Senator Craig can obtain instant absolution from the main stream media. All he has to do is say that he is a "gay American", and that he is switching his party affiliation to the Democrat Party, since they are the party of gays.

At that point, he will be lionized by the press. Matt Lauer will praise his strength. Ann Curry will coo and gush. Diane will lob softballs at him.

All will be forgiven. The New York Times will publish an editorial praising Craig's "courage" and "fortitude".  Chris Matthews will decide Craig is not a pervert. He really meant to say Republicans, not Craig.

Then the talk in the press will turn to intolerant "gay bashing" Republicans.

If you doubt me ask, Zell Miller or Robert Byrd

More Wshington bathroom stories. From the WSJ - July 20, 2005 (my bold).

"Only a few weeks before the 1964 election, a powerful presidential assistant, Walter Jenkins, was arrested in a men's room in Washington. Evidently, the president was concerned that Barry Goldwater would use that against him in the election. Another assistant, Bill Moyers, was tasked to direct Hoover to do an investigation of Goldwater's staff to find similar evidence of homosexual activity. Mr. Moyers' memo to the FBI was in one of the files.

When the press reported this, I received a call in my office from Mr. Moyers. Several of my assistants were with me. He was outraged; he claimed that this was another example of the Bureau salting its files with phony CIA memos. I was taken aback. I offered to conduct an investigation, which if his contention was correct, would lead me to publicly exonerate him. There was a pause on the line and then he said, "I was very young. How will I explain this to my children?" And then he rang off."

Tim, What state is George Michael senator from? What has he said publicly about gays, gay rights and marriage? This blogpost is weaker than most.

I don't think the bias shows up in the fact that Michael, or Pee Wee Herman got less coverage...these people are entertainers, not politicians (slight difference, I know). 

The bias shows up in the proportion of coverage in relation to other, more devastating stories, and in comparison to their coverage of Democrat scandals.

We have Hillary Clinton, as per standard procedures going back to Arkansas days, receiving ILLEGAL campaign contributions, and the media spends at least ten times the amount of coverage on the stupid Larry Craig story....that's where the bias shows up!

I agree with most of the comments above.  This comparison just doesn't hold water.  However, but what really irks me and it's somewhat related to this topic, it irks me that the media always places emphasis on the person, never the act.  The act itself is never (I guess I should say RARELY) declared wrong or immoral. 

Let me get this straight. 

Democrats are for Gay marriage, meaning that two people of the same sex are going to live in a monogamous committed relationship for the rest of their lives (unless they are from a Red State, which has a ridiculously higher rate of divorce).

Republicans are for anonymous unprotected gay sex with  random people in public places while screaming that these people should burn in hell?

Sounds rational to me.  Self-loathing, look it up in the dictionary.

Let he without sin cast the first stone, Senator Vitter, err, Rep. Foley, Errrrr Senator Craig.  (I forgot which deviant I was addressing again, oops.)