Good For The Soul

What does it mean to be contrite? According to Merriam Webster, who makes a living from knowing such things, the etymology: Middle English contrit, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin contritus, from Latin, past participle of conterere to grind, bruise, from com- + terere to rub. There seems to be something in that last bit for our good friend and openly homophobic Senator (for now) Larry Craig from Idaho.
Here are some choice bits from Larry's statement: "In June, I overreacted and made a poor decision. While I was not involved in any inappropriate conduct at the Minneapolis airport or anywhere else, I chose to plead guilty to a lesser charge in the hope of making it go away. I did not seek any counsel, either from an attorney, staff, friends, or family. That was a mistake, and I deeply regret it.
"For a moment, I want to put my state of mind into context on June 11. For eight months leading up to June, my family and I had been relentlessly and viciously harassed by the Idaho Statesman. If you've seen today's paper, you know why. Let me be clear: I am not gay and never have been."
Perhaps best known for their coverage of the Boise State Broncos, The Idaho Statesman hardly seems like the kind of newspaper, with its daily circulation of approximately sixty-five thousand, that would be consumed with political sabotage. The truth is, bringing down your average Republican powerlord these days is about as easy as shooting fish in a barrel, and just a little less satisfying.
Larry continues: "As an elected official, I fully realize that my life is open for public criticism and scrutiny, and I take full responsibility for the mistake in judgment I made in attempting to handle this matter myself." Admitting guilt to disorderly conduct rather than confessing to making a sexual advance toward an undercover police officer would probably be considered good judgement. Would this really be the kind of thing a sixty-two year old married (to a woman, okay?) public official want to go to trial? "At the time of this incident, I complained to the police that they were misconstruing my actions," opines the Senator For The Time Being.
It took a pretty damning set of allegations and some pretty solid finger-pointing by associates to get Michael Vick to confess to his outrageous behavior. After a strident pre-emptive denial, he finally put his metaphorical tail between his legs and whimpered his confession. Faced with losing everything, he chose to come (more or less) clean.
Maybe if Larry Craig stood at the edge of the abyss and looked down, he might notice that his career as a public official is all but over. By admitting to his conduct with any other man or woman over the age of consent, he could send a breath of fresh air into the Republican beast. For better or worse, that doesn't seem likely. Becoming the first openly bisexual swinger from the State of Idaho might not be his best career move. Perhaps he is better off simply getting out of the way of a pendulum that is swinging back, and gaining momentum. Watch out Larry!