Footsie

A couple of housekeeping items up front:

• Larry Craig is not a credible witness in his own defense.
• Craig did not commit any lewd act whatsoever.
• People should be arrested for having sex in public bathrooms.
• Craig is a gay-bashing jerk even if he is gay (which would also make him a self-loathing hypocrite).
  

OK?

Much as I'd like to pile on, the fact basis in this case does not appear to support conviction for anything. The so-called evidence is:

• Craig hovered outside the officer's stall and "fidgeted" with his fingers. Can't imagine an innocent explanation for that. Maybe we should call Roseanne Rosannadanna.
  
• He blockaded his stall door with his luggage. Was he supposed to put it next to the toilet? Sure, that's what I want my bags soaking in.
• He tapped his foot! Imagine. He could have been playing with his ... iPod.
  
• He played footsie with the undercover police officer. While definitely suggestive, this is an ambiguous act, and he only did it once. I'm sure that ambiguity is part of the game, but the police need more than just that. (Working vice, they're probably used to running hookers in without ever getting a price negotiated.)
• Craig did unusual things under the divider with his hands, though there's no allegation that he made any widely-known gesture.

This stakeout seems a little like a racket to me. Engage in some ambiguous behavior that might be flirting, get arrested under the time pressure of making your flight, plead guilty, pony up five hundred bucks, and walk away without ever having to register as a sex offender.

Reminds me of a time I got stopped for speeding in New Hampshire. The two cars in front of me had NH plates and got to go on their merry way with nary a blue light. At the time, Massachusetts issued single plates for the rear, so it was obvious I was an out-of-stater. Ah, revenue enhancement - and the $55 price was low enough that it didn't pay to fight it.

The problem with working up real, non-extortionate lewd conduct raps is that you have to wait around for real hook-ups or something really unambiguous. My own untrained instinct tells me that Craig has a point about entrapment. Would he have gotten a free trip downtown if he pushed that?

I did enjoy the officer's refusal to accept Craig's bullshit, even though he was using interrogation techniques to try to elicit a confession. It's a little scary that the officer demanded Craig confess just because all his other would-be trysters had owned up but I suppose normal for his job.

Anyone else wondering why David Vitter is still in the Senate? Couldn't have anything to do with orientation, could it?