If the kids are correct, what does that say about the Republican party that discarded Dad?

Larry and his family are putting so much spin on this story that there is a very real danger of a tornado….too bad he just can't admit what he already admitted to the police officer

Denial is NOT a river in Egypt, people. Wake up! He's GAY, GAY, GAY!!!!!

Sad. Delusional.

Hey, that's OK, kids. My ex-wife INSISTED that she wasn't Gay, just "in LOVE" with another woman…
Daddy's still in the closet, so he's gonna lie his butt off to everyone, including you and your mom.

Why would the kids, or anyone, believe him when he he says he lied under oath? He was either lying then or is lying now. I know the kids want to support their father, but there cannot be two truths. Who cares if he's gay. Why, oh why, doesn't he quiety go into retirement, if not for himself, for the sake of his family?

That's nice that the kids believe daddy, but what about their father's failure to advise the Senate Ethics Committee about his conviction of a crime based on his guilty plea? What about his abuse of office by attempting to get out of the situation with the police officer by identifying himself as a US Senator? These are the reasons why the bigotted Senator is rightfully now the bigotted FORMER senator.

I feel sorry for his kids. They are doing what comes naturally - defending their father.

The bottom line is - Larry Craig made a huge mistake and it was found out. He has made a huge mess out of this by attempting to solicit sex in a bathroom. He should do the right thing and deal with the mess he has created. Admit your mistake, apologize to your loved ones that you've hurt, and get help.

He only looks worse by these last minute denials. Yes, even US Senators can make mistakes. "We" know that - but it's hard to convince people who live in glass houses (The Capitol) that they are help just as accountable as us ordinary taxpayers!

I'm quite certain that if you asked the children of most closeted, married homosexuals, they would in majority respond that their father and/or mother was straight….of course, I don't know of any children who have to engage in such conversation after a parent was arrested in a bathroom for lascivious and clearly documented behaviour. People believe what they want and need to believe…take Senator Craig's wife for example.

It's amazing, the power of denial.

As a person who has struggled for years to live a life of integrity and honesty as an openly gay man, I am all too familiar with this story.

The man is a liar, terrified of the same persecution against the gay community he has condoned for decades.

Sure, and they believe in the tooth fairy and Santa Claus, too.

And we can trust them because children always know all about their parents' sex lives? Sigh . . . go away, Sen Craig. Quit tapping your foot and wiggling your fingers at America. We don't want to hear this anymore.

I believe it is foolish for his children to believe his words, as it is now necessary for him to lie to maintain a stable family. At this point, I truly believe that he would say and do whatever necessary to save himself from losing what he has left - his family. The only way to know for sure is a polygraph test, which he would have already submitted to had he been innocent.

How sweet, it's nice to know family can be counted on to give blind support to delusion despite the preponderance of evidence.

They've taken a strong stance here, one might dare say a 'wide stance'.

I feel badly for the children of Senator Craig. BUT I do not believe the senator pled guilty to resolve a little matter, I firmly believe that anyone of us would have insisted on having our day in court if we had not been guilty, think about it how many times has your foot touched someone elses in a public bathroom stall, how many times would you pick up a piece of toilet tissue in the bathroom stall floor of a public bathroom, would you ever put your hand under the stall in a public bathroom knowing someone is in that stall (I would not even if no one was in the stall)…get real I know you are his children and you love him and I feel he loves you but take the right wing conservative blinders off, you see how much they stood behind your father when he needed them…boils down to this the christian right will USE anyone that is willing go along with their agenda and say what they want said…

CNN - are you so desperate for SOME kind of story about Craig? WHO cares if his kids think he's gay or not? The guy is leaving congress. And after decades of service he will be remembered as the senator looking for sex in the men's room.

It's natural for children to be loyal to their parents. My heart goes out to his family, because they didn't deserve all the agony of a scandal that wasn't their own fault.

A person does not plead guilty to something he/she didn't do, especially after having 2 or 3 weeks to think about it

Who cares?

The issue is not whether Larry Craig is gay. The issue is whether he engaged, or attempted to engage, in an act of sexual deviancy, an act which would have been "deviant" regardless of his orientation. To paint this issue as one of the former senator's sexual orientation plays into the conservative paranoia which would mark every gay person as a potential sexual deviant against whom we all have to be on our guard, and to guard our children as well. Even in his humiliation, Larry Craig is attempting to misdirect attention from his own penchant for anonymous sex to miscast a group of our fellow human beings based not upon who they are but upon who he is. Double-shame on him, and shame on us for allowing him to frame the debate in this manner!

Interesting these kids are not biologically his. Could this have been a marriage of convenience to hide his true orientation?

There is absolutely NO WAY what happened in that restroom that was misinterpreted. Come on…he just got caught…now he has to cover!

I would expect that Sen. Craig is in denial and that he is trying desperately to keep his family on his side. That does not change the facts. The person who reacted to Sen. Craig's behavior is a police officer who has obviously encountered similar behavior from others he has arrested.This quibbling over wording, is he "gay" or not is irrelevant. He made signals that are obvious to any adult male. It has happened to me in a public restroom once and I have witnessed a male on male sexual assault in a restroom once. The police MUST STOP this behavior. Sen. Craig gets no sympathy or understanding from me.

I'd still rather have a republican who is gay but believes in low taxes for all (not just lower-income people) and a strong military, than a democrat who is straight and wants to turn us into a socialist country.

CNN: why should I bother contributing, with all of the Big Brother barriers you throw up?
Bug off. And be content with the goodie two shoes that get through the entrance requirements.

Amen to that, J.B.!! I feel worse for his family than for Sen. Craig himself. it must be really tough for them right now. especially since it wasn't even their fault!!

"Another sibling, Jay Craig, was said to be out of the country and not available."
"Was said" by whom? At the press conference Craig said this son was working in McCall (approx. 100 miles north of Boise). If CNN can't be specific in its attributions and accurate in its details, why should readers trust its reporting?

Has anyone questioned why are the police wasting their time staking out restrooms?
Go to any hotel lounge and you will find soliciting–a lot more subtle of course "buy you a drink?" Maybe it was because it was "homosexual activity" they say the need to stake it out.
What about staking out the parking lot where car break-ins are a problem?

These kids beliefs add ZERO to the story. Sorta like the kids of serial killers, bet they didn't know either. Which finally asks the question, why did this make the news at all? Maybe Craig should get Britney Spears or better yet Paris Hilton as a VALID source to confirm his sexuality. Geesh!

The excitement of these "shocking" stories of outed republicans is starting to wear off…
His son wouldn't care if the senator were gay, yet says it is "immoral"? Really? Not a very accurate statement I would say. I am always interested in individuals who feel prompted to throw around the term "immorality". Immorality equals hypocricy. Empty meaningless religious accusations based on waxing and waning social norms… full of insecurity and doubt. I'm getting bored with these hyper-religious jokers trying to strangle this "immorality" out of society when they can't even strangle it out of themselves! People feel sorry for the family. Honestly, I somewhat blame the family and the people who create the social context in which people like the senator find themselves. If the family and friends of people like this truly were supportive, pouring out the unconditional love so often preached, people like the senator would not be denying their actions, their feelings, or the truth for the sake of something unknown and unproven. These fascinating and "schocking" headlines would not even exist. How tragic.

I think his wife is in the DARK. Notice he didn't father any children. Wonder if they've ever consumated the marriage…….

The American public or at least the gays I know would have fully supported him with the arrest and thereof had he not been so hard on gays in the past!!.. we could have said, 'he sinned' so did Bill but the worst part is that he's asserting that he ISN'T gay and that is not the only kicker, he gave gays a HELL OF A HARD TIME while he was in office, so this is sweet revenge almost - I like how the kids grilled him because in their heart of hearts they know papa is 'sweet' - it's a shame, once he resigns and finds a willing partner [none of that, three times toe tapping, sliding hand under stall, punding wall while tapping and touching the other guys ankle HOT MESS!!] and falls in love, he'll eventually come out! but it's funny how old people are still scared to come out - in the US no less and in this time and era - 2007 is the year of the pig for a reason!

Well, now Larry Craig can go tap dancing and wiggle his fingers under any bathroom stall. How pathedic is this? If he isn't gay, he is now… To remotely think in that direction is a person who is considering the act. Wow, enough already. Admit your a gay thinker or want to be gay or even would like to try being gay. We at least can handle the outcome. Lord knows you will go down in history acting silly in a men's bathroom. Why a bathroom? Aren't there hotels nearby? WOW….

The whole story is just ridiculous… we have much more important things to worry about as a country… WHO. CARES.

Pathetic. My dad was doing the limbo in a bathroom stall and accidentally touched another mans foot from under a stall, which is impossible. This cop makes a living out of catching pervs and Craig gave all the signals and was hoping for a dirty encounter! The kids are going to spin this all they can, but the dude is gay, tried to have sex in a bathroom and lied about it. If the Republicans are jumping on their own you know its a fact!

I believe that the senator isn't gay. He just engages in risky illegal public homosexual sex for the thrill of particapating in a taboo sex act. If a gay man has sex with a woman, it doesn't make him straight. Conversely, straight men can engage in gay sex for the thrill and excitment of going against society and their own sexual preference. Kind of like summer camp.

……I am sorry, but Craig dug the hole he is in, and with years and years of political experience, his only (and best) option is to leave quietly. What's next? His wife on Oprah?

Leave!

Larry Craig protests too much. If he did not engage in unlawful behavior then he would not have pled guilty. It's too bad that he's still lying to his family - he should be asking for their help and forgiveness instead!

Gays in denial are usually overly homophobic. Think about all the years he's been bashing the gay adgenda. He knows that being gay will ruin his career and family so he strongly goes the other way. Everyone would be better off if he'd just admit the truth.

In response to Jon, most Americans now do not consider denying equal human rights to tax-paying American constituents for decades to be any service whatsoever to this nation. This is particularly true of Senator Craig who made a career of espousing anti-gay rhetoric and signing his name to bills diminishing equal rights and encouraging hate crimes. If you ask me, this is one of the most newsworthy stories of the year. Like many closeted men, he got nailed in his Achilles heal. It's nature, not nurture and only the truth will set those like Craig free. If he had come clean at an early age with himself, he would have hurt one person….Now, at 62, he has destroyed a marriage, his family, his friends, his career. Honesty, not hypocrisy, is the best answer.

Who fricking cares? It's moot. He pled guilty; he resigned. Whether he's gay or not is immaterial. Get on with real news.

I'm no fan of the GOP, but I don't just blindly believe something a cop says with no proof either. The cop was there looking for someone to arrest. People say it was foolish of Craig to plead guilty to a lesser crime and hope it would all go away than to be charged with soliciting a prostitute. But either way, just being charged was enough to destroy his political career. He should have pled not guilty and if he won the case and his career was still destroyed, he should have sued the Minneapolis police. From what I've seen there was not enough evidence to actually get a conviction and the cops knew it. That's why they needed to get him to agree to a lesser charge.

He didn't lie when he said he wasn't gay. He's bisexual. He didn't lie when he said he didn't have sex. It didn't get that far. Bathroom sex is usually done by married men in the closet, not openly gay men that have no problem with people knowing they are homosexual. The Republicans are just embarassed that this could happen when they proclaim they are all about "FAMILY VALUES". Is the White House really just made of glass?

His is out of order, but he's not gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Senator Craig is gay, plain and simple. I havent read this anywhere yet, but I have thought to myself "With all the connections he must have, couldnt he have found a little less sleazy way to play with someone?" He is just lucky there wasnt someone else in that stall that kicked him in the shins.

Lets move on! There are many important issues other than gay, and same sex marriage which affect the day to day lives of so many citizens. Republicans have learned their lesson that Karl Rove strategy of bringing these irrelevant issues as ballot initiatives won't fool american people. Talk about real issues such as health care, economy, environment, immigration, and bringing trrops home!

Last time I had someone stick his hand under the partition, he was looking for toilet paper.

I think if the officer was polite, he would have handed the congressman some toilet paper when he stuck his hand under the partition. And when is it illegle to tap your foot.

And big deal if the tip of his shoe touched the officiers for a second. None of these things are a "lewd, immoral, illegal act" There was no verbal solicitation.

This case is very poor, the whole case is based on the assumptions of one officer. I just think it is crazy to be labled a homosexual just because you tapped your foot three times in a bathroom stall.

Just plain disgusting.

My family and I will only feel safer, when “former” US Senator Larry Craig is officially registered as a SEX OFFENDER! This way, we can avoid those men’s public restrooms close to his place of residency, in order not to get entangled with his disgusting bath room manors. “EX” US Senator Larry Craig should be ordered to stay at least 100 yards clear from ANY public restroom used by decent citizens, so he can NOT tap his shoes, rub by-stander shoes, and make gay hand signals underneath the bathroom stall divider…

There have been rumors of Craig being gay for years. Why not just come out already!!!! OK OK, he may not be gay, he just likes to have sex with men

I don't know about any of you, but I've never been in a stall in a restroom where someone else's foot "accidentally" touched mine. That just doesn't happen naturally, regardless of how wide your stance is. Craig would've had to have gone out of his way to get his foot under the stall to touch the officers foot. Also, I don't know of anyone who would reach down to pick up a piece of toilet paper. Who does that?! No one does that in a public restroom. Clearly there was intent.

This is important. We are supposed to trust our leaders. If this guy is gay fine. But if he was ashamed of being gay and not disclosing it. What did he tell the people that voted for him and how did he vote on gay issues? We need honest leaders that have backbones, and can learn from mistakes. This cr-p of not changing there minds is foolish.

Not gay?.. But maybe "BI".
Play on words that are shades of Monica-gate. Politicians are such gifted liars.

Nick,
The "immoral" part is soliciting sex in an airport bathroom. Gay or straight, it's unsafe and irresponsible.

Jon from Sacramento, I agree with Chas, it was Larry Craig's long career bashing gay people that make this the story what it is today. Larry Craig's continual posturing in the news about his innocence continues to make this story.

Chas,

There have been more than 20 articles on CNN about Larry Craig - in the men's room, condemnation from congress, his impending resignation, his resignation, etc.

NOW we have an article on what his kids think. WHAT does this do change Larry Craig's choices for the past decades? Nothing.

Sounds to me as though, Chas, you're just happy people are piling on Larry Craig because - perhaps - you have a vested interest in gay issues. Anyone who says Senator Craig "encouraged" hate crimes has sunk to the level of … Senator Craig.

This is just sad, now he is parading his adopted children on T.V. trying to save his political career?

Hey, Michael! Those games you used to play with 'Dad' aren't really 'games'!

Very sad indeed. Nothing like the power of denial.

This is all such hogwash! A man does not need to be "gay" to solicit and/or engage in forms of homosexual sex. Many straight men have occasional sexual encounters with other men, and would never consider themselves to be "gay".
Anonymous bathroom sex, especially, seems to be the domain of such "straight" men, much more so than responsible, openly gay men..

I just wonder why these men don't try to find sex in a cleaner place. Do they really want to engage in "the act" with a stranger who just used the toilet? Yuk! Wouldn't a men's locker room shower be a little more sanitary?

BOLOGNA - he was looking for man on man in a bathroom and got caught. End of story. He can deny it all he wants, but bottom line - he got caught.

Just because someone has anonymous gay sex in public bathrooms on a regular basis doesn't make them gay! I mean, look at this guy's political record! He LOATHES gay people. He can't be gay! He just can't!

Oh, heck, don't resign then, Craig. Screw the evidence. His kids have spoken!

Whatev. He's gay, he' not gay. This incident is not going to make people who vote conservatively change their vote in '08. And I think the more people make this the big story, the more angry and determined conservatives will become.

Why has this become an issue of whether or not he's gay? The main point is that it's "a matter of an accusation of a lewd, immoral, illegal act." I don't care if he was soliciting sex from a man or a woman — he was soliciting sex in a public restroom. Yet more hypocrisy from the "value party".

It doesn't matter whether he is gay or straight, the real question is, has he been faithful to his wife and family? If he cannot commit to his wife and family, he certainly cannot commit to the American People. The whole "gay" question is just another diversion that the current government likes to throw out there to keep folks arguing over something that does not matter.

He may not actually be gay, just sick. Ordinary people do not behave like this. There are plenty of places to get some tail that aren't so risky or dangerous, whether you are in the closet or not.

What would you expect his children to say when Dad refuses to admit that he has urges to be with other men ?
Larry just deal with it…. use the Internet, go to a gay bar and be who you obviously could never be…. You could be bi…gay or just like to be with a man occasionally. Butch it up…admit that you messed up..come clean with your wife andboth of you should go and get tested. Be true to yourself….for once in your Hypocritical Republican life.

Mr Craig is right, he’s certainly not gay. He’s actually a CLOSETED HOMOSEXUAL.

What Mr. Craig fails to realize is that it takes huge courage and honesty to earn the privilege to call oneself Gay.

Instead, Mr. Craig is doomed to his own worse fate; a life built on dogma, hypocrisy and lies.

Hi kids, do you really believe your dad is innocent?

Being gay or not is not the issue, not is the fact that he is a Republican senator. His behavior is deviant and perverse. Not unlike a pedophile soliciting a child for sex, or any other perverse act. I think it unlikely that this was his first act. If he wasn't guilty, he would not have plead guilty. While his family can be loyal and protective, it does not change the fact that Craig has crossed the line of accepted behavior.

Am not condoning what he did but I have a question. Why is it that any time a Republican is caught in a scandal, they will be forced to resign but when Democrats are caught, nothing happens and they stay in Office? Does it mean that Republicans are more accountable and they try to show moral examples than Democrats? I notice that not one Republican tried to make an excuse for Senator Craig. TO me that shows good governance on the part of the Republicans. Lets look back at history and see what am saying.

Are you kidding????!!!!!!!!!!!!

This outrageously obviously liar makes me sick…..

Of course Larry Craig is gay. Absolutely - no doubt. And it's a dreadful shame that he can't be who he is and is supressing this precious part of his humanity. His children are infected with the same kind of shame and denial that permeates much of American society when it comes to gay folk. I'm straight, and I see no difference between me and my gay friends. It's a good thing that this man is no longer a senater. He's living a huge lie.

Has anyone questioned why are the police wasting their time staking out restrooms?- noah

If you read the initial story, the police officer was staking out restrooms because of complaints of sexual activities happening at the airport restrooms.

Sen. Craig might experience what are called "aside" homosexual relationships. He might repress and deny his possible homosexuality. Only Sen. Craig knows for sure. Whether he is homosexual or not does not concern me. But a public restroom? Come on.

It seems Larry Craig got a ready made family in 1983 a year after his alledged sexuality was first questioned, to thwart any more questions and I guess it has worked well over the years until now. You can only hide the dark side of your personality so long, and something somewhere will always bring it out.

The real question is why do police continue to harass gay people and single them out for prosecution. Why were the police interested in what was happening in the men's bathroom? Because our society has driven homosexuality underground (albeit with some recent changes). What, exactly, did Senator Craig do wrong? If he was engaged in sex with another man, how is that the state's business? It isn't.

I just can't believe these comments! I bet the people commenting here with statements such as delusional, a spin, Gay, Gay, Gay are the same people who were delusional enough, trusting enough, Republican enough to vote for Bush the second time around!

And just for the record, the issue is not if Larry Craig is Gay or not! The issue is the Officers Charge against Larry Craig for Lewd Conduct in a public place.

And the officer has no concrete proof to make such charges. It is his version of the facts as he saw them against Craig's version of the facts as he sees them.

And there is no law against being Gay even if Craig is which he States He Is Not!

And his children are publicly stating their feelings which is they believe their adopted father told them the truth and they trust their adopted father. It is their right and their perogative to make a public statement on their father's behalf.

I have no proof with which to confirm or deny Larry Craig's statement, DO YOU? It seems that most here have appointed themselves as Larry Craig's Judge and Jury!

If your going to Judge him at least stay on the issues. Whether he is Gay or not is not one of them. And I really think it's time to put this story to bed. It's getting a bit monotonous.

If Craig's adopted son said it wouldn't matter if he was gay but he's been accused of an "immoral" act. If it doesn't matter to this kid why describe what he did as "immoral"?

Not sexual intercourse but sexual actions.Hmmm that sounds familliar but from where ?Could It Be that Republicans say I AM NOT GAY! and Democrats say I did not have sex with that woman.

He may not be gay, but he is a PERVERT!!!

Article presents useless information.

Try this out in your local public restroom:

1) Find an empty stall.
2) Pull your pants down to your ankles as if you were going to use the toilet for its intended purpose.
3) Try to have a "wide stance" and see how much you have to stretch the waistline of your pants.

You can't. The fact is that Larry Craig didn't have his pants down and wasn't really using the toilet for its intended purpose. He was there for a homosexual hook-up!

I am not American. I cannot vote.

In surveing the world's leading newspapers, and some of your neighbors, as my assistant does every day she found the following opinion published by The Toronto Daily Star on Sept. 4.

The opinion came from a James R. Dubro of Toronto, Canada. I am sure neither The Toronto Daily Star nor Mr Dubro mind my copying it to CNN for posting on this blog.

Re Arresting officer accuses "not gay" senator of lying. Dated August 31.

"I am gay and I resent US Senator Larry Craig saying that he is innocent of any wrongdoing by playing footsies with another gay in an airport washroom, because–as he says again and again–'I am not gay.' It is irrelevant whether Craig identifies as gay. The point is that he played around in a washroom and he should deal with that reality, not questions of sexual identity.

"The activity is not 'disgusting' and immoral, as many commentators have said. It is likely it was just non-verbal, non-sexual preliminaries to what should have been a consenting encounter between two adults if one had not been a cop out to entrap men.

"Shame on Craig–a law-and-order, family-values, anti-gay-rights Republican–to use his alleged self-identification as a straight man as a defence or justification."

Again, my thanks to Mr Dubro and The Toronto Daily Star who hold a copyright on the above.

He pled guilty. In June. He not only approcahed another man for sexual relations, but he covered it up. Whether he covered it up to protect his family, his job, or his reputation, is yet to be seen. He's dishonest. He should have lost his job.

They are in denial! I think he will be the next one giving the "I am a Gay American" speech.

Great going, Larry and family. Keep this whole mess simmering on the front burner.

I'll tell you, the right just can't resist an opportunity to do nothing for themselves lately.

Note to Dems: STAND BACK PLEASE - GOP AT WORK SELF-DESTRUCTING

It is a sad situation and is done with. I feel sorry for his family, his kids, even him a little. Lets be done with this.

HE IS SOOOOOOOO GAY

Upon reading some of these responses, I'm left with a question… Why is this considered a 'sex' crime? No sex took place, no proof of any kind exsists, no photos, and no witnesses. When police do a sting there are at LEAST 2 officers for witness purposes as well as backup. A reminder to everyone, this was an AIRPORT police officer that entrapped Craig. Are there no other duties more important for an officer than to sit on a toilet in a locked stall and wait for a man to 'act' like he wants sex or use a 'code' for sex? Hello, get real! We as humans use body language to convey EVERYTHING in our lives. That's part of communication. Should every body language movement be scrutinized as 'code' for "I want sex?" Sure, Craig may be guilty, and yet he may not be…where's the proof? Craig may be gay and may not be…who cares? It was mentioned here that we as a society 'created' this type of behavior by our own piousness and intolerance. That may be true, but unfortunately it's not changing much. I don't support the hypocrisy of the ex-Senator, but I also don't support harassment. In time, Larry Craig's family will come to understand him more and if they really love him, it won't matter either way.

It's quite amusing how quick we are to assume. The media gives us this outlet to engage in discourse, and you spend the entire time telling Mr. Craig, his kin, and his political party why he's wrong on a level only he himself could know? You know what, maybe he is a bigot. Maybe he's an absolute moron in the legal field. Maybe he utilized his credentials for favors (yeah because those with law enforcement connections NEVER use such mechanisms either). Point being, the only judgment now lies in two hands: the eyes of a higher power and the eyes of a legal apparatus, and no one has yet to comment on the latter, tangible component. I am in no way a supporter of Larry Craig but this blog is a pathetic mockery of what is really intended.

not just a river in Egypt…Denile

I listened to the tape.., I think the cop sounded like a scam artist!!! I think Craig was so scared of his life being ruined he wasn't thinking rationally. I think a bored tired man waiting for a bathroom stall was fiddling with his fingers, then had a wide stance in the stall.
Besides …., I am wondering.. IF he was giving off signals and that was standard behavior, what was the cop doing to entice him? I say that because if you are in a bathroom and fiddling your fingers OUTSIDE closed OCCUPIED stall how do you know WHICH person is accepting your offer?
And yes people you can from inside a bathroom stall tell what someone's eye color is if YOU are looking out the crack at waiting people. Try it….
Is he gay? Who cares? Being gay Doesn't matter…No one cares if he is gay..What you do in the bedroom as a consenting adult with another consenting adult is no ones business.. Now in a public restroom.., that's another story, but being gay? Very unimportant in this matter. Instead of screaming 'My Dad's not gay" shouldnt you be saynig "My Dads not Guilty" ???

They don't "believe" that he is gay? This is typical of such families in denial. I came out at age 11 and my family didn't believe I was "really" gay for 20 years. I guess they thought I was just being rebellious or making a "choice". I can't believe that, in this day and age, that people are still so clueless and willing to forget reality to satisfy their delusions. Sad.

Oh kids, just face it. What makes it crazy is the voting record. This self loathing in the gay community is horrible. It has gotta be changed.

Right, he just picks up guys in public restrooms to counsel them on the error of their ways.

I've grown tired of the repeated comments concerning Senator being gay or not gay. Who cares?! Who SHOULD care? The real question should not be whether the senator is gay or not. The question should be whether he, in any way, solicited sex in a public place. Straight people are totally capable, sorry to say, of acting inappropriately. Let's get away from labeling inappropriate behavor as "gay" behavior.

He's not gay folks. He just wanted to have sex with another man. *eyeroll*

What kind of Senator pleads guilty to something to make it "go away"?
A pathetic one. Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Mr. Craig.

Of course the kids want to believe their dad isn't gay. But let's be honest here folks. This isn't his first time at the denial rodeo! I don't care if he is gay or not. I do care that he fights tooth and nail against rights for gay people and is himself a closeted, sad, married gay man who has to cruise public toilets. Pathetic hypocrite.

As a foreigner living in the US, I am constantly amazed over the way that things are being spinned. Craig denied he was gay. So what if he was ?? He sticks to that aspect of the story: he is not gay. He did not mention or apologize for anything else like being unfaithfull, cheating or anything. This is a great country, but so hypocritical. The right to pursue happiness ?? Isn't that a personal choice as long as you don't hurt someone else in that process ??????

It is sad that honesty is not a "Craig" family value. Look at him, If you were a woman would you wanna have sex with him?

Think about the reasons this man is ashamed:

1) The federal government doesn't allow us to marry.
2) Often, our families turn their backs on us.
3) Kids are bully if they act "gay" in the eyes of their peers.
4) Religions denounce us…….

I could go on and on. It isn't an excuse for his lying, but when you look at the big picture, we have a long way to go before everyone who is gay will feel comfortable that they will be accepted if they come out.

Those of us who ARE comfortable need to be out and proud.

Another hypocrite Republican literally got caught with his pants down, plain and simple.

The Craig boys need to own up to the fact that their father is gay, got caught soliciting sex, and pleaded guilty to a reduced charge, thinking this would all just go away.

If you are not guilty, then do not plead guilty, go to trial, and let the facts speak for themselves; if he had done so, he would have been outed, as it would appear that he did indeed do exactly what the undercover officer claims he did.

These guys just can't seem to keep it in their pants, and when they get caught, they cry foul, entrapment, or whatever to deflect the responsibility for their actions to someone else, when the fact of the matter is, they can't control themselves, and think they are Teflon coated and can operate under their own rules and laws, much like our not-so-beloved President.

Guess again…

This guy and his family should just shut up and go away with whatever shred of dignity he/they have left.

The American people are just not buying it. Rather than continuing to keep attracting the public's attention this (and I have to believe this) embarrassment, just shut up already and go away.

Just because you say you're not gay, doesn't mean it's true. This guy was connected to the page scandal in the 80s, gay sex in a Union Station bathroom, now this airport bust. Was I there? No, but wherever there's smoke, there's fire.

I'll leave it to the talking head shrinks to tell us why a family guy would use the signals he did in the stall. But it is reprehensible for the ex-Senator admitted-wannabe-fellator to trot out the kids in this sordid affair.

As they say a b*** job is a b*** job.
I would bet their mother has already been tested for a spectrum of STD's.

As an openly gay man, I can tell you with 100% certainty, that Larry Craig is gay. I have had sexual encounters with him for several years. There have always been a swirl of speculation and rumors about him. I assure you, many of them are true.

Bi today, gay tomorrow.

He is clearly gay. What heterosexual person in his right mind would wake up one morning and try to have sex with a guy. And it is sad that this Senator is using his children now to get his message out…

Contrary to what some people wrote here, the story is TOTALLY relevant since this is a person with a long history of judging and condemning people for their actions (gays, Bill Clinton, etc.). Hypocrisy at its best.

You knowe what's important:
-Corporate donations to political campaigns diluting the publics influence
-An unsecure border
-Term limits for Congress
-Creating a bill for one purpose, and then adding 100's of things on the end to "sneak" them by.
-Frivoulous lawsuits, that put money into the pockets of lawyers (most congressmen are lawyers and therfore have no need to change the laws)

The system is broken, and those in power have no reason to fix it.

SPEAK UP! And don't let the idiotic media tell us what is important!!!!!!

I find it deplorable that there would even be a news article on whether or not Senator Craig's family thinks he's gay. What difference does it make? The real question here is whether he was engaged in lewd conduct, regardless of his sexuality. Lewd conduct makes people uncomfortable and is illegal. Simply being gay is not illegal and is indistinguishable.

The fact that Senator Craig's first public acknowledgment of the incident was to deny being gay, and the fact that the news has focused on whether or not he is gay, simply points out how badly misplaced our priorities are as a nation. I'm further disappointed in the media by reinforcing and encouraging these misplaced priorities. Ultimately, it deflects attention away from real issues and is an obstacle to real progress.

and I could believe that David Beckham is my boyfriend. That dioesn't necessarily mean that I or Larry Craig's children are correct.

Don't believe the cop for an instant. For one, he said people place their suitcase against the door as a "signal." Okay, where is one supposed to put their suitcase? Outside the door? So it gets stolen? Maybe it's just me, but this sounds a bit set-up by the arresting officer. There are some people in this world who don't know proper bathroom protocol, e.g. talking on their cell phones loud enough so you can hear what they did with their one-night stand, but must this be blown out of proportion. Craig,obviously, had some issues in the bathroom stall, however I DON'T BELIEVE that it was a come-on for sexual favors. I'd believe it more if he was trying to slip $$$ under the stall. Get over yourselves, your sense of entitlement is killing real news. Cops, out there, can't even seem to catch "real" bad guys.

Dad, Why did you plead guilty to a crime that you did not commit? Why didn't you bravely tell the truth and fight the allegations from the very beginning?

While, I want to give this sad individual, and his poor family, the benefit of the doubt, he pled guilty to a crime that he publicly abhors and he has changed his story as a matter of convenience.

I have tried to imagine the scenario of being in the airport bathroom stall in the "wrong place and the wrong time" and being wrongly accused of perversion in a sting operation. Not a pleasant situation. I can see where it could get blurry, but with a family and a reputation to protect, why didn't he keep his mouth shut and wait for his attorney? Senator Craig is not some naive, innocent. He's a professional negotiator who has experienced and become adept at political survival games.

This wasn't a murder confession. They didn't deprive him of sleep or torture him. If you didn't do an act that revolted you so much, you would protest, protest, and you would continue to protest your innocence.

This just in:
Craig's children also believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy…oops did I say fairy???

Poor kids.

Why does he know so much about this stuff then?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280148195763

PLEEZ…………………!!!!

I am not American. I cannot vote. And this event seems to be spinned for very political reasons.

Here are some samples of postings over the last few days:
- being gay is immoral;
- having a wide stance? Go visit the airport stalls in question. It is impossible to have that wide a stance;
- Senator you are gay, admit it;
- Senator your brain says one thing in Congress, quite the opposite in a men's washroom;
- gayness is unimportant here, actions count more;
- There is no corroboration of the alleged actions;
- There is a confession and a plea that do not match your denials now;
- dems: Senator, please carry on fighting right up to election day;
- rep.ns: please shut up and go away asap;
- is not a question of honor. You have none left;
- Senator, stop embarassing your children;
- whoever really loves will love in any case;
- what ever happened to 'escort services?'

poor litte ignorant and innocent child! so sad!

Someone asked, why do police continue to harass gay men and single them out for prosecution? Restrooms, like rest areas, are used by the public, including children. There should not be sexual activity, gay or straight, in these places. The majority of gay men and women, like straight men and women, have sex in private. Similarly, the majority of people that have relationships meet through conventional means. So, while I agree that it is inappropriate to entrap or profile, if police are investigating after complaints are made, we should permit them to do their job.

@noah - there's a huge difference between solicitation in bathrooms, and solicitation in bars. For starters, people approached in bars tend to leave and do it elsewhere - and what goes on in the privacy of your bedroom (or a motel room that you've rented and temporarily made yours) is nobody's business but your own. Public bathrooms are public places, and therefore, everybody's business. I have no problem with them being watched if they're known for sexual encounters, and I have no problem with people being busted if they're caught in persuit of those encounters because they don't belong there.
I have a little boy - there are certain things I don't want him to exposed to, and there are places where it's not irrational on my part to expect he will be safe. A group of guys were finally busted in the men's room at a local Macy's a few months back — and if I recall correctly, they were leaving things quite nasty in there, not containing it to stalls.
And last but not least, I'm for it because the vast majority of guys engaging in this behavior are "straight", are married, are screwing around on their wives. Being arrested tends to bring the issue out into the open, and provides the woman a chance to make a choice.
You talk about the parking lot, and car break-ins being an issue, but can you back that up? Are there not cameras? Are there not patrols? Does nobody who uses this parking lot have an alarm installed? Do you have hard data - # of bathroom incidents vs # of parking lot crimes? It's common knowledge that you can avoid having your car broken in by not leaving your valuables in sight, especially when you'll be leaving the vehicle for a period of time.

This is hilarious. He's not gay and either are any of those guys holding hands in West Hollywood. They are just victims of circumstance. Ok…

I find it odd that no one was able to locate one person this "GAY" senator had sex with during his 62 yr lifetime
don't you think that he was truly gay you could have found one gay guy coming forward?

Senator Craig has spent two decades making sure that ALL lgbt rights are denied and that any legislation that even smelled of gay-friendly was voted against. And so now we are to believe that he pleaded guilty to gay solicitation in order to make it go away???? OH PLEASE!!

The senator is so obviously a closeted homeosexual.His repeated denial over the years is absolutely pathetic. A man who doesn't have the courage to admit who he truly is. Whats more sad is that he is the type of man that is an embarassment and brings shame to the GLBT community with his inappropriate "public behavior".

I feel badly for his family: he has cheated them, this country, and himself. why are these women standing by all these men? I agree - denial is very powerful here.

I don't like Senator Craig's political views, but this was a case of government entrapment and I like that even less.

The officer clearly encouraged the situation to the point that Senator Craig took actions that he otherwise would not have taken. It's like the police taking an alcoholic into a bar, plying him with liquor, then arresting him for public drunkeness. Don't the police have something better to do than put their undercover guys on a public toilet and wait for someone to come on to them?

The Senator pleaded guilty because he saw it as the best way to make a bad situation go away. A lot of us would have done the same thing.

I also agree that the Republican leadership in the Senate had no business forcing him out. He was elected to the Senate by the people of Idaho, and they should be the ones to decide his fate. They are just worried about their fundraising.

How many male senators hit on women everyday … and how many of them are stripped of their committee assignments and pressured to resign? Are they investigating the guy from Louisiana? Of course not.

Did any of you pick up in some video footage of Sen. Craig, and his spouse, his body language 'guiding her' as they walk towards a building with glass double doors? toward a podium, for his resignation speech?

Those two straight poking proding middle and index fingers he was jabbing on the small of her back seemed could callous and threatening?

Similar to the gun pointing gesture former Def. Sec. Don Rumsfeld steaded over other hand palm down, when answering questions from Rep. Kucinich during the House hearing investigating the coverup [...]

Chas,

You and others continuing to pile on to Larry Craig (after 22 articles on CNN) shows your single-minded approach to your pet issue - gay "rights".

You're suggestion that Senator Craig "encouraged" hate crimes is reckless. But I guess when pursuing gay issues - everything is ok because the end justify the means.

By the way… is it legal for a STRAIGHT person to marry someone of the same sex?

No?

Gay and Straight people live by the same laws, yes?

I detest the Senator's politics, but do not feel good about what happened to him. A vice cop hanging upside down like a poison spider in a man's toilet is not to be congratulated. Perhaps this nightmare will teach the Senator some compassion for the poor, the downtrodden, for people who cannot make it in our society, and make him stop interferring between a woman and her doctor, or banning an odd couple seeking some happiness.

I knew if I read enough of these posts I'd find one that turned this around and mentioned the Clintons. hahaha People are funny.

I don't think the Senator is GAY. He is probably bisexual. He enjoys the company of both men and women. There IS such a thing as liking both. He just got caught. Why is the world attacking what is natural? Being gay is not a choice as some straight people think. Is being straight a choice?

Wheather he is gay or not is not the issue. It's ridiculous that this is what we focus on. He committed and plead guilty to a crime. Stop focusing on the smoke screen

The issue is not whether he is gay or not, it's that he was arrested doing something illegal.

HE. WAS. SET. UP.

You liberal fools.

Dad's not gay, he just seeks homosexual intercourse. Thats not Gay at all.

Who would want to admit that their Dad is gay? The kids are hearing what they want to hear, but deep down inside they know that their Dad is gay.

I work in a local gay bar in MPLS. If he isnt gay than he was in the wrong bar on previous visit to the MPLS area!
I hate people that claim they are straight when #1 its obvious and #2 andybody that fights that much agaisnt it, is it! Quit denying it and move on!

The fact that he may/maynot be gay is irrelevant. A lawmaker who either lied to police officer or is lying now is the issue.

People do not come in two types: gay and straight. Is a man who has one male-male experience and 999 male-female experiences in a lifetime gay? No? What about 10-990? No? What about 100-900? 300-700? 499-501? At what point on the spectrum does a man become gay?

Obviously, some people say they prefer ONLY partners of the same sex and some say that they prefer ONLY partners of the opposite sex. Many of them are liars when they say that. Some people relate to both genders. Some people can become gay when in prison or on the battlefield but they straighten out again when a better selection of sexual partners becomes available.

The terms gay and straight are like "good" and "evil." Meaningless.

Has everyone missed the real issue, which is that Larry Craig appears to be a raging hypocrite?

"I came here looking to see a good leader, I don't" is neither disrespectful or impertinant. It's an honest opinion. The huge problem with the so-called right of center patriots is that anyone who disagrees with them (i.e. the Dixie Chicks) is immediately labeled a traitor. They forget about our Constitutional right to free speech. Also, McCain speaks with a forked tongue: He stated that he was opposed to any form of discrimination, yet supported Don't Ask Don't Tell and gay marriage. Civil marriage is a civil contract and should not be legislated by religions. If your church doesn't want to marry people of the same gender - fine. But, don't presume to tell me that civil marriage is sacred. It's not. It's a contract. The government has no business in the sacred.

I forgot to say…

Entrapment is a mean technique to use in victimless crimes, but children go into public mens' rooms. No child should see this kind of activity and certainly no child should be approached in a restroom. Evan I don't want to see this kind of activity in restrooms, and I haven't been a child since John Kennedy was president.

When I do start to feel a little sorry for Craig, I remember that he would have not hesitated to skewer Senator ________ (fill in any Democratic Senator's name) if he had been accused of commiting the same offense

Being gay is a choice, and if Mr. Craig says that he isn't gay, then he isn't gay.

What I want to know is why the kids didn't ask their step-dad what kind of sex life he'd lived in restrooms before this? I mean, it was all over the news exactly what happened (and didn't get to happen) this time, but what about before? This obviously wasn't new to him. He knew all the signals.

My problem with Craig isn't his homosexuality (though I abhor his sleazy bathroom behavior); my problem is the same I had with Clinton - HE LIED. The sex isn't the big problem, the lying is.

wrong place at the wrong time plus a poorly trained cop anxious for an arrest. senator craig should not resign but fight this to the highest courts. otherwise he will be like gonzalez and newt by not fighting this bs.

Bingo - What does gay have to do with this lewd act? Like if he turns out to be gay - it explains it? Just because someone is gay does not mean they do these things.

I think your missing the point of dragging his name thru the mud…this means his name and all that share his name are no longer reliable…nor crediable. this is now a family issue, media need not attend.

Seems like bad judgement runs in the family.

Yet another Republican leading by example….

Hey, at least HE didn't kill.

I am a staunch democrat, but I have read the reports and the transcripts involving Sen Craig, and I am still at a loss as to what wrong was acutally done. Their legs touched between the stalls, and the officer passed a "police" card under the stall. It sounds to me like a setup, and the republicans, as they often do, will abandon a fellow legislator to save their overall image. If I were senator Craig, I would pull my resignation and fight this. It's ridiculous and the GOP should be ashamed. But, they were honest about one thing: Their overall loyalty to each other, which is beyond miniscule.

me in Kansas City said: Last time I had someone stick his hand under the partition, he was looking for toilet paper.

This case is very poor, the whole case is based on the assumptions of one officer. I just think it is crazy to be labled a homosexual just because you tapped your foot three times in a bathroom stall.

I am sorry to disrupt your world view, but as someone who used to do the same things Senator Craig did, I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that he was looking for anonymous gay sex. There is a huge difference between someone groping around for toilet paper and someone who is caressing the bottom of a partition with a finger suggestively, or touching your foot with theirs. Those are absolutely the things men do in bathrooms across the country to get sex partners. The bathroom was a known gay rendezvous location, which is why the cops were there undercover conducting their sting. Lastly, at no point did Craig say he was looking for toilet paper, so please don't invent denials even he isn't claiming. Pass judgment on the man or don't as you will, but please acknowledge what the facts really are.

Every person that doesnt come out of the closet and gets busted is gonna say there noy gay….every1 should know this by now

Good going Dad. Use your kids and your wife to defend your little secrets. Drag them through the mud like a good parent and spouse. How low can you go??

Do you think you'll recover? Not in a million years.

He may be bisexual, not homosexual or heterosexual, for all we know. He denied being gay in his statement; however, he didn't deny being bisexual.

Notice, one of his kids has consistly wanted nothing to do with this. One isn't bowing to the party line.

Eunice from Boonsboro, MD:

Remember that Bill Clinton WAS brought up for impeachment?? Democrats get caught and pay for it, too. PLEEEEZ, how about Henry Hyde, and the other Senator I believe it was, that fathered children outside of marriage? They were never brought up on charges, and they are Republicans.

I don't give two hoots if he's gay or not. What disgusts me is that he's a hypocritical liar. And he certainly appears to be basking in the limelight. Maybe has an agent by now.