Crapo arrested on DUI

[Zioneer]

This isn't really a scandal unless there's some kind of gay angle.

Actually, since Mormons have quite a lot of political influence in Idaho, it could be a lot bigger than you'd think. A lot of influential political leaders are of the old-style Mormon social conservatism, and hate having their reputations endangered. There may be huge repercussions from this one event.

I'm betting Larry EchoHawk is regretting leaving politics now.

[Zioneer]

Don't Mormons have major predilections against touching alcohol, for any reason?

Yep.

[Zioneer]

The absolutely brain-dead and ill-informed arguments for legalizing frunk driving Crapo won't suffer serious political fallout here. He's heavily popular, making the right mea culpas, and has 4 years before facing re-election (3.5 to a primary, I guess). Yeah, the fact he's an LDS bishop in a state with a large Mormon population (especially among GOP primary voters, i'd guess) adds a wrinkle. But if Vitter can survive with nary a scratch, so will Crapo.

Bishop isn't nearly as exalted rank in the LDS as it is most other churches with bishops.  It corresponds to what other churches would call a pastor or parish priest.

Correct, though it's also a volunteer, 3-7 year thing. So calling him a bishop as if that's his current position is inaccurate. Though, like the title of "Senator", it stays with you for life, at least among the congregation that you served as bishop for. I do have a thread on Mormonism in the religion section if you've got any more questions.

[Zioneer]

The absolutely brain-dead and ill-informed arguments for legalizing frunk driving Crapo won't suffer serious political fallout here. He's heavily popular, making the right mea culpas, and has 4 years before facing re-election (3.5 to a primary, I guess). Yeah, the fact he's an LDS bishop in a state with a large Mormon population (especially among GOP primary voters, i'd guess) adds a wrinkle. But if Vitter can survive with nary a scratch, so will Crapo.

Bishop isn't nearly as exalted rank in the LDS as it is most other churches with bishops.  It corresponds to what other churches would call a pastor or parish priest.

Correct, though it's also a volunteer, 3-7 year thing. So calling him a bishop as if that's his current position is inaccurate. Though, like the title of "Senator", it stays with you for life, at least among the congregation that you served as bishop for. I do have a thread on Mormonism in the religion section if you've got any more questions.

Since my interest is limited to how it might affect Crapo, I'll stick with it here.  How likely is it that Crapo would lose any LDS positions he currently holds over something like this?

From everything I've read, it doesn't seem like he holds any major position at the moment beyond the one's he's already had and served his time in (if he was a appointed to a high enough position to matter at this point, he would have had to resign his political office first), so he probably won't lose any positions over this.

Now, he may be subject to a "bishop's interview", basically a confessional/evaluational of your spiritual well-being by a currently serving bishop. And if the church officials where he lives are honest, he'll be subject to further disciplinary action. Probably no excommunication in any case. LDS political officials don't tend to get publicly excommunicated because it would embarrass the church. Even when Harry Reid defied the LDS leadership and said he supports gay marriage, he still wasn't excommunicated.

Of course, I could be wrong. These days, since there's greater scrutiny of the Church, a lot of traditional policies are changing.

[Zioneer]

I can't believe people in this thread are defending drunk driving.