WideStance: The Beginning

WideStance Larry Craig is in a whole lot of trouble:

As of this writing rumors continued to swirl about other revelations regarding Craig that are set to emerge. If the story continues to grow beyond what has been reported, it would be difficult for Craig to hold on no matter what he wants to do.

Indeed, The Idaho Statesman resurrects a story that was spiked earlier, corroborating rumors of past solicitation. It's a long piece that would not have seen the light of day without this revelation.

In an interview on May 14, Craig told the Idaho Statesman he'd never engaged in sex with a man or solicited sex with a man. The Craig interview was the culmination of a Statesman investigation that began after a blogger accused Craig of homosexual sex in October. Over five months, the Statesman examined rumors about Craig dating to his college days and his 1982 pre-emptive denial that he had sex with underage congressional pages.

The most serious finding by the Statesman was the report by a professional man with close ties to Republican officials. The 40-year-old man reported having oral sex with Craig at Washington's Union Station, probably in 2004. The Statesman also spoke with a man who said Craig made a sexual advance toward him at the University of Idaho in 1967 and a man who said Craig "cruised" him for sex in 1994 at the REI store in Boise. The Statesman also explored dozens of allegations that proved untrue, unclear or unverifiable.

Obviously, the fact that Craig is a family values conservative who has consistently voted against gay rights and gay marriage resonates. Plus there's the consistent lying on the subject, the denials that he had ever engaged in sexual conduct and the lame excuses surrounding this bathroom incident. And apparently, Craig flashed his Senate business card to law enforcement in an attempt to get out of the arrest, so there's the abuse of power angle as well.

One man, who was considering pledging with Craig's fraternity at the U of I in 1967, said Craig took him to his room and made what the man said he took to be an invitation to sex. Responding to that allegation in May, Craig said, "I don't hit on any men."

Another man said that in November 1994 Craig "cruised" him at the REI store in Boise. The man, who is gay, told the Statesman that Craig stared at him in a sexually inviting way and followed him around REI for a half-hour. Said Craig: "Once again, I'm not gay, and I don't cruise, and I don't hit on men. I have no idea how he drew that conclusion. A smile? Here is one thing I do out in public: I make eye contact, I smile at people, they recognize me, they say, ‘Oh, hi, Senator.' Or, ‘Do I know you?'

In the May 14 interview, Craig and his wife listened to a four-minute excerpt of the Statesman's interview with the 40-year-old man who first spoke to (BlogActive's Mike) Rogers. At first, Craig objected to the man's anonymity, but agreed to listen. The man's voice was disguised.

Craig said the man is an activist. "The gay movement, we know it for what it is. It's now aggressive and it's liberal and it's naming people to try to put them in compromising, difficult situations."

An editorial in the Statesman demands Craig to come clean. This is going to get worse before it gets better. There's just a lot of smoke here.