P
Patriot Games
Guest
http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/larry_craig_resign/2007/08/31/29108.html
Sen. Craig to Resign Saturday
Friday, August 31, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Idaho Republican Sen. Larry Craig will resign from the Senate
amid a furor over his arrest and guilty plea in a police sex sting in an
airport men's room, Republican officials said Friday.
Craig will announce at a news conference in Boise Saturday morning that he
will resign effective Sept. 30, GOP officials in Idaho and Washington told
The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Word of the resignation came four days after the disclosure that Craig had
pleaded guilty to a reduced misdemeanor charge arising out of his June 11
arrest during a lewd-conduct investigation at the Minneapolis-St. Paul
International Airport.
The three-term Republican senator had maintained that he did nothing wrong
except for making the guilty plea without consulting a lawyer. But he found
almost no support among Republicans in his home state or Washington.
Although several Republicans familiar with internal deliberations said Idaho
Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter favored Lt. Gov. Jim Risch as a replacement, both
Otter aides and Risch said no decision had been made.
"I have not been promised the job of U.S. senator, nor has there even been a
hint that the governor would appoint me to that position," Risch told the
AP. "At this point in time, that discussion is very premature."
Mark Warbis, a spokesman for Otter, said the governor would not comment
until he hears from Craig.
Craig's spokesman, Dan Whiting, had said earlier that the senator would
announce his career plans Saturday. The spokesman would not say whether
Craig intended to resign.
Craig has been out of public view since Tuesday, when he declared defiantly
at a Boise news conference: "I am not gay. I never have been gay." But
Republican sources in Idaho said he spent Friday making calls to top party
officials, including the governor, gauging their support.
There has been virtually no publicly.
Asked Friday at the White House if the senator should resign, President Bush
said nothing and walked off stage.
Republican officeholders and party leaders maintained a steady drumbeat of
actions and words aimed at persuading Craig to vacate his Senate seat.
GOP lawmakers, hoping to get the embarrassment to the party behind them
quickly, stripped Craig of leadership posts on Wednesday, one day after they
called for an investigation of Craig's actions by the Senate Ethics
Committee. Craig complied with the request.
With his wife, Suzanne, at his side, Craig 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.
Republican officeholders and party leaders wanted Craig to give up his seat
in the Senate as soon as possible. Their preference, according to several
officials, was for a successor to be selected and ready to take the oath of
office when the Senate returns from its summer vacation next week.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called Craig's conduct "unforgivable"
and acknowledged that many in the rank and file thought Craig should resign.
Republicans, worried about the scandal's effect on next year's election,
suffered a further setback Friday when veteran Virginia 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 and have
sought to line up former Gov. Mark Warner to run if the seat became open.
The contest for control of the next Senate was already tilted against
Republicans, who must defend 22 of 34 seats on the ballot next year, before
the Craig scandal and Warner's announcement.
With a GOP candidate other than Craig, Republicans would stand a much better
chance of keeping his Idaho seat in 2008. Idaho is one of the nation's most
reliably Republican states. The GOP controls the statehouse and all four
seats in Congress, and Bush carried the state in 2004 with 68 percent of the
vote.
Risch, the lieutenant governor, served for seven months as governor last
year after former Gov. Dirk Kempthorne was named interior secretary. Risch
had said earlier he was interested in Craig's Senate seat if Craig did not
seek re-election in 2008.
Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, also had been mentioned as a possible
replacement for Craig, but the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity
because Craig has not resigned, said Otter would choose Risch.
Craig served in the House before winning his first Senate term in 1990 and
compiled a strongly conservative voting record.
On Thursday, the Minneapolis airport authorities released a tape recording
of Craig's interrogation minutes after he encountered a plainclothes officer
in an adjacent stall in an airport restroom.
Craig and airport police Sgt. Dave Karsnia disagreed about virtually
everything that had occurred - including whether there was a piece of paper
on the floor of the stall and the meaning of the senator's hand gestures.
Craig denied that he had used foot and hand gestures to signal interest in a
sexual encounter.
"I'm not gay. I don't do these kinds of things," Craig told the officer.
"You shouldn't be out to entrap people."
Karsnia accused Craig of lying and grew exasperated with his denials.
"Embarrassing, embarrassing. No wonder why we're going down the tubes,"
Karsnia said.
Sen. Craig to Resign Saturday
Friday, August 31, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Idaho Republican Sen. Larry Craig will resign from the Senate
amid a furor over his arrest and guilty plea in a police sex sting in an
airport men's room, Republican officials said Friday.
Craig will announce at a news conference in Boise Saturday morning that he
will resign effective Sept. 30, GOP officials in Idaho and Washington told
The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Word of the resignation came four days after the disclosure that Craig had
pleaded guilty to a reduced misdemeanor charge arising out of his June 11
arrest during a lewd-conduct investigation at the Minneapolis-St. Paul
International Airport.
The three-term Republican senator had maintained that he did nothing wrong
except for making the guilty plea without consulting a lawyer. But he found
almost no support among Republicans in his home state or Washington.
Although several Republicans familiar with internal deliberations said Idaho
Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter favored Lt. Gov. Jim Risch as a replacement, both
Otter aides and Risch said no decision had been made.
"I have not been promised the job of U.S. senator, nor has there even been a
hint that the governor would appoint me to that position," Risch told the
AP. "At this point in time, that discussion is very premature."
Mark Warbis, a spokesman for Otter, said the governor would not comment
until he hears from Craig.
Craig's spokesman, Dan Whiting, had said earlier that the senator would
announce his career plans Saturday. The spokesman would not say whether
Craig intended to resign.
Craig has been out of public view since Tuesday, when he declared defiantly
at a Boise news conference: "I am not gay. I never have been gay." But
Republican sources in Idaho said he spent Friday making calls to top party
officials, including the governor, gauging their support.
There has been virtually no publicly.
Asked Friday at the White House if the senator should resign, President Bush
said nothing and walked off stage.
Republican officeholders and party leaders maintained a steady drumbeat of
actions and words aimed at persuading Craig to vacate his Senate seat.
GOP lawmakers, hoping to get the embarrassment to the party behind them
quickly, stripped Craig of leadership posts on Wednesday, one day after they
called for an investigation of Craig's actions by the Senate Ethics
Committee. Craig complied with the request.
With his wife, Suzanne, at his side, Craig 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.
Republican officeholders and party leaders wanted Craig to give up his seat
in the Senate as soon as possible. Their preference, according to several
officials, was for a successor to be selected and ready to take the oath of
office when the Senate returns from its summer vacation next week.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called Craig's conduct "unforgivable"
and acknowledged that many in the rank and file thought Craig should resign.
Republicans, worried about the scandal's effect on next year's election,
suffered a further setback Friday when veteran Virginia 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 and have
sought to line up former Gov. Mark Warner to run if the seat became open.
The contest for control of the next Senate was already tilted against
Republicans, who must defend 22 of 34 seats on the ballot next year, before
the Craig scandal and Warner's announcement.
With a GOP candidate other than Craig, Republicans would stand a much better
chance of keeping his Idaho seat in 2008. Idaho is one of the nation's most
reliably Republican states. The GOP controls the statehouse and all four
seats in Congress, and Bush carried the state in 2004 with 68 percent of the
vote.
Risch, the lieutenant governor, served for seven months as governor last
year after former Gov. Dirk Kempthorne was named interior secretary. Risch
had said earlier he was interested in Craig's Senate seat if Craig did not
seek re-election in 2008.
Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, also had been mentioned as a possible
replacement for Craig, but the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity
because Craig has not resigned, said Otter would choose Risch.
Craig served in the House before winning his first Senate term in 1990 and
compiled a strongly conservative voting record.
On Thursday, the Minneapolis airport authorities released a tape recording
of Craig's interrogation minutes after he encountered a plainclothes officer
in an adjacent stall in an airport restroom.
Craig and airport police Sgt. Dave Karsnia disagreed about virtually
everything that had occurred - including whether there was a piece of paper
on the floor of the stall and the meaning of the senator's hand gestures.
Craig denied that he had used foot and hand gestures to signal interest in a
sexual encounter.
"I'm not gay. I don't do these kinds of things," Craig told the officer.
"You shouldn't be out to entrap people."
Karsnia accused Craig of lying and grew exasperated with his denials.
"Embarrassing, embarrassing. No wonder why we're going down the tubes,"
Karsnia said.
