Notwithstanding the media circus over what Idaho Senator Larry Craig may or may not have done in a bathroom at the Minneapolis Airport, the question that remains is whether he actually committed a crime:
Why was Sen. Craig arrested? Is it really illegal to try to find a sexual partner in a public bathroom using code? How would that be any different than looking for a sexual partner at a dance club, be it using code, pick-up lines, or any thing else in your singles arsenal?
I suppose you could argue that most people don’t expect to be propositioned in a bathroom, and could be offended or humiliated should it inadvertently happen to them. But then, those people wouldn’t be privy to any foot-tapping codes, so it seems to me there’d be little risk of someone being accidentally propositioned.
Admittedly, Craig’s defense that this was all some mistake is utter nonsense. But, the fact of the matter remains, he didn’t actually have sex in public. He merely engaged in what one police officer interpreted as an invitation to further conduct. If that’s a crime, then either the criminal statutes of Minnesota need to be re-written, or the Senator’s decision to plead guility was far too hasty.
