CNN

Nancy Loomis, Houston, TX,

"A show of hands… how many of you actually have reached down to pick-up a piece of toilet paper from the floor of a public restroom? You can use either hand to respond… right or left."

Sorry, both my hands are busy typing, so I wont be able to raise either one.

So how often do you suddenly decide to start randomly picking up disgustingly filthy pieces of toilet paper in disgustingly filthy public restrooms?

Were you a janitor in a past life or something?

How often do you crap at a roughly thirty degree angle which you would need to be in order to bump someone else’s foot in the next stall? I’ve been crapping in a normal position for about 39 years now and I’ve NEVER had a problem with anybody else’s foot.

How often do you rub the bottom of these said disgusting bathroom stall dividers? And when you do, are you hoping a disgusting bathroom genie will manifest itself?

And how often do you plead GUILTY and pay fines for things you didn't do?

Rao Guntur, Albany NY,

"This senator may be stupid, guilty and gay. Being gay or stupid is not a crime. However, like every one else he deserves his day in a court room. He has a right to due-process. Simply, because he gave up his right to due-process once does not mean that he should not be given a second chance. The evidence against him is not strong
enough to convict him. This is not a republican or a democrate issue;it is about our legal rights."

Umm ... He pled GUILTY (to avoid being originally charged with doing something that was ILLEGAL) and thus waived many of those legal rights. If the evidence wasn't strong, he wouldn't have 1) pled guilty, 2) to a lesser charge, after 3) having WEEKS of time to decide if he was guilty or not.

Get a basic grasp of American law before you comment on "our legal rights" in this country.

White folks kill me bringin up OJ. The in the world does OJ have to do with any of this?? Geez..

[...] kaput, his endorsements have vanished, and he turned snitch.  Bon voyage Larry Craig.Read More at CNN Political Blogs  Published Sep 03 2007, 01:00 PM by kwright Filed under: hiresmichaelvicklawyer, larrycraig, [...]

I can't help it; I have to have reasonable doubt here. First, listening to the tape of the arrest, the cop is obviously already certain of Craig's guilt, and is outraged that Craig denies it. Yet have you ever been investigated by an overzealous cop? The cop was already made famous on other news reports for his 'attention to detail'. Some cops are in it for the arrest record, the self-assurance that they are white knights, and become insulted when anyone – especially one of their accused – does not agree.

Second, I travel frequently, and I am not gay – nor do I pay attention to any gay 'hot spots' or 'pickup lines'. I might go into a bathroom far away from my gate – simply because I am walking around, stretching after a long uncomfortable flight, and looking at the gift shops, restaurants, etc. How would I know of 'gay pickup spots'? And tall people DO spread their legs in public restrooms, as well as everywhere else... some are absolutely rude about it. Does that mean all tall people are gay?

The discussion about the hands under the stall is completely arbitrary and specious.

Many people are falsely accused – more than you think! – and most DO plead guilty to a lesser charge just to get past the false accusation and get on with their lives. PS it always comes back to bite them, but they fall for the cops' and DAs' seductive reasoning (that incidentally enhances their reputations and caseloads). Craig was an idiot to plead out if he was innocent – but most people who do plead out are misled into thinking that it is the best route, when the only people that pleading benefits are the cops and DAs.

All that said, I don't like Craig, don't like his arrogance, don't like his belief that he knows better than anyone what "family values" are and what laws should be made to enforce his particular brand of them. But my dislike of him and his political arrogance does not color my reasonable doubt – a doubt born of my own experience with and mistrust of the legal process and my ability to reason that a non-gay person can display some 'gay' behavior without knowing that that is what it is. If this teaches anyone anything, it should be that if you are innocent, make them PROVE your guilt no matter what. Your reputation can only improve, no matter what the initial charges are.

Wow .... did (former) Senator Craig kill dogs in the airpot restroom??
No wonder his foot was in the next stall.
What a bunch of sleeze balls we have representing us in Washington.

Mr. Craig's hiring of Vick's attorney...sounds like he has really gone to the dogs!!

Senator Craig will probably have to eventually admit his homosexuality, but don't fear. there's a Haggard-esqe 3 week "cure" out there for ya!

This senator may be stupid, guilty and gay. Being gay or stupid is not a crime. However, like every one else he deserves his day in a court room. He has a right to due-process. Simply, because he gave up his right to due-process once does not mean that he should not be given a second chance. The evidence against him is not strong
enough to convict him. This is not a republican or a democrate issue;it is about our legal rights.

Sue, Pocatello, Idaho,

his HYPOCRISY served you well did it?

Now he can add hiring the lawyer of Michael Vick (the guy who a vast majority of this country HATES with a passion after he was found GUILTY and had to PLEA DOWN to a lesser charge too) to his already astounding list of bad decisions related to the matter:

1) He pled GUILTY;

2) to a lesser charge after getting busted for soliciting sex from a male police officer

3) you don't PLEA down to a lesser charge unless you know you're going to get fried on a more severe one (see Michael Vick);

4) there were WEEKS between the time that the incident occurred and the day he pleaded GUILTY – so he had PLENTY of time to consider his situation, seek legal council, etc;

5) COMMON SENSE says you don't plead guilty to something you didn't do, then try to say you WEREN'T guilty when the story hits the airwaves;

6) he has a history of alleged homosexual escapades – unless you think THAT is all part of a vast liberal conspiracy too

LOL Nope, nothing to see here folks! Move along!

Republican party needs to be purged off of all these dirty old men. I would be really concerned being represented, in one of the most important institutions in this country, by a man who doesn't know to seek legal council before pleading in a legal case. I don't think he is qualified to be a Senator ... of course he is not alone.

Please note the obvious typo error in my comments where I stated that Craig had pleaded "not guilty". That is his current position this week.

People claiming Larry Craig is innocent should begin to actually look at facts rather than blindly support him because he is a Republican. He didn't just tap his shoe, he repeatedly peeked into the stall, ran his hand upside down under the stall 3 times slowly, and even with his pants pulled down managed to move his foot over into another stall.

Saying that Craig was too busy to give it more time is ridiculous. He had 6 weeks to think, get legal advice, scream about being entrapped, and blame liberals. Instead, he didn't even tell his family or friends. If you were falsely accused of something you found to be absolutely abhorrent, would you tell no one or tell everyone you could find that you were innocent?

Those who defend a man who has now been accused on 5 different occassions of homosexual activity need to look at what they support. Their support means that they believed that Craig lied when he signed the paperwork saying that he was not guilty, lied when he signed the statement saying "I understand that the court will not accept a plea of guilty from anyone who claims to be innocent” and lied when he signed documents stating “I now make no claim that I am innocent of the charge to which I am entering a plea of guilty”. Those supporters gladly admit his lies, but malign a police officer trying to protect us from crime. Brilliant!

I'm decidedly not a fan of Republicans but this whole affair stinks. Who really cares if he likes homosexual sex on the side other than his family? His mistake was going after Clinton so vehemously just like Vitter did which makes them hypocrites and therefore untrustworthy. Why Gingrich, Henry Hide, Bob
Barr (the list is too long) got a free pass is truly a mystery. Well, not really. Weak kneed Democrats are too busy being wall flowers that all we went from a congress that let Bush be the King to a do nothing congress.

No judge is going to be sympathetic. If Craig is innocent of "lewd" behavior (or the lesser degree he pleaded guilty to), then he is guilty of perjury. That's no small offense. Hey, even Bill Clinton wasn't impeached for his actions; he was impeached for lying. And guess who was right up front in helping the impeachment move forward? You know about glass houses.

I agree with Anthony of Birmingham, AL . We need to stop focusing on politician’s (of any party) private lives and concentrate on their public records. I don’t like Senator Craig’s policy positions, but whether or not he stayed in office should have been left to the voters of Idaho. Since when does anyone quit their job after getting charged with a misdemeanor?

Craig could be innocent. The charges by their nature seem flimsy, and I'm very surprised Craig agreed to plead guilty to them without stopping to think how hard a time the prosecution would have in trying his offense.

Two possibilities:

1) He really didn't want the publicity of having to go through a potential trial over this. He really believed it would just blow over.
2) He actually was up to no good in that bathroom, and the officer was savvy enough to pick up on all the signs. Craig knew he'd been caught and entered his guilty plea, still thinking the matter would never come up again.

At any rate, we are being quite fair in criticizing this guy for so foolishly pleading guilty and now claiming he's the most unfortunate guy on earth. What about waiving his right to claiming any future innocence? As a lawmaker he MUST have at least some understanding of what a guilty plea means...

I must be missing something or your country has different guilty plea than here in Canada. When some one here pleads guilty, it is because he pr she is GUILTY. ARROGANTS runs well in the Republican Party. Then he hires a lawyer who is defending an animal hater. Sure no wonder the Republicans want nothing to do with this nit-wit.

Why? Just pay the fine and retire. It seems strange that he would want to keep it in the news.

BY employing the rich and powerful, Mr Craig puts himself in the elite company of not only Mike Vick, but also OJ Simpson. I have no doubt that with enough money spent, and enough strings pulled, he will exonerate himself, and shift the blame to some poor vice detective just doing his job.

Mr. Craig, do the people of this country a real service and do not return to Washington, ever.

Shouldn't he have lawyered-up BEFORE pleading guilty? Also, in the plea agreement he signed it mentions that he will not proclaim any innocence. Where does this guy get off thinking he can fool people like this, and abuse the law in the process.

I think that this is kind of ridiculous. So, what if he tried to get some sex in the bathroom. Presumably, only consenting adults would engage in this behavior in the bathroom But, what do we care if he's engaging in sexual behavior in the bathroom. Why do we care. At worst, he is cheating on his wife. That is not good... but to make a federal case out of him possibly hitting on a guy... who cares. Not a big deal.

And I'm a Democrat... so, I should be hating on him... but, I really think it's no big deal.

I am alarmed that no one has cited the possiblity that this man may be innocent. Listening to the audio tapes, I am not convinced that he did anything wrong. He was given a summons and mailed it in the way one would mail in a parking fine. Given how busy a member of the Senate must be, it may have been the expediate ting. I thnk his fellow Republicans are cowards for not supporting him. There is no evidence that he intended to do anything but go to the bathroom. Also, the arresting officer really did nit give Craig the opportunity to explain himself. Rather, the officer interrupted Craig everytime he made points that would support his innnocence.

Life is stranger than fiction!

Just when you thought this could not get any weirder, Craig hires the dog torturer's attorney.

Has anyone noticed that when Craig speaks he looks and sounds like a Republican preacher who is hiding something creepy or evil about himself?

Michael Vick's lawyer? I'm starting to become cynical. He's 62 years old and can start collecting social security. I don't know why he doesn't step out of the limelight and just enjoy retirement. Even if he could overturn his plea, he can't overturn his actions. Maybe he could revote on the Iraq war, too.

this guy,like most of his republican crooks, talking so rightously and has a holier than you attitude. Only when they've got caught, they behave jerks. Comeon,senator...take responsibility like a man. I feel sorry for his wife and kids. He is behaving coward.. hiding behind his lawyer. I respect the officer who arrested him and believe 120% of the officer. Not this Craig jerk. He wears a skirt.

More late show cannon fodder. If he needs any kind of attorney it's a divorce lawyer!

How about hiring an attorney who is actually licensed to practice in Minnesota?

As I recall, Mr. Martin wasn't that much a help to Michael Vick. So what does Senator Craig think Mr. Martin's going to do for him anyways?

From the report, I think he is wrongly accused. Something as benign as a shoe tapping certainly doesn't bring the term "lewd conduct" or "homosexual behavior" to mind. Sounds to me like a headhunt. Sadly, the GOP is so worried about the upcoming election that they won't even defend the guy.
Pathetic.

I don't understand why it matters so much what someone does in their spare time. I think this guy is a hypocrite if he's trying to pick up guys in a bathroom stall and vote against gay rights. I think it's deplorable when someone is married and engaging in homosexual activities or extramarital sexual activities because of risk of STD's being passed along to your wife. But with all that said, it doesn't affect me at all. That's his personal life, as long as he performs well at his job I don't think it should be anyone's business but his and his family. Do you really want to know what your barber does when he gets off work? I don't, make sure my haircut is nice and I'll see you again in two weeks. I think do a good job at work and enjoy you personal live

I agree that choosing Mick Vick's attorney seems odd. Although, I think what probably happened was that the disgraced senator probably couldn't really afford a high-profile expensive attorney on his own, and perhaps Mike Vick's attorney is doing it for substantially less money or for free just to get his name in the spotlight. Many lawyers do this kind of stuff just to get more attention. It's like an investment, since the attention gets you real actual business in the future.

Good for Larry Craig. Let the soul-less defense attorney argue Larry's right to turn a public restroom into a gay brothel. Larry may actually be able to get off the hook for this one. But he still has to answer to God in the end. And there is no bargaining then. Better yet, Larry he still has to answer to himself about the truth.

It worked so well for Vick!

Are the rules in Idaho so different from the rest of the Country? For the rest of us, a Guilty plea is the end of the story. Defendants are specifically advised of the consequences of what they are doing- including the fact that they are waiving, among other things, the right to appeal.

Craig should have hired a lawyer BEFORE he got into this mess. As it stands, his legacy will be as poster boy for that old adage: "He who represents himself has a fool for a client"

Craig doesn't get it. It's not the crime that disgusts most of us. It's his attempt at a cover up and his continuing refusal to own up to any of it. It's his assumption that the American people are as stupid and bigoted as he is that is truly disgusting.

Is this guy pathologically incapable of taking any responsibility for anything? If I was his wife or one of his kids I would be so humiliated by how he has carried himself through this more than his fondness for anonymous gay sex. That can be explained as a mistake or misguided or whatever. His refusal to 'be a man' is deliberate.

Hopefully Craig will get a reversal of the charges from a legal loophole. Otherwise Bush will just have to pardon him...This way he can announce for the Presidency and sign on as Fred Thompson's running mate.
They can use Vick's 53 pit bulls as security

I hope Larry can rise above all this and become a better person.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280148195763&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

Does anyone get the feeling that Craig is just trying to put on a show? He knows he's not innocent, but he wants people be believe that he is. I think it is too late. He should come out of the closet already!

CNN is known for its provocative polls. I have a topic for you. A show of hands... how many of you actually have reached down to pick-up a piece of toilet paper from the floor of a public restroom? You can use either hand to respond... right or left.

I really liked the comment that he was not gay and never had been gay....maybe when he was in the bathroom he was like...a part-time gay...or thought that maybe those rules applied like cell phones...you know...free nights and weekends....thou dost protest too much..you are SO done.

Larry Craig must think people are really stupid. The bathroom he used was a well known in gay crowds as a pick up bathroom. Thats why there was a cop there!!He passed by several bathrooms on his way to THAT one. So why did he not use one of the other bathrooms? He picked one that was far away from his gate. Now he wants us to believe WHAT? He was there by accident? Or maybe after passing many other POLICE FREE bathrooms he just had to go. The next time you are in a stall spread your feet so you could reach another person..it's a 37 inch spread...I can't do it cause I'm 5'5..and this was a mistake??? The ex-senator is just hurting his wife.

Does this guy actually think he can lawyer up and what, trash the cop, maybe he should have called Karl Rove.
Then they could slime the cop and the newspaper and everyone else, but in the end Mr. Craig I'm afraid it's your own sexuality that makes you mad!

Like anyone in government at any level would return one of his calls? His own party declared him poison. I don't much support a gay life style, but by god, it is a free country, or will be again soon. And if that is his preference or if he marries a goat, then so be it. The big discrace is the hypocracy his votes have shown. Of course he might have been honest with his electorate, wife etc. but that would have never got him the cushy job would it?

Great! Now we'll get the gory details of proper restroom cruising etiquette, provided this closeted guy can show why his plea should be withdrawn.

Now let's focus on the bizarre spectacle of . . . how many policemen for how many days at how much expense to Minnesota taxpayers, cruising public toilets?

Listening to the evidence, I can see where he may have innocently been accused and offered an easy out by pleading guilty right away. This guy has been a great supporter of Idahoans and the USA – we certainly appreciate all he has done and hope the truth is resolved quickly.

The GOP should put some of these lawyers on permanent retainer for next time.

Ask Sen. Craig who is paying for this legal charade of hiring an expensive, high profile lawyer? If he had to pay for it from his own dollars, this game would be over. 100 to one says it will not come out of his apologetic pockets. It will come from the source of all corruption...his campaign contibutors. Reminds me of OJ's promise to find the killers.

Hiring Michael Vick's attorney? Does the Senator realize that Michael Vick didn't get off, he pled guilty too!
Maybe he should hire the people that OJ Simpson hired to help him find the "real killers."

Hasn't this clown hear of the Rule of Holes? – When you're in one, stop digging. Instead, this guy wants to use a bigger backhoe.

Give it up, Larry. You're making it painful for your family and your party, not that I care one bit about your party.

Just let it go. You're done.

He needs to go NOW!
Where was his concern for the people of Idaho when he was in that bathroom?
Same goes for our Senator Vitter...OUT.

On top of everything he's done throughout this affair, now he wants a "do over" to his admission of guilt. Nice. So long Senator, and good riddance to bad rubbish.

He could have hired any attorney in the nation yet he choose's Vick's attorney. Craig's decision making skills are non-existant at this point. He should be ashamed of what he's done to his family and his political party. There's no way he'll get out of this because he pleaded guilty already.