Fruit Packers and “Fruit” Packers

Senator Craig’s airport restroom adventure may effect immigration.

One might even wonder if cheap labor interests were blackmailing him.

Remember: Mechanize, Not Third-Worldize Agriculture.

Craig’s legal woes could hurt immigration effort - by Eunice Moscoso

A plan to legalize thousands of illegal immigrant farm workers may have suffered a blow with the recent troubles of Sen. Larry Craig, a key Republican supporter of the legislation.

The Roll Call newspaper reported Monday that Craig pleaded guilty earlier this month to misdemeanor disorderly conduct after he was arrested in June at a Minnesota airport by a plainclothes police officer investigating lewd conduct complaints in a men’s public restroom.

In a statement, Craig denied any wrongdoing and said he regretted the guilty plea.

It is unclear what effect the arrest will have on Craig’s career, but it will likely hurt his clout in Congress.

Craig and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., are trying to shore up support for the legislation that would allow agricultural workers to obtain legal status.

The bill — known as AgJobs — was part of a major immigration package that failed in the Senate earlier this year. Feinstein and Craig are hoping to pass AgJobs as a separate bill.