Senator's DUI Arrest - More To The Story?

Questions abound as court dates nears

Sen. Mike Crapo has bigger headaches than the fiscal cliff fight right now. On Fri., Jan. 4, he's scheduled to be in court in Alexandria, VA, after being arrested just before Christmas on for DUI.

The Idaho Republican doesn't plan to fight the charges, AP reports. But questions about the incident still remain. Results from a secondary blood alcohol test performed at the jail show the conservative three-term senator registered a higher level about an hour after being arrested than when he was first tested by the police officer who stopped him.

Crapo has apologized and taken responsibility for the incident in a statement, but he hasn't spoken publicly about the arrest. And David Nir of Daily Kos Elections thinks there may be more to the story.

"Hmm. GOP Sen. Mike Crapo says he won't contest drunken driving charges when he appears in court in Virginia in January, stemming from a recent arrest in Alexandria where his blood-alcohol level was well over the legal limit," Nir writes.

"But we still don't know what Crapo was doing when he got pulled over, seeing as all his colleagues had gone home for the Christmas holiday - and seeing as he'd always been known as a teetotaler, in accordance with Mormon doctrine. It sounds like he wants this to all get swept under the rug as quietly as possible, but I wonder if he'll have to allocute in some fashion when his case is heard."

Via AP and Daily Kos Elections.

Does Sen. Crapo need to explain more about his DUI arrest?

[bsking]

Who cares? its not like his car went over a bridge with a young(probably raped) girl named mary jo in the back seat., and he swam home and sobered up before even reporting the accident right?

[frigginhell]

Who cares? I care. You're thinly veiled attempt to diminish this man's disregard for the safety and welfare of everybody else on the road or sidewalk the night he chose to get behind the wheel of a car intoxicated by bringing up Ted Kennedy isn't going to fly. It wasn't right when Kennedy did it and it's not right when Crapo did it. The article states he's accepted responsibility for his actions. Now that's a real bsking right there. A drunk driver has no personal responsiblity and couldn't give a damn about anyone aside from themselves. You want to know who else cares the families and friends of over 16,000 people every year who are killed because some clown gets behind the wheel of a car drunk. Millions of people care. Just because you have an axe to grind on Ted Kennedy doesn't make Crapo any less guilty of his wreckless endangerment of human life. So make your unfounded unproven statement about some woman who's been dead for decades as the result of another tragedy caused by a drunk driver because it suits your needs to try and deflect this discussion to a dead man you didn't care for or his political party. Ted Bundy isn't any less a piece of garbage that needed removed from society because he chose to rape and murder girls when compared to John Wayne Gacy because he choose to rape and murder boys. They were both garbage and we're better off with both of them gone. Your little Ted Bundy spiel does nothing to detract from the reality of this man's actions.

[frigginhell]

@frigginhell my bad, last sentence should be ted kennedy.

[Eady]

True he should be charged just like anyone else. As far ass TK he was a dog he made su sure everyone knew his wife drank and dragged her through the mud.MY ANSWER AT THE TIME AND STILL IS "IF I WAS MARRIED TO I'D BE DRINKING TOO"

[bsking]

@frigginhell you're right you know I didn't think of that... Ted Kennedy Ted Bundy John Wayne gacey what's the difference.. good point.... Oh are you Just as incensed over Ben ghazi or that doesn't bother you as much?

. How about the a Democrat from Virginia who used to be a bartender serving all those drinks to those drunks... and now his son is in trouble for beating his girlfriend's face in with the garbage dumpster but I didn't hear much about that... lot of people suffer from selective outrage.

[martydotcom]

@bsking Just to bring you up to speed. This is the 21st century is the current century of the Anno Domini era or the Common Era in accordance with the Gregorian calendar Do you really think that anyone really cares about the foibles of a dead man that took place in 1969???

I know conservatives want everything to remain as they were in past, but can't you come up with a little more relevant sense of right wing outrage. I guess in your little world the Kennedy's are still a threat to you..

This is only a story because this Idaho Mormon Senator , a Senator who spent his life projecting an imagine of, I'm Holier than thou, never shall alcohol pass thy lips, hypocrite got nailed!

Kennedy committed a criminal act I'm not apologizing for him. This guy was just lucky, any drunk driver is a crime waiting to happen.

[Speedieg]

More than likely he got drunk at a gay strip club. That's usually the case with these extremeist.

[Speedieg]

@SmartAlec I know he is, as I googled his voting record and read comments made by him. He always claims to be holier than thou voting against gays and women's rights and saying how moral he is. What he is, is a hypocrite and a liar.

[Wooky]

We pay his salary so he should explain his actions!

[Denizen_Kate]

Would your employer have a right to know the details if you were busted for DUI? Would your employer even know about it? He was off duty, probably at a holiday party, where this legal drug called alcohol was probably being served. He consumed too much and will face the consequences. The personal details are none of our business, just as yours would be none of your employers business.

[Dan_Tien]

If he showed a higher blood alcohol level one hour after being arrested than he did during the traffic stop, either he was slamming down liquor while driving that didn't register yet, was taking shots while in jail, or somebody botched the first test by mistake or by design. More investigation into his activities would probably show that he is not in reality the morally upstanding, conservative politician which he portrays for his voting audience. Conservative voters who imply that further investigations into his conduct is an unnecessary witch-hunt probably just don't want to know the truth about him.

[WilliamWallace]

Actually the alcohol level rising is pretty common. It takes time for it to peak. It most likely shows he stopped drinking and left just before getting pulled over. Instead of drinking then going somewhere to eat and getting stopped after leaving there.

[Mia]

Sure he should after holder explains droppimg charges on black panthers and gives more info on fast and furious and hillary testifies about benghazi and obama explains nominating known communist to czar position, also after he explains numerous whitehouse visits by muslim brotherhood and union thugs. The list goes on and on. Corrupt politicians wasting our hard earned money and they will be getting more of it.

[Clarke12]

yes, DUI is a very bad thing. if we were to get rid of everyone in Congress with misdemeanors and felonies, about 75% of its members would be gone. these people are connected beyond belief. a DUI is a walk in the park for them.

[DARSB]

The Senator doesn't owe me an explanation, but his constituents may demand more disclosure.

[Buzzfriendly]

He had some drinks, got behind the wheel and didn't kill or injure anyone. Case closed folks move on to something that actually happened rather than wasting your time on a bunch of "what ifs".

[Chromalord]

The law is NOT about "what if's" the law is about driving under the influence.

[Buzzfriendly]

@Chromalord Exactly, so why sit around speculating? Let the court handle it and treat him like any other citizen and be done with it. Move on to something that actually does impact your life.

[Rogue]

Buzzfriendly -- chances are that he "didn't kill or injure anyone" because there was no one coming thru the green light while he was running the red light. Elected politicians should be held to higher standards while they are in office.

[Buzzfriendly]

@Rogue Then deal with that at the voting both.

[Rogue]

@Buzzfriendly i have. Unfortunately, Idaho is a solidly Repub state, so i was outvoted!

[Romney_Rube]

Crapo might have had former Senator Larry Craig's black book with him. Maybe he was just out on the town toe tapping between stalls.What kind of name is CRAPO anyway?

[kirbstomp1]

Idc what you do with your money, or if you totally disregard your religion's doctrine, what I do care about is him risking other peoples lives for his enjoyment. Makes me laugh even more when republicans will try to defend him, and if he was a democrat, then republicans would slay him.

[seedtick]

He needs to be treated like any other drunk. But, as a congressman, he will suffer any consequences that his constituents deem to be proper. He should at least apologize to the folks he represents and to congress. To those other screaming mimis I say...shut up.

[Sharpshooter]

@PolitixDavid Quoting an obviously biased little known blog for veiled, obscure questioning of something none of the parties concerned seems to care about either says you have an ox to gore or have lost your sense of "news".

Either one... the only commentary this has elicited is nothing more than the sanctimonious calling out the self righteous with no reasoned exchange of opinion or ideas.

[PNWest]

There are more important issues in the world than this guy's personal failings. "Let he who is the most stoned cast the first rock" - Cheech & Chong

[Bobolinsky]

"RULE 12:“Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions."

[jessejaymes]

Let me try and step in here with a voice of reason. It doesn't matter what party or religion he is. He was DRUNK DRIVING and as such should be forced to resign from Congress. I lost a sibling to a drunk driver who got probation because he was.......yup.....a small town politician. There is absolutely no excuse to be drunk driving in an era of cell phones, texting and twitter. You can always find a ride. And a congressman can certainly find a ride. Call an aide.

[Denizen_Kate]

Senator Crapo has plead guilty, has taken full responsibility for his actions, and is willing to face the legal consequences. End. Of. Story./sheesh!/

[KyleMFb]

So what he got drunk and went for a drive so what he's also a Mormon that isn't suppose to drink liquor bc alcohol is a sin for them stupid creepers but thats how you know a religion is a joke if they say alcohol is a sin but anyway he's a stupid republican so that means what ever he says is a lie

[tomincali]

reads like he must have finished off whatever he had before getting pulled over.

maybe he is related to the kennedy's

[RoyFloyd]

Alexandria cops likely pull over important people on a frequent basis. My guess is that in such cases police exercise great discretion, with lots of irregularities and embarrassing details swept under the rug. Most unlike the strict justice portioned out to the proletariat.

[harold_lloyd]

For me, he's just gossip. But for the constituents in Idaho, he's got some explaining to do. Or he could resign. For sure his character is called into question, along with his judgement..