was passed in 2007 in the House as the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007; it currently awaits Senate action.)

In 1995, Craig formed a barbershop quartet called The Singing Senators with Senators Trent Lott, John Ashcroft, and James Jeffords.[25]

Prior to the nomination of Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne, Craig was mentioned as a possible candidate to succeed Gale Norton as United States Secretary of the Interior in March 2006.[26]

Controversy

Craig is married with three adopted children, but as early as 1982 the mainstream media reported claims that he had had sex with men. In 1982, Craig appeared on NBC News to deny rumors about cocaine use and sex with male teenage congressional pages (the next year, the 1983 congressional page sex scandal broke, but Craig was not implicated).[27]

Soon after declaring that he was not gay, Craig got married for the first time [4]

In October 2006, gay activist blogger Mike Rogers, who has earned a controversial reputation for outing political conservatives, alleged on his blog that Craig was gay. Craig called the claim "completely ridiculous."[28]

On August 28, 2007 the Idaho Statesman published three allegations about Craig's sexual activities, which it had withheld until his conviction came to light. A college student who was considering pledging at Craig's fraternity at the University of Idaho in 1967 told a reporter for the Idaho Statesman that Craig led the student to his bedroom and "made what the man said he took to be an invitation to sex." [29] In the second reported incident, a gay man told a reporter that, in November 1994, Craig cruised him at the R.E.I. store in Boise, following him around the store for half an hour.[29] Lastly, a professional 40-year-old man with close ties to Republican officials "reported having oral sex with Craig at Washington's Union Station, probably in 2004."[29] The Statesman interviewed Craig in May regarding the allegations. Craig responded "I'm not gay, and I don't cruise, and I don't hit on men. [...] I don't go around anywhere hitting on men, and by God, if I did, I wouldn't do it in Boise, Idaho! Jiminy!"[29]

Details of Senator Larry Craig's unsavoury episode are dominating US news programmes, newspapers and websites - the latest in a long line of political sex scandals that perhaps reflect as badly on the society that focuses on them as they do on the hypocritical leaders who indulge in them. The incident presented difficult questions for journalists covering the story as it involved a sleazy tale of bathroom cruising, anonymous sex, unsavory behavior, and a police sting operation.

About the only thing missing in the Larry Craig story was a video of the actual incident, in which Craig, a veteran senator representing the devoutly Republican state of Idaho, is alleged to have solicited an undercover male police officer in a Minneapolis airport bathroom.


Airport bathroom arrest and conviction

Larry Craig
File:Larry Craig mugshot.jpg
Mug shot of Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho)
following arrest at Minneapolis-St. Paul
International Airport on June 11, 2007 Template:Puic
StatusOn probation
Criminal chargeDisorderly conduct [30]
PenaltyTen days confinement with this penalty permanently stayed pending satisfactory completion of one year's unsupervised probation, $1000 fine with half likewise stayed (plus $75 fees for $575 net)

On June 11, 2007, Senator Craig was arrested at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport on suspicion of lewd conduct.[30] According to the police report the arresting officer sat in a bathroom stall as part of an undercover operation investigating previous reports of sexual activity in the bathroom. After about 13 minutes of sitting in the stall, he observed Craig lingering outside and frequently peeking through the stall's door crack. Craig then entered the stall next to his. The officer filed the following in his report of the incident as to what happened next:

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 hand under the stall divider several times.[31]

According to the arrest report[32] Craig stated "that he has a wide stance when going to the bathroom and that his foot may have touched mine." Craig also told the arresting officer that he reached down with his right hand to pick up a piece of paper that was on the floor. "It should be noted that there was not a piece of paper on the bathroom floor, nor did Craig pick up a piece of paper," the arresting officer said in the report. The officer also noted that once he had shown the senator his police identification under the partition and indicated to him to exit the cubicle, Craig, after initially resisting the order, left the cubicle without flushing the toilet. According to the police report, at one point Craig handed the plainclothes sergeant who arrested him a business card that identified him as a U.S. Senator and said, "What do you think about that?"[31][33]

Craig returned to the airport on June 22 to complain about how he had been treated by police. According to the police report of his return, Craig said he wanted information for his lawyer.[34]

He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct on August 8, 2007, in a Hennepin County, Minnesota court.[35][36] He paid $575 including fines and fees. Police have released an audiotape of Craig's interview with the arresting officer, in which the senator denies wrongdoing and claims he was a victim of entrapment.[37]

Fallout

On August 27, 2007 Roll Call broke the story of the arrest.[38] Craig told the public that the officer misconstrued his actions, that he was not involved in any inappropriate conduct, and had failed to seek legal counsel: "In hindsight, I should not have pled guilty. I was trying to handle this matter myself quickly and expeditiously."[39] In an August 28 2007 press conference in Boise, Idaho, Craig said:

I am not gay. I never have been gay.... In June, I overreacted and made a poor decision. I chose to plead guilty to a lesser charge in hopes of making it go away.... Please let me apologize to my family, friends and staff and fellow Idahoans for the cloud placed over Idaho. I did nothing wrong at the Minneapolis airport. I did nothing wrong, and I regret the decision to plead guilty and the sadness that decision has brought on my wife, on my family, friends, staff and fellow Idahoans.

Craig claimed that his state of mind was troubled at the time of the guilty plea because he and his family "have been relentlessly and viciously harassed" by the Idaho Statesman newspaper in the course of its investigation into allegations of Craig's homosexuality. That investigation resulted in an article published August 28, 2007.[29] On August 30, the Statesman called for Craig's resignation.[40]

The Craig incident left the media flush with excitement since it was reported in late summer when the news flow is traditionally slow. Immediately, the media seized on the story in between covering the anniversaries of Hurricane Katrina and the death of Diana, the Princess of Wales.

Craig was one of two Senate liaisons for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, stating: "Knowing Governor Mitt Romney is knowing somebody who first and foremost has very strong family values. That's something I grew up with and believe in."[41] Craig removed himself from that campaign role after the conviction became public.[42] Mitt Romney said of Craig, "He's disappointed the American people."[43]

A Washington watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, filed a complaint with the Senate Ethics Committee requesting an investigation into whether Craig violated Senate Rules of Conduct by engaging in disorderly conduct.[43] Shortly thereafter, members of the GOP in Congress began calling for Craig to resign, including Representative Pete Hoekstra (R-MI),[44] Senator John McCain (R-AZ),[45] and Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN).[44] Coleman and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) announced that they will donate campaign contributions received from Craig's political action committee to charity.[46]

Senate GOP leaders including Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Trent Lott (R-MS) asked Craig to "temporarily step down as the top Republican on the Veterans Affairs Committee, Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, and Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests," and subsequently Craig agreed.[47] Patrick Sammon, president of the Log Cabin Republicans, issued a statement condemning the senator's actions.[48]

Craig's Senate term expires in January 2009; he has not said whether he will run for a fourth term. Under Idaho law, if Craig were to resign before the end of his term, Republican Governor C. L. "Butch" Otter would appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of the term.[49]


Wikinews has related news:

Resignation

On August 31, 2007, it was reported by CNN that Craig will resign. Craig will officially announce his resignation on September 1, 2007, at a 10:30 am news conference. Idaho Republican Governor Butch Otter will appoint an interm Senator to serve to the 2008 Election.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b Congressional biography
  2. ^ NRA 2007 Official Ballot, up for re-election of a three year term
  3. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/29/washington/29craig.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
  4. ^ http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070831/ap_on_go_co/craig_arrest
  5. ^ http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~battle/senators/craig.htm
  6. ^ Larry Craig First mention 1961
  7. ^ "Veterans in the US Senate 109th Congress" (PDF). Navy League. Retrieved 2006-12-09.
  8. ^ Associated Press Election Coverage, October 18, 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-18
  9. ^ [1]. Retrieved 2007-03-23
  10. ^ Official biography
  11. ^ LaRocco to run for Senate; Craig mum on future Accessed 6 April 2007
  12. ^ Clinton-Approved Iranian Arms Transfers Help Turn Bosnia into Militant Islamic Base Accessed 1 September 2007
  13. ^ Craig stepping down from senate committees Accessed 29 August 2007
  14. ^ "Idaho senator holds up Air Force promotions: Dispute over cargo planes at issue", Kate Snow, Steve Turnham and Trish Turner, CNN, June 10, 2003
  15. ^ San Diego Tribune Legal status for undocumented farmworkers fails April 20, 2005
  16. ^ Putting our Immigration Policies to work Accessed 10 April 2007
  17. ^ Vasquez will challenge Craig in 2008 Accessed 10 April 2007
  18. ^ "Senator: LA is as Corrupt as Iraq", WAFB (Louisiana), October 18, 2005
  19. ^ CNN.com Patriot Act renewal fails in Senate. December 17, 2005.
  20. ^ USA TODAY Senate strikes deal to extend Patriot Act, December 21, 2005.
  21. ^ CBS News Agreement Reached on Patriot Act Changes, February 10, 2006.
  22. ^ [2]Idaho Initiatives Page from Craig's website
  23. ^ [3]
  24. ^ Senate: Roll Call
  25. ^ Wired News They Put the Party in GOP 19 April, 2000.
  26. ^ Red Orbit Kempthorne, Craig Could Be Nominees, March 11, 2006.
  27. ^ Jonathan Martin, "Larry Craig's pro-Romney video taken down" Politico, August 27, 2007; includes 30 second video clip
  28. ^ "Senator Pleads to Disorderly Conduct" STEVE KARNOWSKI, The Associated Press, August 27, 2007
  29. ^ a b c d e Popkey, D. (August 28 2007). Men's room arrest reopens questions about Sen. Larry Craig. Idaho Statesman. Retrieved on August 28, 2007.
  30. ^ a b According to information from the police report and its supplement and the criminal complaint, Senator Craig was originally charged with offenses under Minnesota State Statutes 609.746 subd.1(c) (interference with privacy, a gross misdemeanor) and 609.72 subd.1(3) (disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor). Lewd conduct - supplement by #4211: Report of Sgt. Dave Karsnia #4211, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Police Department. (June 22 2007). The Smoking Gun. Retrieved on August 29, 2007. See also Complaint in Craig v. Minnesota, Case No. 07043231 (D.C. Minn., Jul. 2007), page 2.] The Smoking Gun. Retrieved on August 29, 2007.
  31. ^ a b Lewd conduct: Report of Sgt. Dave Karsnia #4211, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Police Department. (June 12 2007). The Washington Post. Retrieved on August 28, 2007 (Adobe Acrobat Reader required for viewing). See also U.S. senator gets flushed: Republican Larry Craig sought Minnesota airport toilet tryst. (August 28 2007). The Smoking Gun. Retrieved on August 28, 2007.
  32. ^ Transcript:Audio Interview of Sen. Larry Craig. Fox News.
  33. ^ Official Police Report; retrieved on 2007-08-29
  34. ^ Idaho Statesman (2007-08-28) "Craig insists 'I am not gay,' police say he sought information for lawyer"
  35. ^ Craig v. Minnesota, Case No. 07043231. Petition to enter plea of guilty-misdemeanor (D.C. Minn., August 8, 2007). The Smoking Gun. Retrieved on August 29, 2007.
  36. ^ "Idaho senator fined for lewd behavior at Minneapolis airport". Minneapolis Star Tribune. 28 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-28. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  37. ^ NBC News and news services (30 August 2007). "Audio of Craig arrest reveals new details". MSNBC. Retrieved 2007-08-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  38. ^ John, McArdle (August 27, 2007). "Craig Arrested, Pleads Guilty Following Incident in Airport Restroom but Says He Did Nothing Wrong". Roll Call. Retrieved 2007-08-29. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  39. ^ Craig Statement on Roll Call Story. Press release. August 27, 2007. Office of Senator Larry Craig.
  40. ^ "Our View: Craig Must Resign". Idaho Statesman. 30 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  41. ^ http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20070829/cm_thenation/45227750
  42. ^ Cite error: The named reference CNN828 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  43. ^ a b "Sen. Craig denies sex charge, says 'I am not gay'". Associated Press. 28 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  44. ^ a b http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070829/ap_on_go_co/craig_arrest
  45. ^ http://weblogs.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/blog/2007/08/mccain_fellow_sen_craig_should.html
  46. ^ Coleman, Collins donating Craig contribution to charity Boston Herald, 30 August 2007
  47. ^ http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/0807/CNN_Craig_stepping_down_from_committee_assignments.html
  48. ^ "Log Cabin Questions Senator Craig's Ability to Continue Serving". 29 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-29. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Text "publisher Log Cabin Republicans" ignored (help)
  49. ^ http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aKJY3RQ.ltMk&refer=home
Political offices
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Idaho's 1st congressional district
1981–1991 		Succeeded by
Preceded by U.S. senator (Class 2) from Idaho
1991–present
Served alongside: Steve Symms, Dirk Kempthorne, Mike Crapo 		Incumbent
Preceded by Chairman of Senate Republican Policy Commmittee
1996–2003 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairman of Senate Aging Commmittee
2003–2005 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairman of Senate Veterans' Affairs Commmittee
2005–2007 		Succeeded by

Template:IdahoUSSenators

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