Craig Gone Too

[crwtom 0]

Another one through the GOP revolving door out of DC:

CNN


.. this is fun.
Cheers, T

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Fear causes hesitation, and hesitation will cause your worst fears to come true

[billvon 2,473]

I wonder if, in three months, he will decide that he didn't really mean to resign, and he wants his job back.

[Frenchy68 0]

As much as I may dislike his stance on some of issues dear to me, the fact he was pushed to resign is BS. Political PC in its lowest form.
It reinforces my belief that in some societies, the democratic process is a luxury toy for spoiled grown up kids.
He resigned because some politician lacking balls felt his sheeps will not cast ballots in his favor because of some non-issue on TV...

"For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

[billvon 2,473]

> As much as I may dislike his stance on some of issues dear to me,
>the fact he was pushed to resign is BS. Political PC in its lowest form.

I agree; there's definitely some double standards at work. He solicits sex (doesn't have it, just solicits it) and is forced to resign. Vitter actually _has_ sex with a prostitute, but there's nary a peep.

There are two reasons for that, I think. One is that Craig went after gay sex, and that's disgusting to a lot of people, whereas use of a female prostitute, while a no-no, is more understandable/forgivable. I can see people thinking "well, I've done that in a moment of weakness; I can understand." The second is more pragmatic. The republicans will not lose a seat if Craig resigns, but they will if Vitter resigns.

But at a higher level, no one should really care what they do in their spare time. If Craig wanted to go to a bar, pick up a guy and go home with him, then that should be his choice, and shouldn't be the top news item on CNN and FOX for a week straight. It's unfortunate that we spend so much time on what people do in public bathrooms and not as much on discussing what they vote for and why.

[crwtom 0]

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He resigned because some politician lacking balls felt his sheeps will not cast ballots in his favor because of some non-issue on TV...

I'd say at least half of the GOP was freaked out about this and wanted him to go away ASAP. Pretty sure he got some very stern phone calls to resign immediately from several big elephants.

As to "non-issue" - some gay rights people are pretty concerned and angry that this guy perpetuated a public conception that toilet-pick-ups are the normal way for gays to find partners. This isn't helping them in the gay marriage discussion at all. So -involuntarily- Craig may have helped his party's side of the debate with his antics.

Cheers, T

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Fear causes hesitation, and hesitation will cause your worst fears to come true

[sundevil777 94]

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If Craig wanted to go to a bar, pick up a guy and go home with him, then that should be his choice, and shouldn't be the top news item on CNN and FOX for a week straight.

But he didn't go to a gay bar to pick up a guy. He did it in an airport public bathroom. BIG difference, I think. There should be an expectation for that not to happen.

I believe if he had been a democrat, his party leadership would not have pushed for him to leave. They are the party of lower expectations.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[tkhayes 152]

nothing I laugh at more than some right-wing fundamentalist, especially from the conserative west coming out of the closet - whether they want to or not....

[Casurf1978 0]

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believe if he had been a democrat, his party leadership would not have pushed for him to leave. They are the party of lower expectations.

At least the democrats arent shoving 'family values' BS down our throats. Practice what you preach. Craig's record includes several votes against gay rights and he supported an amendment to the Idaho Constitution thats bars gay marriage and civil union. I mean come on.

[sundevil777 94]

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believe if he had been a democrat, his party leadership would not have pushed for him to leave. They are the party of lower expectations.

At least the democrats arent shoving 'family values' BS down our throats. Practice what you preach. Craig's record includes several votes against gay rights and he supported an amendment to the Idaho Constitution thats bars gay marriage and civil union. I mean come on.

Quite right, Craig is a big hypocrite. That doesn't make all Repubs hypocrites though. Craig being forced to resign is an example of 'practice what you preach'.

Dems are the party of lower expectations, although they do plenty of 'family values shoving down the throat' when they are speaking to some audiences. That kind of selective shoving is called pandering. The dem party leadership would likely not have forced him to resign because they have lower expectations for the conduct of their members.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[mnealtx 0]

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believe if he had been a democrat, his party leadership would not have pushed for him to leave. They are the party of lower expectations.

At least the democrats arent shoving 'family values' BS down our throats. Practice what you preach. Craig's record includes several votes against gay rights and he supported an amendment to the Idaho Constitution thats bars gay marriage and civil union. I mean come on.

Are those the views of his district? If so, that's exactly how he SHOULD have voted - the wishes of the voters in his district, not his own views.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Gawain 0]

This will be known as, "potty-gate" ...

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[mnealtx 0]

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This will be known as, "potty-gate" ...

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Royd 0]

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At least the democrats arent shoving 'family values' BS down our throats.

I'll give them that. You shouldn't preach something that you don't believe in.

[crwtom 0]

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Quite right, Craig is a big hypocrite. That doesn't make all Repubs hypocrites though. Craig being forced to resign is an example of 'practice what you preach'..

this has more to do with the 2006 landslide loss for the GOP - the two big reasons were Iraq and the corruption & scandal. The party is still under shell shock overlapping with a very early presidential campaign.

GOP are already trying to put some distance between themselves and the GWB handling of Iraq.

On the corruption & scandal the sliding slope continued even after the elections with revelations and resignations -- so the vows to change the party culture didn't look credible and people got really desperate.

The stall flamenco of Craig was the very last thing the GOP needed and that's why GOP people reacted downright violent against him.

The motivation is much more party self preservation than some moral high ground.

Cheers, T

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Fear causes hesitation, and hesitation will cause your worst fears to come true

[mnealtx 0]

While I don't doubt that there's over-reaction going on, as a generality the Republicans resign over stuff like that. The Democrats don't seem to do that nearly as much.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[TrophyHusband 0]

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Craig being forced to resign is an example of 'practice what you preach'.

global warming alarmists living in 20,000 square foot houses and flying around in private jets should practice what they preach too. hypocracy knows no political party.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[Gawain 0]

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At least the democrats arent shoving 'family values' BS down our throats.

I'll give them that. You shouldn't preach something that you don't believe in.

Yeah, the republicans that get snagged in sh*t like this resign. The democrats get re-elected....go figure.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[crwtom 0]

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Yeah, the republicans that get snagged in sh*t like this resign. The democrats get re-elected....go figure.

if you have to go to prison for this sh*t you don't have much of an option but to resign.

Cheers, T

*******************************************************************
Fear causes hesitation, and hesitation will cause your worst fears to come true

[billvon 2,473]

>I believe if he had been a democrat, his party leadership would not
>have pushed for him to leave. They are the party of lower expectations.

I expect you will be calling for Vitter's resignation, then? Or is the GOP the party of lower expectations as long as the word "gay" isn't involved?

[Casurf1978 0]

So it's ok to deny rights to a small minority. What if they wanted ban interracial marriage. Should he allow that? I hope that any elected official would stand up for the basic rights of any minority.

[TheAnvil 0]

Mr. Craig resigns under pressure from his own party...Gerry Studds...well, the standing ovation really says it all, doesn't it?

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[Casurf1978 0]

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At least the democrats arent shoving 'family values' BS down our throats.

I'll give them that. You shouldn't preach something that you don't believe in.

Anyone looking to politicians, Rep or Dem, for moral guidance or family values has some real issues. Then again which party campainged on bringing back traditional family values and for protecting marriage. Just look at the GOP 2004 platform.

[sundevil777 94]

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>I believe if he had been a democrat, his party leadership would not
>have pushed for him to leave. They are the party of lower expectations.

I expect you will be calling for Vitter's resignation, then? Or is the GOP the party of lower expectations as long as the word "gay" isn't involved?

Yes, I do think Vitter should resign. I don't think it will happen though, because so many other politicians have similar skeletons in their closet. I think it was Harry Truman that said if you can't trust a man to be faithful to his wife, then he can't be trusted at all (or something like that). I agree with that philosophy, do you? I have pretty high standards for politicians. If Craig had no other skeleton than being gay, I don't think he'd be (or should be) pushed out of office, but looking for sex in an bathroom is much more than that.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[sundevil777 94]

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So it's ok to deny rights to a small minority. What if they wanted ban interracial marriage. Should he allow that? I hope that any elected official would stand up for the basic rights of any minority.

At the risk of continuing thread drift on a subject already well worn, I think that if plural marriage can be denied to polygamists without causing such outrage, then why should gays expect different treatment? Gay rights advocates will say that they should be treated as totally separate issues, no reason to link them. I say bullshit, they comparison is absolutely valid. Arguments about what people do in their own home, no threat to other people's marriage, etc. all apply. Gay rights advocates want to avoid the comparison because they know darn well that the general public views the issues as identical, and that there is no way that polygamy will be supported by the general public. It matters not whether you would be OK with polygamy, there is just no chance at all that it will be legalized anytime soon.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[Casurf1978 0]

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Gay rights advocates want to avoid the comparison because they know darn well that the general public views the issues as identical,

I think the general public is a little more enlightened than to think these two issues are one in the same.

We're not talking about multiple spouses, just two people who want the same rights as thousands of others. Why should we deny them that. Don't call it marriage, hell call it whatever you want. The same reasons you state were used against interracial marriage back in the 1950's.