ضغوط لا جبار سيبناتور جمهورى على الا ستقالة سناتور بعد إيقافه بتهمة «تصرف غير لائق»!!!!!!!!

Quote: ضغوط لاستقالة سناتور أميركي بعد إيقافه بتهمة «تصرف غير لائق» فضحية أخلاقية تهز الحزب الجمهوري واشنطن: محمد علي صالح انضم أمس الخميس، غاري باور رئيس مركز «اميركان فاليوز» (قيم أميركية)، وأحد دعامات الجناح اليميني للحزب الجمهوري، الى قائمة المطالبين باستقالة السناتور لاري كريغ بسبب فضيحة اخلاقية اعتقل فيها وهو يريد ممارسة الجنس مع رجل (اتضح لاحقاً انه من الشرطة السرية) في حمام للرجال في مطار مدينة منيابوليس (ولاية منيسوتا). وقال باور، في مقابلة تلفزيونية امس: «ليس هذا تصرفا اخلاقيا، وليس من القيم الأميركية، ولا يمكن ان نوافق عليه». واضاف: «يجب ان يستقيل السناتور كريغ اليوم وليس غدا. كيف يقود حملتنا ضد المثليين الجنسيين، ثم يعترف بأنه بحث عن ممارسة جنس مع رجل؟». وكان عدد من قادة الحزب الجمهوري، اول من أمس الاربعاء، طلبوا من السناتور كريغ ان يستقيل. وقال السناتور جون ماكين، من قادة الحزب ومرشح لرئاسة الجمهورية: «هذا تصرف قذر. هذه ليست تهمة، ولكنها جريمة، لأن السناتور كريغ اعترف». وقال السناتور نورم كولمان: «السناتور كريغ اعترف بجريمة لا تناسب سناتورا، ولا تناسب عضوا في الكونغرس. يجب ان يستقيل». وكانت جريدة «ايداهو ستيتسمان»، التي تصدر في بويز (ولاية ايداهو، ولاية السناتور) كشفت، يوم الثلاثاء، عن أن السناتور اعتقل قبل شهرين، عندما قدم عرضا جنسيا لرجل شرطة سري داخل حمام الرجال في مطار منيابوليس. وأضافت أن السناتور فوجئ بأن الرجل يعمل في سلك الشرطة، ثم حاول التأثير عليه بأن أطلعه على بطاقته الشخصية التي توضح انه عضو في الكونغرس. الا أن رجل الشرطة اعتقله ونقله الى مكتب التحقيق. لم يبلغ السناتور أي شخص آخر، لا زوجته ولا اولاده، ولا مرؤوسيه في مكتبه، ولا زملاءه في الكونغرس. واعترف للشرطة بما فعل، مقابل تخفيض التهمة الموجهة ضده الى «تصرف غير لائق»، وهي تهمة أقل قسوة. وعندما كشفت الجريدة الخبر وكشفته ايضا جريدة «رول كول» الصغيرة التي تصدر في واشنطن، وتغطي اخبار الكونغرس، قال السناتور انه قبل الاعتراف بتهمة اقل، حتى لا تستغل الموضوع الصحيفة التي قال بأنها تعاديه.

Quote: Ethics Complaint Filed After Idaho Senator Craig's Guilty Plea By Julianna Goldman and Lorraine Woellert Enlarge Image/Details Aug. 28 (Bloomberg) -- A government watchdog group filed an ethics complaint against Idaho Republican Senator Larry Craig and an organization of gay Republicans said his political future is in doubt because of his guilty plea in connection with an incident in an airport restroom. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington asked the Senate Ethics Committee to review whether Craig violated Senate rules of conduct when he was arrested in June by a police officer investigating complaints of lewd conduct in a bathroom at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Craig pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, and paid a fine. ``If pleading guilty to charges stemming from an attempt to solicit an undercover officer in a public restroom is not conduct that reflects poorly upon the Senate, what is?'' said Melanie Sloan, the watchdog group's executive director. Craig, 62, a three-term senator, said in a statement last night that he hadn't engaged in any inappropriate conduct and that he shouldn't have pleaded guilty. While Craig hasn't said whether he will seek re-election next year, running again will be ``difficult,'' said Nathan Gonzales, political editor at the non-partisan Rothenberg Political Report. ``Whenever he comes out in public, he's going to be asked about one thing: what happened at the airport.'' Craig's is one of 22 Republican-held Senate seats up for election next year, compared with 12 Democrat-held seats. Democrats now control the Senate 51-49. Keep the Seat If Craig steps down or doesn't seek re-election, Republicans still are ``heavy'' favorites to keep his Idaho Senate seat, Gonzales said. Nationally, ``I don't think another elected official will lose because of Larry Craig, but it just adds to the bad marks on the party.'' Patrick Sammon, president of the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay advocacy group, said Craig's ``ability to continue serving the people of Idaho is in serious doubt.'' ``This situation may have permanently damaged Craig's ability to continue serving in the U.S. Senate,'' he said. Craig yesterday resigned as Senate co-liaison for former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's presidential campaign. ``He did not want to be a distraction and we accept his decision,'' Matt Rhoades, a Romney spokesman, said. Romney said in an interview today that he's ``not going to be able to account'' for the behavior of his supporters. ``I don't think it reflects on me and I don't know the particulars in this case,'' Romney said. Lewd Conduct Tom Minnery, senior vice president of Focus on the Family, a Colorado Springs, Colorado-based ministry, said his organization was ``crestfallen at such abhorrent behavior for a U.S. senator.'' ``Anyone in a position of leadership who engaged in what apparently is a very immoral act or at least the early stages of a very immoral act undercuts the notion of leadership and makes one lose confidence in our leaders,'' Minnery said. Craig was arrested June 11 by a plainclothes officer looking into complaints of lewd behavior in a public restroom at the airport. The incident surfaced in a report published yesterday by the Washington newspaper Roll Call. A police report said Craig was arrested after gazing into a stall occupied by a police investigator, then going into an adjacent stall and tapping his foot in what the officer said was a recognized signal and passing his hand under the divider. Craig was detained for approximately 45 minutes, interviewed, photographed and fingerprinted before his release. ``I should have had the advice of counsel in resolving the matter,'' the Idaho Republican said in a statement issued by his Senate office. ``In hindsight, I should not have pled guilty. I was trying to handle this matter myself quickly and expeditiously.'' Craig said that when he was arrested, he ``complained to the police that they were misconstruing my actions. I was not involved in any inappropriate conduct.'' The Hennepin County District Court in Minnesota stayed a 10- day jail sentence and gave the senator one year of probation. He paid $575 in fines after entering his guilty plea. To contact the reporters on this story: Julianna Goldman in Washington at [email protected] Lorraine Woellert in Washington at [email protected] L