This is a tragedy. I blogged from the beginning that it was necessary, but it is still a tragedy. Senator Craig was an effective voice for gun rights in the Senate; he was a consistent vote for traditional values in the Senate. But his actions in that public restroom, and its aftermath, utterly destroyed his credibility. Why?
1. If he did what he pleaded guilty to, then there was a big gap between his public image and reality. I would like U.S. Senator to be a title that conveys integrity and trustworthiness. (You know, like Ted "Chappaquidick" Kennedy.) This also shows a remarkable self-control problem.
2. If Senator Craig is homosexual or bisexual, keeping it a secret made him prone to blackmail. Being open would be less of a security risk.
3. If he did not do what he pleaded guilty to, then his judgment leaves a lot to be desired. I've never pleaded guilty to even a traffic offense unless I was guilty. I've fought two tickets in my entire life: one for "unsafe speed" (30 in a 35 zone--yes, I don't have the numbers switched) when I was about 19. Another ticket was for "exhibition of speed" in 2000 or 2001, when my tires chirped on a sticky painted crosswalk while leaving an unlawful police checkpoint. In both cases, the judge agreed and dismissed the charges. (She looked very impressed when I cited all the existing case law that demonstrated that Petaluma Police Department was violating the Fourth Amendment with its traffic checkpoint for seatbelt use.)
I am sorry to see Senator Craig have to leave office, but I also appreciate that he recognized the absurdity of pretending that there was no reason to do so.
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