Planet Abell

"I have seen that it is possible for me to work here effectively." -- Sen. Larry Craig, Oct 4, 2007 Things to do this summer: Circle around hunky guy in stall "8" while waiting for connecting flight. Muse on how great it is to have time to kill in a city where nobody knows me -- and save money at the same time by not flying direct! Plead ignorance of solicitation to guy who doesn't seem nearly as hunky when he turns out to be an undercover cop. Give him my business card anyway. You never know In post-arrest interview with undercover cop (who I see now definitely is not a looker) don't act like I don't know what he's talking about when he says I was doing the abnormal things guys seeking gay sex with strangers in public restrooms do. Instead, tell him I was doing normal things, like picking up toilet paper off the bathroom floor Don't get any legal advice in the many weeks before I have to enter a plea. Reflect fondly on my votes for tort reform ...

(UPDATE: Webb says he did not give aide his gun ) T he arrest of an aide to Virginia Sen. Jim Webb for gun possession is bound to be a straight line for at least a few days. The poor guy -- a husband and father -- had to spend the night in jail for forgetting to drop off in Virginia a handgun and two full magazines. What none of the news accounts I've read make abundantly clear is how easy it is for this sort of thing to happen in all innocence. Virginia, which borders DC and is so close in every way that it even shares the city's subway system, is a "shall issue" state , which means that the right to be granted a permit to carry a concealed handgun is more or less inherent and can only be denied for narrow reasons. All you need to qualify for a permit is $50, demonstrate minimal shooting proficiency (taking a safety course from a shooting instructor), fill out some forms, prove residency, wait at least 45 days and make two trips to court (drop off forms, ...