Opinion: A friend in need for Larry Craig

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Eleven percent.

A few years back, that’s the figure the American Civil Liberties Union calculated for Sen. Larry Craig in periodic ratings of how often it and members of Congress were on the same side of various issues. In some sessions, Craig scored higher; once, the Idaho Republican earned a 43% mark from the group. But the 11% rating was more typical, given his consistent support for such initiatives as a constitutional amendment to outlaw flag-burning and a ban on same-sex marriage.

That voting record matters not a bit to the ACLU now that Craig wants to withdraw the guilty plea he entered to a disorderly conduct charge after his arrest as part of a sting operation in a men’s bathroom at the Minneapolis airport. Today, ACLU lawyers submitted a friend-of-the-court brief to a Minnesota court on behalf of Craig, arguing that the method used to arrest him ‘was likely unconstitutional.’

Anthony Romero, the group’s executive director, says in a news release: ‘The real motive behind the type of sting operations like the one that resulted in Sen. Craig’s arrest is not to stop people from inappropriate activity. It is to make as many arrests as possible -- arrests that sometimes unconstitutionally trap innocent people. If the police really want to stop people from having sex in public bathrooms, they should put up a sign banning sex in the restroom and send in a uniformed officer to patrol periodically. That works.’

Taking note of the obvious, Romero added: ‘Sen. Craig has not always been a great friend of civil liberties, but you shouldn’t have to endorse the civil liberties of others to keep your own.’

We will eschew the obvious cliche about politics and unusual alliances.

-- Don Frederick