Ah, what are the dog days of August in Washington, D.C. without a juicy Congressional sex scandal? My first reaction to Senator Craig's bathroom "incident" mess, in which he pleaded guilty to sending clear signals that he wanted sex from an undercover police officer and is now vociferously denying any such behavior, was pure amusement. Here was another high-and-mighty, self-righteous Republican Member of Congress, claiming to have cornered the market on morality (whatever that means) and having worked hard against the gay civil rights movement - caught with his pants down, literally. "I'm not gay," he insisted. "I don't hit on men..." Okay, what do you call looking for sex in a men's room??
Once I finished laughing, I remembered how much I long for the good ol' days, when the biggest problem this nation had was an elected official (the President, I know) getting a little too randy with an intern. I think most people on both sides of the aisle would agree that Senator Craig exercised poor judgment and behaved in an unbecoming manner for the dignified office of United States Senator. But again we are faced with the question of what effect one's private sexual behavior has on one's ability to be of use in public service. Granted, an airport men's room isn't exactly private, but it goes to the larger question. On that count, my reaction is similar to the reaction the Europeans had to Monicagate - basically, "So what?"
But I know the real question is how effective one can continue to be, once people write you off as a pariah, especially those who only yesterday were your comrades. And in that sense, the Senator is probably finished, the same way former Senator George Allen (R-VA) immediately lost all credibility at one sunny picnic, where he called a man of East Indian extraction from the opposing camp a "macaca," or monkey, and later claimed to have made up the word.
When all the blather fades, the elephant sits obstinately in the middle of the room. Homosexuality, while increasingly tolerated in recent years, is still a polarizing issue, and as long as gay men and women fear discrimination, ostracism, and worse, some will continue to hide in the closet, putting on the show everyone expects them to put on and acting out only when they feel anonymous - though sadly enough, those are usually the very situations in which they are not unseen.
From what I've heard, Larry Craig had a conservative upbringing, comes from a conservative state, and has probably wrestled with his sexual orientation all his life, making decisions which advanced his career, earned him respect and admiration from his constituency and peers, and made him privately miserable. He is in his sixties, and after fighting his demons for several decades, obviously does not now -- and probably never will -- feel it is safe to come out.
The Senate Republicans will be fine, as will all Idahoans. What we don't know today is how Larry Craig will deal with his inevitable ouster and whether he will be able to come to terms with his sexuality and many years of loneliness and denial, all brought to a head under public floodlights. Nor do we know what will happen to his family (wife, three adopted children, and nine grandchildren), presumably full of years-old boomeranging questions, confusion, and anger. Yes, Senator Craig is responsible for his own downfall. But a sixty-two-year-old man who still hasn't found a way to accept himself is no laughing matter.
Once I finished laughing, I remembered how much I long for the good ol' days, when the biggest problem this nation had was an elected official (the President, I know) getting a little too randy with an intern. I think most people on both sides of the aisle would agree that Senator Craig exercised poor judgment and behaved in an unbecoming manner for the dignified office of United States Senator. But again we are faced with the question of what effect one's private sexual behavior has on one's ability to be of use in public service. Granted, an airport men's room isn't exactly private, but it goes to the larger question. On that count, my reaction is similar to the reaction the Europeans had to Monicagate - basically, "So what?"
But I know the real question is how effective one can continue to be, once people write you off as a pariah, especially those who only yesterday were your comrades. And in that sense, the Senator is probably finished, the same way former Senator George Allen (R-VA) immediately lost all credibility at one sunny picnic, where he called a man of East Indian extraction from the opposing camp a "macaca," or monkey, and later claimed to have made up the word.
When all the blather fades, the elephant sits obstinately in the middle of the room. Homosexuality, while increasingly tolerated in recent years, is still a polarizing issue, and as long as gay men and women fear discrimination, ostracism, and worse, some will continue to hide in the closet, putting on the show everyone expects them to put on and acting out only when they feel anonymous - though sadly enough, those are usually the very situations in which they are not unseen.
From what I've heard, Larry Craig had a conservative upbringing, comes from a conservative state, and has probably wrestled with his sexual orientation all his life, making decisions which advanced his career, earned him respect and admiration from his constituency and peers, and made him privately miserable. He is in his sixties, and after fighting his demons for several decades, obviously does not now -- and probably never will -- feel it is safe to come out.
The Senate Republicans will be fine, as will all Idahoans. What we don't know today is how Larry Craig will deal with his inevitable ouster and whether he will be able to come to terms with his sexuality and many years of loneliness and denial, all brought to a head under public floodlights. Nor do we know what will happen to his family (wife, three adopted children, and nine grandchildren), presumably full of years-old boomeranging questions, confusion, and anger. Yes, Senator Craig is responsible for his own downfall. But a sixty-two-year-old man who still hasn't found a way to accept himself is no laughing matter.
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