Stalling For Time

The media circus came to Hennepin County District Court on Wednesday, not far from the Southdale shopping mall in Edina, Minnesota. A new Super Target across the street is weeks away from opening, with the road next to it being torn up and paved over, and a hotel is under construction a few blocks away. But that's not why they were here.

They were in the courtroom to witness attorneys representing Senator Larry Craig (R-Idaho)--who could not be bothered to leave Washington--asking a judge to let him withdraw his guilty plea on a charge of disorderly conduct. Craig, as you know, was arrested back on June 11 at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport for allegedly soliciting gay sex to an undercover officer in the men's room.

The officer wrote in his report that he and Craig were in adjoining stalls, touching feet and making signals indicating that the Senator wanted sex. It sounds like a sordid version of how Paul Revere knew the British were coming (for those of you who forgot your history lessons, it was "one if by land, two if by sea"). Craig, claiming he was using a "wide stance", now denies everything.

Judge Charles Porter said he won't make a ruling until sometime next month, so Craig is delaying his resignation from the Senate--much to the chagrin of embarrassed fellow Republicans who wanted him out ASAP.

The stall at the airport where the sting allegedly occurred is now a tourist attraction, right up there with the Mall of America and the bridge that fell into the Mississippi River. Wonder if that will make the next edition of "Weird Minnesota"?

The building next door to the District Court is the library I usually frequent at least twice a month. Had I gone there on Wednesday, I wouldn't have found a place to park with all the news vans, satellite trucks and security But Thursday, the media circus was gone, setting up their tents at the next big story. When the judge makes his decision, they'll be back.