August 29, 2007
Craig Steps Down From Committees As Colleagues Scatter
UPDATED.
Idaho Sen. Larry Craig has agreed to temporarily step down from his committee posts in the wake of revelations about his recent arrest and guilty plea to charges of lewd conduct.
The move comes as an ever-growing chorus of Craig's GOP colleagues demands his resignation. This afternoon, Rep. Pete Hoekstra of Michigan became the first Republican member of Congress to suggest Craig should resign, a call that was soon echoed by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Norm Coleman, R-Minn.
The White House did not join the resignation bandwagon, but spokesman Scott Stanzel told reporters following the president in Mississippi today, "We are disappointed in the matter."
Just before Craig's press conference yesterday, during which he denied any wrongdoing, the Republican leadership in the Senate requested an ethics committee investigation into the three-term senator's arrest in June. Craig pleaded guilty (a move he now says he regrets) to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct after a plainclothes officer accused him of soliciting sex in the men's bathroom of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Craig didn't tell anyone, including the Senate GOP leadership, about his arrest.
Idaho's Republican governor, Butch Otter, extended a show of support for Craig this morning, but CNN reports that state party leaders are privately backing away from Craig and quotes the leader of a right-leaning group who wants Craig to resign.
"I believe he should resign because I believe character is an extremely important qualification for public service," said Bryan Fischer of the Idaho Values Alliance. "And I believe the senator, by his own admission, has acknowledged that he has fallen short of the standard that we should expect from public servants."
Mitt Romney became the first GOP presidential hopeful out of the gate to slam Craig yesterday, calling his actions "disgusting" and "disappointing." Craig was once Romney's Idaho campaign chairman and a strong supporter of the former Massachusetts governor.
The blogs are piling on, too: The Atlantic's Andrew Sullivan expresses sympathy for Craig but accuses him of compounding "his own misfortune by hurting others" with his "perfectly anti-gay voting record," and Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall elaborates on the "catch-22" that Craig faced when deciding to plead guilty.
But bloggers, presidential wannabes and state-level critics aren't the biggest problem for Craig. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a statement yesterday that the GOP "leadership is examining other aspects of the case to determine if additional action is required."
The unusual political move comes as Republicans are beginning to focus seriously on their prospects for 2008, when 22 sitting GOP senators are up for re-election. Idaho is a solidly red state, but Craig's continuing presence in the race could plant doubts in the minds of even the most loyal party voters. He said he'll decide whether to seek another term in September as planned.
The Idaho Statesman has more coverage of Craig.
Posted at 4:31 PM
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Congress, Larry Craig, Senate
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