From Andrew Sullivan’s, frankly, heartbreaking analysis of the recent Matter Lauer interview with Larry Craig and his wife…
I forced myself. It was excruciating. Beyond embarrassing. Extraordinarily painful – especially for his wife. Why on earth they decided to subject themselves to prolonging this agony is a question worth asking. And the answer, I think, is: they have to. At this point in their lives, to allow the possibility that Craig is indeed homosexual, that he has sustained, lived, internalized a fundamental lie for his entire life, and involved his wife and children in that lie, would be to destroy themselves.
…
He is now wedded to this life he created – more than to his wife, which is why she was kept in the dark for two months after the arrest, as he went through the terror of feeling caught finally in his own contradiction. He cannot break free of it at this point without psychic collapse. And so, even though it becomes absurd to everyone around them, the Craigs keep going. They have no choice, apart from total breakdown.
…
It is just a tragedy that the party that Craig belongs to is committed to prolonging the pain and the denial of so many people – in order to appease the casual fears of the insecure, and to use those fears to sustain political power.
…
He is now wedded to this life he created – more than to his wife, which is why she was kept in the dark for two months after the arrest, as he went through the terror of feeling caught finally in his own contradiction. He cannot break free of it at this point without psychic collapse. And so, even though it becomes absurd to everyone around them, the Craigs keep going. They have no choice, apart from total breakdown.
…
It is just a tragedy that the party that Craig belongs to is committed to prolonging the pain and the denial of so many people – in order to appease the casual fears of the insecure, and to use those fears to sustain political power.
Painful video “highlights” from the interview, courtesy of TPM, follow below, along with two much-needed humorous takes on the sad story, from last night’s Daily Show…
“It is just a tragedy that the party that Craig belongs to is committed to prolonging the pain and the denial of so many people – in order to appease the casual fears of the insecure, and to use those fears to sustain political power.”
What a terrific quote.
Tourists flock to the Minneapolis airport restroom stall
made famous by gop senator larry craig (R-Pervert) . . . . .
Perhaps sen craig could have a concession in the restroom
to sell lube, condoms and autograph toilet paper . . .
So now we liberals discrimate against gay people? Or is it just Rep. gay people?
I was believe this line of thinking applies to Bush and his Iraq policy.
said but true.
I guess the same argument can be made for those who still support this president and his policies and for those in the right wing media who do so —- they do it because they have to. They’ve invested so much of themselves and their own egos won’t allow them to admit they were wrong.
Redrider – 10/19/2007 @ 8:25 am PT…
Look up “Republican Hypocrisy” and you might begin to understand why the Craig story is a story and not a gay story.