tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797343691144095362.post3231422815949164978..comments2023-09-30T04:24:53.395-06:00Comments on The Cryptic Philosopher: Thank you, Senator Craigcryptic_philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320352520945263986noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797343691144095362.post-60531521010851890502007-09-03T17:48:00.000-06:002007-09-03T17:48:00.000-06:00Something you might enjoy - the 2008 Repub convent...Something you might enjoy - the 2008 Repub convention is being held at - you guessed it - <A HREF="http://www.nytimes.com/cq/2006/09/27/cq_1515.html?pagewanted=print" REL="nofollow">Minn/St. Paul</A>. I wonder how much action the bathrooms at the airport will get then...?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797343691144095362.post-27086379581026433712007-09-01T08:59:00.000-06:002007-09-01T08:59:00.000-06:00Bullseye. Louisiana has a Democratic governor. I...Bullseye. Louisiana has a <A HREF="http://www.gov.state.la.us/" REL="nofollow">Democratic governor</A>. I shall say no more.cryptic_philosopherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10320352520945263986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797343691144095362.post-58174022654946064822007-08-31T16:12:00.000-06:002007-08-31T16:12:00.000-06:00As to your last statement ("As for conclusion (b) ...As to your last statement ("As for conclusion (b) ..."), I agree that the salaciousness of the homosexual angle is playing this up.<BR/><BR/>But it's also interesting to note that the Republicans calling for Craig's resignation (and not Vitter's), who are greatly contributing to the brouhaha, are probably doing so for another reason: that Idaho has a Republican governor, and thus Craig's resignation would be beneficial to the party now and in 2008. Vitter, not so much.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797343691144095362.post-8451195370452033662007-08-31T10:02:00.000-06:002007-08-31T10:02:00.000-06:00Just hadn't heard from you in a while, is all.The ...Just hadn't heard from you in a while, is all.<BR/><BR/>The more I read about this Craig thing, the more I'm convinced that (a) he really did do what he is accused of, and (b) all the various cries for his head on a platter are because he's gay.<BR/><BR/>I don't doubt anymore (at least reasonably) that he did the actions alleged in the charges against him. I'm just still not convinced that, in and of itself, that act should constitute a crime. Yes, perhaps it generally means that he would be the type of person to seek out sex in public restrooms, but that is not illegal in and of itself. Having sex in a public restroom <I>is</I> illegal. Defining the crime downward to catch people who <I>might</I> do the actual act makes me uncomfortable (yes, it is a sort of slippery slope argument.) To give an example, <A HREF="http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/statutes/docs/PE/content/htm/pe.004.00.000015.00.htm#15.02.00" REL="nofollow">conspiracy-based crimes</A> require an overt act in furtherance of a criminal scheme--it is not enough to just plan something. He may have pled guilty for political expendience, but who really knows?<BR/><BR/>As for conclusion (b), I am comparing the <A HREF="http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2007/08/30/craig_vitter/index.html" REL="nofollow">disparate reactions</A> to Senator Craig's situation and <A HREF="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/09/AR2007070902030.html" REL="nofollow">Senator Vitter's</A>. They both broke the <A HREF="http://www.the-ten-commandments.org/the-ten-commandments.html" REL="nofollow">Seventh Commandment</A>, but only one did it with dudes.cryptic_philosopherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10320352520945263986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797343691144095362.post-66222723187414128832007-08-29T11:52:00.000-06:002007-08-29T11:52:00.000-06:00"Welcome back"? Where was I to have gone? I've bee..."Welcome back"? Where was I to have gone? I've been back from Australia for over a month. I'm just quiet sometimes.<BR/><BR/>As I understand it, the issue here is not his sexual orientation (though that certainly has made it more media-worthy), nor what the senator does in private locations.<BR/><BR/>I was (mistakenly) under the impression that he'd actually been arrested for solicitation or lewd behavior, but I see it was a more nebulous charge. Still, the impression I (and the police officer) got was that the senator would be fulfilling his advances in same public restroom, which is illegal.<BR/><BR/>Now, you might say that it's possible that the policeman made it all up, or was mistaken, or that there's no law against hitting on someone in a public restroom. All true, and good arguments in a court. But, going back to my first comment, the senator pleaded guilty. He admitted that he'd done something wrong.<BR/><BR/>Now, you're infinitely more lawyerly than me, so maybe my ignorance is showing. But given that the senator understood the charge and was competent to plead guilty, that pretty much seals the deal for me. Sure (and this seems to be his story), perhaps he took a political/legal gamble and hoped that a quiet guilty plea would be better for his reputation than a public proceeding in which he defended his innocence. But his gamble didn't work, and now he's on record as pleading guilty.<BR/><BR/>I've had no coffee this morning, so who can say?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797343691144095362.post-30028279007266279562007-08-29T07:11:00.000-06:002007-08-29T07:11:00.000-06:00Yeah, just to be clear: Being the sort of person w...Yeah, just to be clear: <BR/><BR/>Being the sort of person who is sexually attracted to dudes: don't care.<BR/><BR/>Actually having sex with dudes in public restrooms: unbecoming of a U.S. Senator.<BR/><BR/>What this guy did in Minneapolis: dumb but not illegal.<BR/><BR/>I'm gonna go back to talking about redheads now :pcryptic_philosopherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10320352520945263986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797343691144095362.post-60540695481389279022007-08-29T07:07:00.000-06:002007-08-29T07:07:00.000-06:00First off, welcome back, todd! We've missed you.S...First off, welcome back, todd! We've missed you.<BR/><BR/>Second, since my reaction was a sort of compound snarkiness, I'm not 100% sure I understand the question. The short answer is "not really": as I said, I don't think a crime was committed, and I really don't care which gender gets him going.<BR/><BR/>To be clear, in an ideal world, I don't think it should matter what someone does behind closed doors, as long as there is informed consent all around. It is the cognitive dissonance of politicians who decry the immorality of certain acts or states of mind whilst paracticing what they decry that provokes my reaction. Since this is not an ideal world, my point is to suggest that maybe issues of morality like this should be kept out of the political sphere (so everyone can save face.)<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2007/08/28/craig/index.html?source=rss&aim=greenwald" REL="nofollow">This post</A> by Glenn Greenwald did change my reaction somewhat: he discusses how the same folks who wanted people to stay out of Craig's business last year now want him to resign. To be clear, while it may have been lacking in class, I don't think what the guy did was technically <I>illegal</I>, and I don't think liking the dudes in and of itself should be a reason for him to resign.<BR/><BR/>Not being able to keep it in his pants in public? That would be different.<BR/><BR/>Its early and I'm still owkring on my coffee. I hope this makes sense when I look at it later.cryptic_philosopherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10320352520945263986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797343691144095362.post-36191700800915593872007-08-28T18:58:00.000-06:002007-08-28T18:58:00.000-06:00Just wondering here -- does the fact that he plead...Just wondering here -- does the fact that he pleaded guilty have any effect on your reaction?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com