by Sabrina Fang
The Associated Press is reporting that Sen. Larry Craig is contemplating resigning. Here's an excerpt of AP's report:
By DAVID ESPO and MATTHEW DALY
Associated Press Writers
WASHINGTON (AP) — Idaho Sen. Larry Craig is considering resigning, Republican officials said Friday, after days of public and private pressure stemming from his arrest in June in a police undercover operation at an airport men's room.
Craig pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct on Aug. 1, and while he has since said he did nothing wrong, the episode has roiled the Republican party and produced numerous calls for him to step down.
As a measure of the pressure Craig faces, party officials said a statement had been drafted at Republican Party headquarters calling for the third-term senator to resign. It was not issued, these officials said, in response to concerns that it might complicate quiet efforts under way to persuade the 62-year-old lawmaker to give up his seat.
Any resignation would clear the way for Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, a Republican, to name a replacement who would serve until the end of Craig's current term in 2009. Lt. Gov. James Risch and Rep. Mike Simpson were among the possible replacements, according to the GOP officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Craig has not made any public statements about his case since an appearance earlier this week in Boise, Idaho, in which he said he had done nothing wrong. "I am not gay. I never have been gay," he added emphatically.
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Comments
Is there any truth to the rumor that Ted Haggard, Mark Foley, and Larry Craig plan to have a float in the next Gay Pride Parade in San Francisco sponsored by the GOP, Gay Old Party?
Posted by: GW | August 31, 2007 11:34 AM
"Pressure mounts"
Wow, the Republicans are mounting Craig. The pressure is building, soon there will be an erruption of compassionate conservatism.
The whole Republican Party is wearing a little blue dress. How ironic.
Posted by: nisleib | August 31, 2007 11:38 AM
Well you know, when you are guilty, you are guilty!
He has been accused of being gay for years and years, and only after bad rumors, did he marry his current wife and adopt her kids. They have no kids of their own.
It's been done in Hollywood for eons...covering up the fact that you are homosexual so that you can continue in your career of choice without being disrespected by "conservatives".
He is gay, and he knows he is gay, he just needs to admit it. He is only considering resigning, because he knows it's only a matter of time before men start stepping forward with information on all sorts of indiscretions he had with them!
Just resign and get it over with Craig and take your false conservative views with you!!
Now when is The Swamp going to post the story on that super conservative Republican who is going to announce his run for the presidency today? Do the conservatives actually have a chance after this tough year?
Posted by: Bella | August 31, 2007 11:41 AM
As a partisan Democrat, I should be cheering this story all the way, but I just can't do it.
Mr. Craig has some serious personal demons and should get help.
I know the news media is not an either/or proposition, but this country has some serious problems facing it like the housing bust, decaying infrastructure, or the idiotic 'war on drugs' that need in depth examination. Instead, we get more coverage of Larry Craig and Brittney Spears. It's more of a problem with TV news, so I don't blame the Trib too much. Sigh.
Sorry, rant over: back to your regular programming.
Posted by: weinerdog43 | August 31, 2007 11:42 AM
weinerdod43,
Sorry to quibble, but...
If Dubya can make fun of not finding WMDs under his desk which is all about getting a lot of people killed for no damned good reason.
Then, goofing on Larry "I AM NOT GAY" Craig is chump change in comparison.
Posted by: Doug Zook | August 31, 2007 11:59 AM
If he had come clean on his arrest at the outset, or just admit being gay, his career might've had a chance of surviving.
Granted, he wouldn't have the support of conservatives but he might've survived.
Americans can be pretty forgiving but they don't like hypocrites.
They also don't like people who try to cover up thier mistakes instead of just admitting them.
For Craig to plead guilty and then recant will only land him in even more hot water; judges don't like that kind of thing.
Posted by: Walter | August 31, 2007 12:11 PM
This isn't about Larry Craig being gay; it's about him being a pervert. He needs serious help.
Posted by: Jerry | August 31, 2007 12:22 PM
Not only does this hypocrite need to resign, there needs to be a full investigation into this incident to see what else may be there. The investigation should also involve confiscating his office and personal computers.
This is the pervert who was one of the first to call for Bill Clinton to be impeached based on his(Clinton's) vile and immoral behavior. What goes around comes around, right Mr. Craig??
Posted by: Doug R. | August 31, 2007 12:32 PM
Senator Wide Stance will probably do what all the Republican Freepers do when they get busted for hypocrisy.....gay rehab.
Posted by: John E | August 31, 2007 12:38 PM
MEANWHILE DICK CHENEY IS AWOL COOKING UP THE BOOKS FOR SAUDI ARABIA AGAINST IRAN. LETS BLAME THEM FOR ALL THE IED'S WE'VE SOLD TO THE ENEMY OF THE WEEK.
MEANWHILE AMERICA IS STUCK ON FOLEYGATE, ALLENGATE, AND CRAIGGATE.
HAS ANYONE SEEN CONDI RICE?
WHERE IS SECRETARY OF DEFENCE GATES AT?
WHERE OR WHERE HAS OUR SECRETARY OF STATE GONE? WHO IS EXTENDING THE DIPLOMACY IN THE REGION TO END DICK CHENEYS QUADMIRE HE SO ANTICIPATED AND STARTED.
ITS SICKENING AND DOWN RIGHT STUPID THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE TO WAKE UP EVERY MORNING AND GET BEAT UP LIKE WE ARE ALL LITTLE BAD LITTLE BOYS, BAD BOYS, BAD LITTLE BOYS.
WHILE SAUDI ARABIA AND DICK CHENEY ARE ORCHESTRATING THEIR NEXT SEPTEMBER THE 11TH ON BEHALF OF MORE NO BID FEDERAL CONTRACTS AT THE DEATH OF OUR MILITARY AND THE WILL OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
WATCH THOSE AMERICAN STALLS MEN OVER THE WEEKEND, WATCH THOSE PARK BATHROOMS OVER THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THAT GOP SENATOR OR REPRESENTATIVE MAY BE LURKING FOR SOME TAP TAP.
SICK PEOPLE
Posted by: Roger Morris | August 31, 2007 12:43 PM
Doug, I know.
Still, Craig never launched an unprovoked war killing hundreds of thousands of people. (Although he certainly enabled it.) Shrub/Cheney deserve time at The Hague. Craig deserves ridicule, but not 24/7.
He is a hypocrite, so I'm not going to protest too much.
Posted by: weinerdog43 | August 31, 2007 12:47 PM
I am not an Idahoan, but for a long time I was a Minnesotan, and for ten years have been an Arizonan, and when do any of us get to have people representing and leading us who are not crooks, liars, thieves and hypocrites? I'm sure there are some good apples in the barrel, too, but how long before they're contaminated by the rest?
Posted by: Nonnie | August 31, 2007 12:57 PM
I agree Nonnie,
In this day in age it does not matter Republican or Democrate, whoever is working for / within the government will eventually dindle to the low spots. Scary to see that our kids are going to have a really screwed up government when they grow up. Seems its "every person for themselves" era. Very sad.
Posted by: Mark | August 31, 2007 1:53 PM
Weinerdog43,
Case closed. Bring on the next hypocrite Republican.
Posted by: Doug Zook | August 31, 2007 2:06 PM
Being gay doesn't make Sen. Craig a pervert. Let's face it, "straight" people do some pretty twisted stuff in the bedroom. However, becoming sexually aroused in a filthy public restroom is pretty gross. Why are Repubs so stupid about sex? There are probably a hundred escort services in D.C. he could have called and gotten a clean, disease free man for $3,000 a night. His crime isn't being gay, it's being incredibly stupid. Isn't this guy supposed to understand the law. If he'd just gotten a lawyer, walked into a judges chambers with that lawyer, and said, "Make this go away", he wouldn't be in this situation. And his wife has to have known this from the beginning. Being gay is hard enough for people, being a gay Republican in a party overflowing with Bigots and Religious Right Hate Mongers must be a real bitch.
Posted by: Mrs. Jesus | August 31, 2007 2:37 PM
I think people are missing the most important point here. If Craig resigns, what's going to happen to the band?
I smell a "behind the music" episode coming:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW1Mpp0HZVI
Posted by: John E | August 31, 2007 3:13 PM
It's a good time for Craig to try out one of those homo conversion programs the waiting-for-the-rapture Christian conservatives like to "claim" works all the time.
Posted by: RomanB | August 31, 2007 3:42 PM
As the Republicans refuse to put any pressure on admitted adulterer Sen. Vitter (R-LA) to leave office.
Craig's only crime was to cheat on his wife with another guy; if he committed heterosexual adultery, all would be forgiven.
Posted by: BC | September 1, 2007 4:20 PM