A different kind of booth capture

Over the last few weeks, there's been a great deal of media attention focussed on Senator Larry Craig, who's been accused of soliciting sex from a man in a public rest room. Amid all the mockery, accusations and outrage that the news has generated, I can't help feeling that everyone's overlooked an important feel-good message that comes out of the story - the robustness of US Democracy.

Think about it. This man is a three time United States Senator, a leading figure in the party that rules his country - politically speaking, he's a 'powerful' man. Yet when he wants to have illicit sex, what does he do? Does he use some corrupt, obliging aide to procure for him? Does he summon the bunch of goons he keeps on his payroll and ask them to threaten the intended victim into compliance? Does he have the secret police make a midnight arrest on some trumped up charge and then make sexual satisfaction a condition of release? Does he at least use his political clout to leverage himself some action by promising a few special favors in return? No. Instead, he's reduced to looking for cheap hook-ups in airport rest-rooms like any other Average Creep.

Now that's what I call democracy.