Posted on 09/01/2007 9:46:52 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
BOISE, Idaho - Idaho Sen. Larry Craig resigned Saturday over a men's room sex sting, bowing to pressure from fellow Republicans worried about a scandal dimming their election prospects.
"I apologize for what I have caused," Craig said.
Craig's resignation completed a stunning downfall that began Monday with the disclosure that he had pleaded guilty to a reduced charge following his arrest during a sex sting in a Minneapolis airport men's room.
Although leading members of his own party had called for him to step down, Craig steadfastly resisted resigning for days, contending that he had done nothing wrong and that his only mistake was pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge.
Craig was defiant after the arrest and guilty plea were first reported. "I am not gay. I never have been gay," he declared Tuesday in Boise, Idaho, with his wife, Suzanne, at his side. He said he had kept the incident from aides, friends and family and later pleaded guilty "in hopes of making it go away."
Craig, 62, has represented Idaho in Congress for more than a quarter-century and was up for re-election next year. He had not said if he would run for a fourth term in 2008 and was expected to announce his plans this fall.
"It is with sadness and deep regret that I announce it is my intention to resign from the Senate effective Sept. 30," Craig said, with his wife again at his side and Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter standing behind him.
"For any public official at this moment in time to be standing with Larry Craig is in itself a humbling experience," Craig said.
Craig was arrested June 11 in a police undercover vice operation in a men's room at the Minneapolis airport. The arresting officer, Sgt. Dave Karsnia, said in his report that the restroom is known location for homosexual activity.
"I am not gay. I never have been gay," Craig said at a news conference here Tuesday, a day after his guilty plea became public.
Republicans, worried about the scandal's effect on next year's election, suffered a further setback Friday when veteran Republican Sen. John Warner announced he will retire rather than seek a sixth term. Democrats captured Virginia's other Senate seat from the GOP in the 2006 election.
Senator Craig’s resignation was a class act, unlike most GOP speeches. I didn’t hear Sen. Craig attempt to place one word of blame on the Clintons for his own criminal conduct.
How many blackmail-able votes in the Senate before Sept. 30 rolls around?
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Keep in mind he’s been trying to hide this for 3 months and the police were willing to stay quiet and just give him a fine. It would have been some time before this got out. He chose to confront the police and make them the criminal. Bad choice, the people of Idaho and America are better off with him gone and knowing the truth.
Too bad. Craig did a lot of good.
I hope our nation’s future never includes total acceptance of corruption in exchange for desired policy.
I thought the Senator Voinovich tirade on Sean Hannity's show was the height of stupidity until I heard about Larry Craig. Two brainless Senators in one party does not make for a lot of confidence. At least one is now gone. Maybe intelligent conservatives will decide to represent the party because these dumb senators aren't doing any good.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
That's what is so maddening...he was "mostly" a very reliable conservative, including NRA board of directors. I now wonder if his support of the stupid "shamnisty" immigration reform fiasco was influenced by blackmail??? Not that democrats would stoop to such a thing.
The dems are watching every republican very carefully. How come republicans don’t realize that?
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
I won’t either, I was just sayin’...........him leaving in dignity was not an option. He gets his pension, now he can go fishing anytime he wants.
He probaably has a lot of loose ends to tie together,
and all in Washington....everybody else gets a month
or so to get things in order...am sure they can function
with him for 30 days??????Verginus Rufus..take note,
you must be a psycho-rufus. It is also a means to
get the sleuths working..what if this was all a set-up
and prominent Democrats set him up??? Huh?? JK
When it comes to shamnesty and AgJobs, Craig was partners in crime with my Dem. Senator DiFi.... they were both heavily influenced by agri-business. Oh well, we can only hope this delays their latest hatched plan.
IF he responded to blackmail... I have no clue about that... he was “had” wasn’t he?
I maintain this is the difference between Republicans and the democrat party and why Craig really wasn't given much opportunity to dance around this mess.
While Craig seemed, at least to me, to be willing to carry the water for big AG-bidness, Senator Mike Crapo, (Kray-po) was not willing to and voted against shmnesty.
I agree.. I just saw a rerun of his resignation speech, an exit made as cleanly as one could hope for.
I think this is disgusting. Stop and think what happened to this man. He was in a stall in a bathroom with a door on it. He supposedly tapped his foot. He supposedly bumped the foot of the other man - - whose foot, by the way had to be very close to the edge of HIS STALL in order for Craig’s foot to bump it. His hand supposedly appeared below the panel in the stall. He never spoke a word. The cop also said he peered in the crack of the other stall door.
This is disorderly conduct? If a U. S. Senator can be can be coerced to admit to a crime based on the above, think what could happen to an ordinary person.
I don’t care if the man is gay or not. This is a very sad thing.
Leave it to you to find ‘class’ in a story this disgusting. You wouldn’t recognize true class if it bit ... uh ... I mean, tapped you on the shoulder.
Or he can go stall hoppin' anytime he wants, too.
Or he can go 'bobbin' for toilet paper' down at the nearest public bathroom.
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