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.
The man is a lying pig with a reputation on the Hill going back to the early 80’s.
Ah ... you are not up to speed on this or are very naive.
.
Idaho Sen. Larry Craig, next to his wife Suzanne, announces his resignation from the Senate on Saturday, Sept. 1, 2007, in Boise, Idaho. Idaho Gov. C.L. 'Butch' Otter along with his wife, Lori, stand directly behind Craig. Far left is Idaho's Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna. (AP Photo/Troy Maben)
Interesting ... the only elected official who appeared in shirt sleeves. A lack of respect to the public. The man is a pig. Hanging around for another months pay and god knows what votes he sold.
..And don't let the stall door bang you on your little tushie on the way out...
Do NOT ..I repeat....do NOT under any circumstances, pick up any toilet paper, reach down to your shoe or ask for a few peices of toilet paper from the guy in the next stall. A policeman is waiting for you.
I should go down the street and tell my neighbor and soon to be Senator Risch “don’t f up...please”
They are the public’s servants, not their masters.
Bvahahahah.. good one! snort... oh, wait, you were serious?
Last politician who actually believed that got beaten by LBJs smear job :-(
FRegards
Of course he could have held on to his job by switching parties, but the 'Rats would have required him to adopt their positions on gay rights and abortion.
Sir,
you are minimalising the whole event.
Craig apparently flies through Minneapolis frequently. As a US Senator, and a frequent flyer on NorthWest Airlines, it is almost inconceivable that he would not be a member of NorthWest’s World Club. They’d probably be happy to make him an honorary member, and he could clearly make a case for needing membership as it provides him with robust business facilities en route from his constituency to Washington.
There are two World Club facilities in the Lindbergh Terminal at Minneapolis, one on the main concourse right by the Public restrooms that Craig was caught in, and one on Concourse C, a few feet from his departure gate to Washington.
Now let’s compare the facilities - the World Club has a receptionist who welcomes you and verifies your membership, there is a luggage lobby/cloakroom where you can leave your luggage safely while you move around the facility, there is comfortable furniture, business facilities, complimentary food and drink, and beautifully maintained restrooms.
Most airline club restrooms have luxury fittings, linen towels, complementary colognes, and spacious facilities. They don’t stink and they aren’t crowded, nor do you have to pull your luggage into the stall with you.
So Craig, on arriving at Minneapolis apparently walked all the way past the World Club facilities to go out of his way by some several hundred yards to use a crowded, cramped, public restroom, that was right next to the OTHER World Club in the terminal, and where he had to queue for over two minutes to get a stall.
Why would you queue for two minutes in busy, and therefore most likely smelly, restroom for two minutes when there is an empty, clean, luxury, restroom available to you a few feet away?
Then, having gone to these extraordinary lengths to “commune with the people” he started into a routine that identified him with 41 other persons accused of soliciting gay sex in that restroom.
You can try and rationalize the tapping and bumping of feet all you like, the signalling system was, by it’s nature, derived to enable built-in plausible deniability, but the sum of his actions send a very clear signal to me and most everyone else, and Craig knows it, that’s why he plead guilty, and that’s why he has resigned.
“What happened to this man” as you say, was of his own making, my sympathy is with his wife, whom he betrayed, and whose health he may have endangered.
I was impressed by the way that Romney handled the matter. He is a good butcher. Bush should have been that ruthless.
Puts me in mind of an old country tune:
“Thank God and Greyhound You’re Gone”
I'm still trying to figure out what law he broke. It seems he made a pass at someone (another guy yes, but is that illegal these days?). Did he offer money or something making it solicitation for prostitution?
“The Fox All-Stars on Friday, discussing the rumor that Craig would resign effective Sept. 30, disapproved of him putting off his departure till the end of September. There will be important things happening in September (such as Petraeus’ report) and it would make sense for the new senator to be in place. Plus it does no good to the Republican Party to have this disgraced character hanging around for another month.”
No matter when Craig leaves, the MSM and liberals will be using Craig, Foley, Vitter, and Gonzales to demonize as representative of all Republicans years from now.
Ok now the MSM can concentrate on Hillarygate. Might have to give em a push but it’s gonna be fun.
You are kidding aren’t you?
Or are you really defending this disgusting and degenerate activity?
Peering in through the crack? One knows what the other guy is doing and why would one spy on another man taking a dump?
If this had happened to me this pervert would have heard a rack slide or at a minimum a lock blade knife snapping open.
I am 48 years old and have NEVER peered into another stall and have damn sure never tapped another man’s shoe. These are planned activities of a pervert!
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