Larry Craig Resigns From Senate
Idaho Republican Announces Departure Effective Sept. 30, After Calls From Within Party To Quit Over Arrest
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CBS Evening News, 09.01.07
Saturday: Sen. Larry Craig resigns, new iPod may be on its way, the Justice Dept. takes action against gang violence, YouTube as the place to debate the Iraq war.
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Video Craig Set To Resign
Sen. Larry Craig will announce his resignation from the Senate. Jeff Greenfield talks with Harry Smith about why Craig has no choice but to step down
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Video Tape Of Sen. Craig's Arrest
In a newly released audiotape, accusations fly between Sen. Craig and the officer who arrested him. Craig claims he was misunderstood but Republicans aren't buying it. Wyatt Andrews reports.
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Sen. Larry Craig announcing his resignation from the Senate in Boise today, effective September 30. (CBS)
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Photos released by the Metropolitan Airports Commission Police Department show Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, taken at the time of his arrest on June 11, 2007, at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. (AP/via M. A. C Police Department)
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Photo Essay
Larry Craig
Idaho senator embroiled in scandal after arrest at Minneapolis airport comes to light.
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Photo Essay
Sex & Politics
Some elected officials whose libidos have gotten them in hot water.
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"I apologize for what I have caused," Craig said, his wife Suzanne and two of their three children at his side with a historic Boise train station as backdrop. "I am deeply sorry."
Craig, 62, said he would resign effective Sept. 30, ending a career in Congress spanning a quarter-century.
Making no specific mention of the incident that triggered his disgrace in his remarks, he spoke for under six minutes and took no questions.
Among those attending was Republican Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, who will appoint a successor for the remaining 15 months of Craig's term.
It was a relatively quick end to a drama that began Monday with the stunning disclosure that Craig had pleaded guilty to a reduced charge following his arrest June 11 in a Minneapolis airport men's room.
Craig at first tried to hold on to his position, contending in a public appearance on Tuesday that he had done nothing inappropriate and that his only mistake was pleading guilty Aug. 1 to the misdemeanor charge.
"In his 27 years in Congress, Craig has been a staunch conservative," reports CBS News correspondent Dan Raviv. "Among other issues, he supported a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and voted against expanding hate-crime laws to include 'sexual orientation.'"
Raviv adds, "Craig was a loyal Republican, but top Republicans didn't give him an ounce of support this week."
Rather, a growing chorus of leading GOP leaders called for him to step down, to spare the party further embarrassment and possible harm in next year's elections.
"The last thing the Republicans want is to even move into this process - which is starting early - with this overhang of a possible sex scandal," CBS News chief political analyst Jeff Greenfield said. "On top of the fact that they've got an unpopular president, a divisive war, they’ve got 22 to 34 seats to defend. They’ve got enough on their plate."
The prospect of Craig's resignation was met with approval by Idahoan Don Cornell, who told CBS News, "We're hoping for it. He hadn’t been up-front, totally. And If he'd been up-front totally maybe it wouldn't be such a big deal."
Cornell said he was never a big supporter of Craig, but he told CBS News correspondent Stephan Kaufman that no matter what Craig might be guilty of, he should still stand up for what he feel is right.
"Maybe he should fight it," Cornell said. "Maybe he was entrapped a bit, who knows? If it was my credibility on the line I probably wouldn’t cave in like that."
But Cornell admitted that perhaps it was time for Craig to leave, given the damage to his credibility.
Otter said Saturday he has not chosen a replacement, although several Republicans familiar with internal deliberations said he favored Republican Lt. Gov. Jim Risch.
Otter called speculation that he has made a choice "dead wrong" and declined to say when he would fill the seat.
Craig said he would remain in the Senate until Sept. 30 in hopes of providing a smooth transition for his staff and whoever is chosen as his successor.
President Bush called Craig from the White House after the senator's announcement and told him he knew it was a difficult decision to make, said White House spokesman Scott Stanzel.
"Senator Craig made the right decision for himself, for his family, his constituents and the United States Senate," Stanzel said.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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See all 166 CommentsDon''t let the stall door hit on your way out.
You seem to miss the point. No one cares that Craig is gay. We want him removed because he is a liar and a hypocrite. The only people who care that he is gay are you, Rush Limbaugh and your other bigoted friends.
Posted by wattermelann at 12:07 PM : Sep 01, 2007
(chuckle) It appears you are making a dig. Gay cops, firefighters, doctors, etc. are of course everywhere, including in Minnesota. But when they are working, who they sleep with is totally beside the point. It is very safe to say that the good sergeant, whichever way he leans, was on duty as part of a police sting against lewd conduct in public restrooms.
Posted by socrates392 at 12:28 PM : Sep 01, 2007
Craig should jump ship to the Democratic Party, he''d get a standing ovation and Chairmanship of a committee.
His wife might care that he is gay, how do you know he''s gay, that''s not what he was charged with?
Posted by trumpetstuff at 12:32 PM : Sep 01, 2007
Maybe Craig turned him down, the cop might be gay and ticked off at the rejection.
Stop the whining ! Just put on the blue dress and go to the Oval Office, Georgie boy wants you !!
Posted by chicagopoet at 12:45 PM : Sep 01, 2007
Let''s not forget about those retirement benefits !!
Na na na na.
Hey hey hey.
Goodbye.
As the good ship Neocon quickly slips beneath the political waves the Republicans are rowing furiously to avoid being pulled down along with her...
Posted by jowand at 12:39 PM : Sep 01, 2007
Only if he really likes much older guys. Have you seen a picture of the cop? He''s hot! :-)
In politics, you can take out the garbage, but the smell still lingers!
Posted by xraytwonine at 01:17 PM : Sep 01, 2007
Hiding your head in the sand xray? he PLEADED GUILTY TO A CRIME. And took 2 months to deliberate that plea. i.e. THERE WAS AN ''INCIDENT''. With access to high class lawyers, if there was no ''there there'' he would have PLEAD INNOCENT. Get it!?
Rush has taught me how to send my maid to pretend to be in pain to get Oxycontin for me. O''Reilley has taught me to talk dirty to my female employees. Giuliani has taught me that dressing in drag and dumping one''s cancer-stricken wife on TV is very conservative. Bush has taught me that nothing you say means anything until it''s been interpreted. Cheney has taught me that torturing people is just part of the job of being a US soldier. Rumsfeld has taught me that a city isn''t in trouble until EVERYTHING is on fire. Foley taught me that chasing teenage boys isn''t bad if you do it in a state where the age of consent is low. And now Larry Craig has taught me that true love can only be found in the bathroom.
Wait in the third stall from the left. I''ll be in at 4:00. You''ll know me because I''ll be whistling "Hail to the Chief". We''ll do it for the good of the Party, not because we want to, because we''re straight, right?
What''s the difference between Iraq and Vietnam? Cheney and Bush had a plan to get out of Vietnam.
What does this have to do with Larry Craig? Not much, but somehow any criticism of a Republican politician seems to get the Bushies to invoke the terrible crimes of Clinton, and I really think we can call that old news at this point.
Oh, you mean like Tom DeLay did from the Republicans in a closed session after he was charged with crimes?
hahahahahaha
had he been in the demonic-rat party where he belongs... they would make him their hero...
hahahahaha
Who was the one who told everybody about it?
It kinda reminds me of Scott Ridder. You know, the UN weapons inspector former marine who got caught at a burger king soliciting a 16 year old? Only those records were sealed. Were these records sealed too?
- most excellent!!....good one.
a-tap-a-tap-a-tap-a....slide.
Scott Ridder solicited a minor at a burger king.
Which is it you guys want? A war with Iraq? Or a war against toe tapping?
Once again you prove to everyone here what an IDIOT you are! Why the hell would Senator Craig, with his right wing agenda , be welcomed by the Democrats? Why the hell would you say that? Haven''t you got a f-ing brain in the fat head of yours? It''s the republican party that is full of f-ing hypocrites!
I do see a anti-gay double standard here. Republican Senator Vitter of Louisiana, who''s number was found on a D.C. Madams phone records, and admitted to committing a ''grave sin'' is still in office, with nobody in his party calling for him to quit! After all, he only went to female prostitutes.. so what''s wrong with that?
The senator was arrested in a police sting for trying to solicit s-e-x from a male cop in a mens'' bathroom, according to the cops. According to the senator, it was all a misunderstanding, but he pleaded GUILTY to a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge, in an attempt "to make it all go away". That, in itself, is so stupid that nobody should want him to continue being their senator.
His own (republican) party wants him gone ASAP, so the negative publicity won''t rub off on them that''s running for office soon. Everybody else is amused by the utter hypocrisy of yet another member of the "Christian" party who has railed against the "evils" of homosexuality, who now is revealed to be a member of the group he so reviles. Self-loathing is a terrible thing, and it drives people to ridiculous behavior.
another proud member of the nambla party...
Don''t worry, Mr. Craig. I''m not from Idaho. I wouldn''t live in that ******** up state if yaz paid me to.
Gotta love those family values they''re always yapping about with their forked tongues.
Great scenery though.
I wish he were.
Ya never ****** wit Idaho. They wear hoods up der..
Now if only Senator Clinton would resign for accepting foreign campaign money... again.
Treason is worse than gayy sexx, isn''t it?
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Say, some person or party that has been aware of Craig''s predilections, and thus could be certain of him voting their agenda right down the line?
That is the real reason why such behavior - if hidden - cannot be tolerated in our government; if the right kind of people find out about it, it is all too likely that the elected official in question will give the public appearance of working for the American people but will in fact be working for some other party.
SearingTruth
"I understand your human frailties, because they are much like mine, and the rest of humanities. We are all frail and weak, we all do things that shame us, we all make mistakes. But our character is not born from our perfection; it is instead born from how we deal with our imperfection."
SearingTruth
A Future of the Brave - www.searingtruth.com
if i happen to be taking a dump and a **** reaches under the stall
i always drop a sausage in his hand.
you always hear ''em say: " oh gawd, oh gawd, oh gawd...
which leads me to believe i''ve made another republican christian happy.
ha,ha,ha.
No. Cheney and Rove didn''t resign over their high treason. In fact, from Republicans, treason gets you a nice big fat presidential get out of jail free card like Libby got.
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