What Really Went Down in That Minnesota Bathroom?

31. you are gaaaay!

Posted at 3:14PM on Oct 18th 2007 by PINKY

32. 18. I have in my hand a list of 205 members of the Gay disgruntled! I would like to use the power of the US government to investigate all of them to make sure that we weed the Gay disgruntled out of the State Department, Army and other areas of government!

Posted at 6:06PM on Oct 17th 2007 by Tail Gunner Don't Know

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Come on down! We've loaded up our vibrating dildo rifles and we're ready for your hot young ass!

Posted at 7:19PM on Oct 17th 2007 by Disgruntled Gay Mafia member

33. AND I'M SUPPOST TO CARE BECAUSE ??? I WOULD RATHER TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHY PARIS'S FAKE HAIR IS POLITICAL NEWS.

Posted at 7:26PM on Oct 17th 2007 by LISA

34. Well, what do you expect,most politicians are liars, and this jerk has been lying for a long time. They (politicians) do what they want and expect the population that vote to believe that what they say is true.... not. His wife is a stupid blood sucker just like her husband. Live the good life and enjoy... lol
He has been trying to get young interns to have sex with him for a long time, He is just an old liar that finally got caught. Just what he needs. Actually, I think he should be punished and pay a huge fine. This will never go away.

Posted at 11:34PM on Oct 17th 2007 by secret suzie

35. Thank you English Teacher. But "pleaded" is no more the proper past tense form of 'plead' than "pled" is, of which the past tense is also spelled 'plead' as in 'plead guilty' or 'plead not guilty.'

Posted at 8:09PM on Oct 17th 2007 by Bodo

36. I think Craig would be much happier as a BATHROOM ATTENDENT then a Senator anyways. That way his work would be where his passion is...ROFL

Posted at 11:17PM on Oct 17th 2007 by ClosetCaseCraig

37. So only a few of these posts believe that cops never are over zealous in their pursuit of something? No one hears of the Chicago Cops ramming screwdrivers up detainees asses, beating innocent female bartenders, innocent businessmen, trumping up charges on Gay and Lesbians? And Minneapolis Police dont do this too? Come on. That guys sitting on the pot for how freaking long waiting for a bust---he's ready to pounce on anybody who would have sat there next to him. No way he's going to spend half a shift sitting with his drawers down and come up empty handed. Somebody was going down that day and Craig happened to be the guy.

I dont believe a word of that cops interpretation. And the guy who said embarrssed vs angry? Its called going into a partial state of shock when something happens to a person. The shock takes control, not a specific emotion. And the way the cop was laying the charges out made it look like an easy way out to simply make the incident go away which would have lessened any anger that may have crept up while shock was still taking hold.

No, the cops here are the ones who made this look like it was something it wasnt. And so what if others have claimed this or that about him. Most were anonoymous claims with tape recordings that cant be verified. I smell some smear here and some ambitious police.

Posted at 7:46PM on Oct 17th 2007 by Cop on the Pooper

38. #34 that is the best comment yet. .......

Posted at 11:31PM on Oct 17th 2007 by secret suzie

39. 32. Thank you English Teacher. But "pleaded" is no more the proper past tense form of 'plead' than "pled" is, of which the past tense is also spelled 'plead' as in 'plead guilty' or 'plead not guilty.'

Posted at 7:43PM on Oct 17th 2007 by Bodo

Okay, Bodo, you asked for it.

"Pled" doesn't exist. It's a false construction based on a false assumption.

The false assumption being: that because "to plead" looks like and sounds like "bleed", "read", "flee", and other Anglo-Saxon words, that it is conjugated the same way.

Wrong.

How a word forms the past tense depends entirely on when it entered the English language and what rules were in effect at the time.

Bleed, et al., are Anglo-Saxon. They are conjugated using an old German method that involves changing the stem. Bleed = bled. That was allowed at the time.

But the rules changed in 1066 when William the Conqueror invaded England. He spoke Old French, which uses the Latin method of adding endings to words to form the past tense, not by changing the stems. He made it law that England had to switch to the Latin method. The old words could keep their old forms, but no new words entering the language after 1066 could be conjugated the German way. No exceptions!

"Plead" is French. It entered the language after 1066. It forms the past tense by adding -ed.

There is no "pled" or, even more confusingly, a word spelled "plead" but pronounced as pled. It does not exist. By English law.

Only Americans, and a few poorly educated Scots, ever believed otherwise. I imagine that because people in the legal profession are used to antiquated legal jargon, they just accepted this non-word because they heard other people using it. But that doesn't make it correct.

I find it ironic beyond belief that so many people in the legal profession in this country insist on using a legal term which is not only wrong, it is technically illegal. Good thing William the Conqueror's not around, or heads would be rolling.

There's only one correct past tense/past participle of plead: pleaded. There is none other. There is no "alternative" form, because there is no reason for one even if the rules allowed it, which they don't.

"But the dictionary has it!"
Dictionaries contain errors. If they want to pretend this is a word, they should at least have the courtesy to explain that it is wrong, and not to be used.

"But my law professor/favorite TV show used it!"
They are wrong. Amazingly enough, even people with law degrees or jobs in the media can be wrong. Worse, people in law tend to argue when confronted with errors, rather than admit them, improve their grammar and move on. It's natural for them to argue and deny. But they are still wrong.

The end.

Posted at 8:05PM on Oct 17th 2007 by English Teacher

40. THE GUY HAS CONTROL ISSUES, AND IS ANAL!

Posted at 8:20PM on Oct 17th 2007 by annab

41. Goodness! What a frigging nut!

Give it a rest English Teacher. These are modern times in modern America where the modern American form of the English language is spoken. We are not speaking the old English or old Scottish dialect, just modern American English. Save your lessons for highbrow egghead fools such as yourself.

Posted at 8:44PM on Oct 17th 2007 by Bodo

42. If a crime was committed, I don't know what it was. He bumped feet? He picked up a piece of toilet paper? That is truly a laughing matter, if that's a crime! And yet, it's not!

Was there a sign in the rest room that blatantly spelled out the surveillance, and why?
Was there a uniformed policeman making periodic checks? And why not, if there was a problem?

I think he was entrapped! Furthermore, I think #9, is right.

Posted at 8:51PM on Oct 17th 2007 by Will not vote for repugs, again.

43. That bathroom is VERY well known for its services. You know going in there what you get. He. Knew.

Posted at 8:56PM on Oct 17th 2007 by itsalwaysme

44. Hey Bodo & English Teacher....I bet Senator Craig pleed his pants when that cop revealed his badge. Now back to the matter at hand - toe tapping.

Posted at 9:12PM on Oct 17th 2007 by keepingitreal

45. Guilty!!!.....
He was caught in a sting and he admitted to it. Busted end of story. Senator don't squeeze the charmin!
loser.

Posted at 9:39PM on Oct 17th 2007 by Mr. Charmin