Stewart Udall
American Democratic politician, former United States Secretary of the Interior (1920-2010)
Larry Craig
American politician
Larry Craig was a long-serving Republican politician from Idaho, who spent over 28 years in the U.S. Congress. However, his career was marred by a 2007 scandal involving his arrest for indecent behavior in a men’s restroom at the Minneapolis airport, leading to his initial resignation announcement, which he later reversed.
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About the Larry Craig
Lawrence Edwin Craigis an American retired politician who served in the United States Senate representing Idaho from 1991 to 2009 and in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Idaho’s 1st District from 1981 to 1991. A Republican, his 28 years in Congress rank as the second-longest in Idaho history, trailing only William Borah, who served over 32 years in the Senate.
Born in Council, Idaho, Craig was raised on a ranch in Washington County. He attended the University of Idaho, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the university in 1969, and later briefly attended George Washington University before returning to Washington County in 1971 to work in his family’s ranching business. Following a brief stint in the Idaho Army National Guard, Craig ran for and won a seat in the Idaho Senate in 1974, and was re-elected in 1976 and 1978, before his successful first run for Congress to represent Idaho’s 1st congressional district in the House of Representatives in 1980. He won reelection four times before running for the U.S. Senate in 1990, defeating Ron J. Twilegar in the general election and winning reelection in 1996 and 2002.
On June 11, 2007, Craig was arrested for indecent behavior in a men’s restroom at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport; he pleaded guilty to a charge of disorderly conduct in August 2007 and paid $575 in court fines and fees. The arrest remained unknown to the public until the Washington, D.C.-based newspaper Roll Call disclosed it in an article, drawing widespread public attention as well as charges of hypocrisy against Craig, as he had been an opponent of LGBT rights in the United States. Despite stating that he was not and never had been homosexual, Craig announced, on September 1, 2007, that he would resign from the Senate, effective September 30, 2007, but later reversed this decision and decided to finish the remainder of his term, although he chose not to run for re-election in 2008.
He was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor and former Governor Jim Risch, who won the seat in the 2008 election. Craig subsequently co-founded the consulting firm New West Strategies and became a lobbyist. Craig has been a member of the board of directors of the National Rifle Association of America since 1983. Craig was selected for induction into the Idaho Hall of Fame in 2007, but was not inducted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Larry Craig served in the U.S. Congress for 28 years, making him the second-longest serving member of Congress in Idaho history.
Larry Craig served in the U.S. Senate representing Idaho from 1991 to 2009, and in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Idaho’s 1st District from 1981 to 1991.
In 2007, Larry Craig was arrested for indecent behavior in a men’s restroom at the Minneapolis airport, which led to charges of hypocrisy against him due to his past opposition to LGBT rights.
Larry Craig was born in Council, Idaho and was raised on a ranch in Washington County.
Larry Craig received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Idaho in 1969, and briefly attended George Washington University.
After the 2007 restroom incident, Larry Craig initially announced his resignation from the Senate, but later reversed that decision and finished his term, though he chose not to run for re-election in 2008.
After leaving the Senate, Larry Craig co-founded the consulting firm New West Strategies and became a lobbyist. He has also been a member of the board of directors of the National Rifle Association of America since 1983.
12 Quotes by Larry Craig
- 1.
Censure is a limp noodle across the wrist of the president. I think the way we vote on the articles will express the way we feel stronger than any censure vote.
Larry CraigAmerican politician
- 2.
I urge calm and sensitivity to the fundamental civil liberties of our country.
Larry CraigAmerican politician
- 3.
Breast cancer deaths in America have been declining for more than a decade. Much of that success is due to early detection and better treatments for women. I strongly encourage women to get a mammogram.
Larry CraigAmerican politician
- 4.
Consumers are increasingly feeling that they are being taken for a ride.
Larry CraigAmerican politician
- 5.
Flag desecration is not a constitutional issue for the courts. It is a political one that belongs to the people.
Larry CraigAmerican politician
- 6.
Laws protecting the United States flag do not cut away at the freedom of speech guaranteed in the First Amendment… Congress made this position clear upon passage of the Flag Protection Act of 1989, which prohibited desecration of the flag.
Larry CraigAmerican politician
- 7.
I’m for anything that lets people come here to work legally. There are more protections for workers who are here legally than for those who are not. It’s also safer for the workers and employers have a more consistent pool of workers.
Larry CraigAmerican politician
- 8.
Agreements are always the product of time and place.
Larry CraigAmerican politician
- 9.
Congress has a responsibility to make sure our taxpayer dollars are being spent responsibly and effectively, and at the same time, that our men and women in uniform have everything they need to carry out the War on Terror.
Larry CraigAmerican politician
- 10.
We do not take away the powers of surveillance. We do not take away the right and the power of the government to go after those who would do us wrong.
Larry CraigAmerican politician
- 11.
The simple truth is, the short-term solution is for the FDA to allow more importation of safe vaccines from other nations. But the long-term solution is to get more vaccine production within the U.S.
Larry CraigAmerican politician
- 12.
We came to Iraq to liberate them and to make our world a safer place.
Larry CraigAmerican politician