September 05, 2007

Craig Reconsidering Decision To Resign From Senate

Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, is reconsidering his decision to resign after his arrest in a Minnesota airport sex sting and may still fight to keep his Senate seat, a spokesman said yesterday.

"It's not such a foregone conclusion anymore, that the only thing he could do was resign," Sidney Smith, Craig's spokesman in Idaho, was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

"We're still preparing as if Senator Craig will resign Sept. 30, but the outcome of the legal case in Minnesota and the ethics investigation will have an impact on whether we're able to stay in the fight -- and stay in the Senate," Smith added.

Craig announced Saturday he intended to resign from the Senate on Sept. 30. But since then, he has hired prominent Washington attorney William "Billy" Martin to investigate the possibility of reversing his plea.

Craig contended throughout last week he had done nothing wrong and that his only mistake was pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge.

A telephone call Craig received last week from Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Arlen Specter, R-Pa., urging him to consider fighting for his seat is affecting Craig's decision to resign, Smith said.

"It was a little more cut and dried a few days ago," Smith said. "There weren't many options. He was basically going to have to step aside. Now, there's a little more to it."

Craig did not return to Washington when the Senate reconvened yesterday, and another spokesman, Dan Whiting, said Craig was expected to spend the week in Idaho.

Specter, a former prosecutor, said yesterday, "The more people take a look at the situation, there may well be second thoughts." He contended that if Craig had demanded a trial instead of pleading guilty to a reduced charge, "I believe he would have been exonerated."

Idaho Gov. Butch Otter (R) has not named a successor for Craig and has not said when he will.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., yesterday defended Republican leaders' efforts to push Craig to resign, citing his guilty plea.

"The legal case was, in effect, over. At that point, the question was for the Republican leadership, what would be our reaction to it," he said.

-CongressDaily

(Photo: CNN)

Posted at 9:00 AM
Posted to: Larry Craig, Senate
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