Something must be in the water (or the beer). First we got the news that ABC’s veteran newsman Sam Donaldson was arrested for DUI, now we get Sen. Mike Crapo — who has issued an apology:
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued a public apology after being arrested for drunken driving in Alexandria, Va., early Sunday morning.
Jody Donaldson, a spokesperson for the Alexandria Police Department, said in an e-mail that Crapo was arrested at 12:45 a.m. Sunday. An Alexandria police officer noticed Crapo’s vehicle run through a red traffic light, and after the vehicle was stopped, the officer conducted field sobriety tests, which Crapo failed, Donaldson said. Crapo was arrested for driving under the influence, and taken into custody without incident, Donaldson said.
In a statement, Crapo apologized for his actions.
“I am deeply sorry for the actions that resulted in this circumstance,” Crapo said. “I made a mistake for which I apologize to my family, my Idaho constituents and any others who have put their trust in me. I accept total responsibility and will deal with whatever penalty comes my way in this matter.
“I will also undertake measures to ensure that this circumstance is never repeated.”
Police said the senator’s blood-alcohol level was .110. In Virginia, drivers at .08 or higher are considered intoxicated.As The Politico and other news organizations now, Crapo is a Mormon and has public ally stated that he abstains from alcohol.
Crapo is a member of the so-called “Gang of 8” that has been working very hard get a deal to keep the U.S. from going off the fiscal cliff. The arrest suggests that perhaps he’s also a member of the Gang of 6 Packs.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.