memeorandum: Sen. Craig: 'I Am Not Gay' (Washington Wire)

10:55 PM ET, August 28, 2007

Top Items:

How Did News Outlets Miss Senator's Arrest for Nearly Three Months? — NEW YORK The revelation late Monday that Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) was arrested nearly three months ago for allegedly making sexual advances in a men's room raises the issue of how such an action could occur without the press reporting it.

Discussion: Think Progress, Gay Orbit, TVNewser, The Moderate Voice, TBogg, Daily Kos, The Democratic Daily, Minnesota Monitor, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS and Truthdig

ABCNEWS:

Craig to Hold Press Conference: Will He Resign? — Idaho Republican Is Expected to Discuss His Guilty Plea in Public Restroom Incident — Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, is seen during a 2006 hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. Craig pleaded guilty on Aug. 8, 2007, to misdemeanor disorderly conduct …

Discussion: CNN, The Politico, Pam's House Blend, A Blog For All and Hot Air

Slate:

SLATE EDITORS SQUABBLE ABOUT THE IDAHO SENATOR'S BATHROOM ARREST. — When the news of Sen. Larry Craig's arrest and guilty plea for lewd conduct broke Monday evening, it set off a vigorous e-mail squabble among Slate editors. Some of us thought the arrest was justified, others were appalled …

Discussion: Townhall.com, Captain's Quarters, D-Day, The Smoking Gun and Reason Magazine

Mark Murray / MSNBC:

Romney links Craig with Bill Clinton — From NBC's Mark Murray — In his interview on CNBC's Kudlow & Company (which will air later this afternoon), Mitt Romney had some sharp words for Sen. Larry Craig, who had endorsed the former Massachusetts governor's presidential campaign and was his Idaho chairman.

Discussion: The Caucus, The Corner, The Raw Story, Norwegianity, On Deadline, TIME and Greatscat!

David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:

WHAT DID SEN. CRAIG ACTUALLY DO? — We've had lots of back and forth discussion here internally about what conduct by Sen. Craig in that Minneapolis airport restroom was actually illegal. We've posted the arrest report, so take a look and reach your own conclusions. — Leering stares, foot tapping, a lingering presence.

Discussion: Macsmind, Outside The Beltway, Liberal Values, The American Street, The Carpetbagger Report, Reason Magazine, TPMmuckraker, IntoxiNation, D-Day and The Atlantic Online

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

CRAIG'S CATCH-22 — Following up on David's post below on what Craig 'did', I have to imagine this was one of those catch-22s that Craig really had no way out of. I'm going to assume for the sake of the discussion that the gestures Craig is described as making are ones easily recognizable as soliciting sex.

Discussion: baldilocks, Lawyers, Guns and Money, The Atlantic Online, Instapundit.com and Stubborn Facts

Fox News:

Senator Larry Craig: 'I am Not Gay' — WASHINGTON — Sen. Larry Craig denied Tuesday that he did anything wrong but pleaded for forgiveness from Idahoans after being arrested in June in connection with a police sting operation in lewd conduct in a men's bathroom at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Associated Press, NewsBusters.org, Macsmind, Flopping Aces, Gateway Pundit, D-Day, The Democratic Daily, Hot Air and Reason Magazine

John Amato / Crooks and Liars:

Craig's Bathroom Bust Statement: "I am Not Gay!" — Republican Sen. Larry Craig speaks...He was harassed by Idaho and caved to the pressure...What did Nixon say again? … Download (1349) | Play (2035) Download (548) | Play (837) — He denies any wrong doing...Pleading guilty was all a big misunderstanding.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Think Progress, TalkLeft, Unqualified Offerings, DownWithTyranny!, Comments From Left Field, The Reaction and CNN Political Ticker

Elana Schor / The Hill:
Police: Craig was 'agitated, demeaning'

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, On Deadline and CNN Political Ticker

Matt / Think Progress:
Brownback on Craig: It's 'not good,' 'very odd.'

Discussion: The Right's Field

Washington Wire:
Sen. Craig: 'I Am Not Gay'

Discussion: NewWest

Jeff G. / protein wisdom: Former State Senator convicted of taking bribes in Tennesse Waltz sting

Paul Kane / Washington Post: Craig Recants Misconduct Plea

Garance / theGarance.com:
Is Solicitation a Crime in Minnesota?

Discussion: The Volokh Conspiracy and Lawyers, Guns and Money

CNN:
Senator: 'I did nothing wrong'

Discussion: Idaho Values Alliance News, Cox & Forkum, Sentencing Law and Policy and Making Light

Dan Popkey / Idaho Statesman:
Men's room arrest reopens questions about Sen. Larry Craig

Discussion: The Sleuth, Political Radar, New York Times, AMERICAblog, NewWest, The Caucus, Adam's Blog, All Spin Zone, The Swamp, alicublog, Pam's House Blend, The Politico, OregonLive.com, The Corner, Mercury Rising and Ankle Biting Pundits

The Raw Story:

US PREPARING 'MASSIVE' MILITARY ATTACK AGAINST IRAN: STUDY — The United States has the capacity for and may be prepared to launch without warning a massive assault on Iranian uranium enrichment facilities, as well as government buildings and infrastructure, using long-range bombers and missiles, according to a new analysis.

Discussion: On Deadline, The American Street, Comments From Left Field, The Newshoggers, Democrats.com and At-Largely

Matt / Think Progress:
Fear-mongering Bush warns of Iranian 'nuclear holocaust.'

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report, Comments From Left Field and The Sideshow

White House:
President Bush Addresses the 89th Annual National Convention of the American Legion

Discussion: Townhall.com, Wake up America and Take Our Country Back

Olivier Knox / Agence France Presse:
US warns Iran over Iraq, nuclear program

Discussion: Times of London and DownWithTyranny!

BBC:

US 'seizes Iranian group in Iraq' — Seven Iranians working for the Iranian Electricity Ministry have been arrested by US forces in Baghdad, the Iranian embassy says. — A spokesman told the BBC the embassy had contacted the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and would send a formal protest letter in the morning.

Edmund Blair / Reuters:
Iran says ready to fill vacuum in Iraq left by U.S.

Discussion: Sweetness & Light

GottaLaff / Cliff Schecter:

Lieberman as next Attorney General? — That's what Marjorie Cohn is saying on The Thom Hartmann Show. The talk started a few hours ago, from what they're saying. (not that it didn't occur to any of us earlier, but it's going around now) Per Cohn: — It would stop the Senate investigations dead in their tracks.

Discussion: Booman Tribune, Comments From Left Field, No More Mister Nice Blog, Middle Earth Journal and Left in the West

CNN Political Ticker:

Where Castro stands on '08 race, Gore too — WASHINGTON (CNN) - Add another name to the list of political observers who think a Clinton-Obama ticket would be unbeatable: Cuban leader Fidel Castro. — In an editorial in Cuba's communist party newspaper, Granma, the ailing dictator …

Discussion: granma.cu, Reuters, Redstate, Comments From Left Field, The Hill and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Marc Santora / New York Times:

Republicans Plan to Penalize States on Primaries — The Republican National Committee plans to penalize at least four states holding early primaries, including New Hampshire and Florida, by refusing to seat at least half their delegates at the party's national convention in 2008, a party official said Tuesday.

Discussion: Time, Sisyphus Shrugged, The Right's Field and eyeon08.com

Christopher Hitchens / Slate:

WE'RE FIGHTING AT LEAST THREE OF THEM. — When people say that they want to end the war in Iraq, I always want to ask them which war they mean. There are currently at least three wars, along with several subconflicts, being fought on Iraqi soil. The first, tragically, is the battle for mastery between Sunni and Shiite.

Discussion: Outside The Beltway and Hullabaloo