Sen. Larry Craig Vows To Stay In Office

Idaho Republican Determined To Save Senate Seat If Guilty Plea Is Reversed

(CBS/AP)  To the dismay of fellow Republicans, Sen. Larry Craig launched a determined drive to save his seat on Wednesday, vowing to stay in office if allowed to withdraw his guilty plea in a men's room sex sting.

Craig's campaign suffered an instant setback, however, when the ethics committee refused to set aside a complaint lodged against him. "Pending Sen. Craig's resignation, the committee will continue to review this matter," the committee's senior senators wrote.

Craig had the following reaction today to a letter sent from the Senate Ethics Committee to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, according to the statement released by his office:

“It is my intent to fight the case before the Ethics Committee while I am a sitting Senator. I would prefer to have that case resolved on its merits.

“The letter sent today from the Committee to Senator McConnell does not address the arguments laid out by my attorney earlier today. I hope that Committee addresses those arguments sooner, rather than later, so that I can have my name cleared.”

Craig's decision to deploy his legal team marked a reversal of his pledge to resign on Sept. 30, and raised the possibility of a protracted legal and political struggle, much of it playing out in public, with gay sex at its core.

The Republican lawmaker, who has represented Idaho for 27 years, announced his intended resignation Saturday but CBS News correspondent Chip Reid reported that privately he was sending out a very different message.

In fact, just minutes before that press conference, he mistakenly called a wrong number and left a recorded message obtained by the newspaper Roll Call and confirmed by CBS News to be the voice of the senator.

---

Hear Craig Mull Reconsidering Resignation

---

“Yes, Billy, this is Larry Craig calling. You can reach me on my cell. Arlen Specter is now willing to come out in my defense, arguing that it appears by all that he knows that I've been railroaded ...,” Craig is recorded as saying. “...We've reshaped my statement a little bit to say it is my intent to resign on September 30.”

Senate Republican Leader McConnell, R-Ky. said Craig had told him he now intended to remain in Congress if he is permitted to withdraw his guilty plea by Sept. 30. "If he is unable to have that disposed of prior to Sept. 30, it is his intention to resign from the Senate as he expressed last Saturday," he added.

"I thought he made the correct decision, the difficult but correct decision to resign" over the weekend, said McConnell, after he and Craig spoke by telephone. "That would still be my view today."

The GOP leader spoke hours after Craig's attorney, Stanley Brand, asked the ethics committee not to investigate a complaint because events were "wholly unrelated" to official duties.

Committee action eventually would lead the Senate down a path of dealing with "a host of minor misdemeanors and transgressions," Brand added in a letter that was hand-delivered.

In a written reply several hours later, the panel's chairman and senior Republican wrote that Senate rules give the committee authority to investigate lawmakers who engage in `improper conduct, which may reflect upon the Senate.'

"The committee has reached no conclusions regarding the matter," wrote Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and John Cornyn, R-Texas. "Pending Sen. Craig's resignation, the committee will continue to review this matter."

A second attorney for Craig, Tom Kelly, was in Minnesota, evidently preparing to file papers seeking to have the senator's guilty plea withdrawn.

Lawyers not involved in the case have said Craig faces a difficult challenge, pointing to Minnesota Rules of Criminal Procedure requiring that a defendant show a "manifest injustice" to withdraw a guilty plea.

In Craig's case, he voluntarily signed a plea agreement that included a provision stating that the court would not accept such a confession of guilt from anyone who believed himself innocent.

[rwassel]

"Craig has hired a high-powered crisis management team including Billy Martin, the lawyer for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick in his dogfighting case."

Wow - nuff said. Anybody that hires the same lawyer Vick did is in pretty dire straights, and will obviously stoop to anything to get out of this mess.

Of course, what would you expect from an upright, moral, family values Republican?

[usayesterday]

Now if Larry had just tried to solicit s.e.x from a female prostitute, (like David Vitter), then there would be absolutely no problem within the GOP!

In fact, it is probably encouraged within the GOP to have a fling or two, or three...

...as long as it''s with the opposite gender!

Alas, poor Larry flirted with a key master rather than a gate keeper, and that just chaps the hide of the GOPee''rs!

[kaviz]

The MSN home page titles the article ''Lawyer tells the senate not to probe Craig" LMAO.

[usayesterday]

The MSN home page titles the article ''''Lawyer tells the senate not to probe Craig" LMAO.
Posted by kaviz at 01:55 PM : Sep 05, 2007
.............

ROTFLMAO!

That''s a good one kaviz! Score one for MSN!

[boldwin223]

Gosh, "in the wrong place at the wrong time when this sting operation was going on." so his foot tapping into the next stall was just a "nervous tick"?

[extremophil]

Maybe he just wants to go back into the stall and think about it for a while.

[rushlimpdrug]

Ok, everybody very slowly pull away from the "queer".

[donnie900]

"Now if Larry had just tried to solicit s.e.x from a female prostitute, (like David Vitter), then there would be absolutely no problem within the GOP!"

Well.. you know these frat broz. Its the necular club.

[pepperp1]

This is really tooooooooooooooooo funny you just can not make this stuff up............all this on the same day we find our military mistakenly flew 4 or was it 5 nuke war heads directly across the US.

And you dumb scared poodles are worried about terrorist.......creating the mushroom cloud that will kill you........Amazing just Amazing something like war heads, war heads can be handled mistakenly.......

*** in toilets and NUKES war heads flying overhead across the country.



And that idiot Bush and his sect members in the pentagon, congress, party and press reenacting Ground Hog Iraq Day 1,507 ...........



why must I pay taxes and fund these fools, Lord WHY.

[bareemperor]

Vick lost his case, Craig will too.

[vastr-wcon]

I was very disappointed that toe-tapping, Lusty Larry caved-in and failed to act like the manly man he is and said he would resign. I don''t want this pervert behind us - so to speak - so the people can focus on this Repug along with MANY other Repugs under investigation for criminal behavior. The latter include: Sen. Ted Stevens (R. Alaska), Rep. John T. Doolittle (R. Calif.), Rep. Gary G. Miller (R. Calif.), Rep. Jerry Lewis (R. Calif.), Rep. Rick Renzi (R. Az.) and additional Abramoff cohorts yet to be named. Then, of course, there are Repug Sen. David Vitter and his diapers and who*es, Repug ex-Rep. Mark Foley and his boys. In addition, Florida State Repug Rep. Bob Allen (McCain''s Florida co-chair) still faces charges of solicitation for male prostitution. Then there''s South Carolina state Treasurer and Giuliani state campaign manager Repug Thomas Ravenel, who has been indicted on charges of buying and distributing cocaine. And let''s not forget Repug ex-Rep. Duke Cunningham and Repug ex-Rep Bob Nye, who are both serving time in jail. And on and on and on....

Even the RWNJs (right-wing-nut-jobs) like OxyContin Rush won''t be able to hide just how disgraceful and disgusting the Gross Old Pervert party has become. May evangelical (i.e. Repug) Rev. Ted Haggard, who was miraculously cured of his "gayness" and taste for meth in just a few weeks, pray for them all.

[socrates392]

Vick lost his case, Craig will too.

Posted by BareEmperor at 02:27 PM : Sep 05, 2007

Yep.

[arthurcl1]

Craig is as Gay as they come! The whole GOP is hiding in their closets! Even Foley is probably saying, oh oh they found another one like me! Let him try to defend himself after he already pleaded guilty and trying to say "I am not Gay". This will be more wasted tax payers time. Also they just found another GOP Congressman Dead in his Washington Apartment. Wonder what he was doing?

[clestes-2009]

What a line of sht. The private life of a public official is up for grabs these days! When someone stands up and tells his constituates he is a "family man" with "Family values" he had better walk the talk!!

If Craig really does un-resign, it can only be more fun for all, both those defended the creep and those after him.

Whew! Better than a barrel of monkeys!

[ramos937]

What the objection is not Craig''s sexual perversion but his hypocricy. In public, he rails againist gay people but in private is one of them. That is what people cannot stand.

At any rate, as a Democrat, I really hope the Democratic party stays out of it until the time comes for the general election. With Craig as the GOP Idaho senate candidate, we will pick up one (and possibly more) senate seat.

[donnie900]

Nukes nowadays look just like vacuum cleaners. It used to be in the good ol''days, if somethin had the devil''s hairdoo, it weighed 10 tons and had a buncha funny look''n geeks in camaflage watch''n de ************. But today everything is different.. Just ask all those people in the desert growing eyes out der foreheads.

[lucious9]

Let''s not forget he was convicted of peeping into a stall and having his hand break the plane of the stall. There is no need for Minnesota procecutors to show intent. The testimony of the officer is very clear on these two items.

[hwy71so]

"This is really tooooooooooooooooo funny you just can not make this stuff up............all this on the same day we find our military mistakenly flew 4 or was it 5 nuke war heads directly across the US.

And you dumb scared poodles are worried about terrorist.......creating the mushroom cloud that will kill you........Amazing just Amazing something like war heads, war heads can be handled mistakenly.......
*** in toilets and NUKES war heads flying overhead across the country.
And that idiot Bush and his sect members in the pentagon, congress, party and press reenacting Ground Hog Iraq Day 1,507 ...........

why must I pay taxes and fund these fools, Lord WHY.
Posted by pepperp1 at 02:27 PM : Sep 05, 2007"

Its apparent you don''t have a clue about "NUKES". Nor the media for that matter. What a bunch of loons. lol You''d have the whole nation on panic mode...

[prairiefox1]

If the plane had crashed or accidentally dropped them, they would be armed!
NO BOOM!

[kaviz]

Craig " yes, REPs back off. I can only handle one at a time"

[gkc99]

""The more people take a look at the situation, there may well be second thoughts," said Specter, a former prosecutor. If Craig had not pleaded guilty to a reduced charge and instead demanded a trial, "I believe he would have been exonerated," Specter said."

So now the Republicans think their personal opinions can replace judge and jury?

If Craig were not guilty, he should have pleaded not guilty.

But there''s really no reason why a guy who trolls for handjobs in public restrooms can''t be a Republican Senator.

[prairiefox1]

HE WONT USE HIS HAND TO VOTE FROM FEAR HE MAY INJURE HIS DATE!

[marcodele]

Are they sure Craig wanted them to back off, or back it up?

He''s so erratic I can''t tell whether he''s coming or going.

[donnie900]

Anybody seen my airmail?

[marcodele]

I would think Craig was looking forward to the Senate probe.

[missingamerica]

Sad. So this is what you get when you run the Federal Government "more like a business".

[michaelh2001]

As an openly gay man, I would like to see him resign for the harm he has caused the gay community over the years. I also believe that the way he was looking sexual encounters sets a poor example for young people, gay and straight alike.

[bluestardad]

HE IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A REPUBLICAN!

HE FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE REST OF THE REPUBLICANS IN THE SENATE!

THE REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN USE TO BENDING OVER AMERICA FOR THE PAST 7 YEARS HE JUST TAKES IT TO MORE PHYSICAL EXTREME!

[nggr]

"noooo
this did not happen!
you did not see any of this!
i will make my own reality!"

you know, i hope that the cop that arrested his perv*rted a$$ is involved in this.

[donnie900]

Anybody seen my crop duster?

[rushlimpdrug]

Send him back to the senate and continue the gay bashing!
Someone get Annie Coulter on the line!
Where is Edwards!
Places everyone!

[marcodele]

Lars: I think it is precisely because the Republicans spent 60 million taypayer dollars during Clinton''s terms and all they came up with was a bj, and because all the right wing nut job blogs have been blasting Democrats for two decades now, and I think because the current administration''s lies and hypocrisy have finally come to the forefront that no, we will not back off.

Maybe if the hate filled paranoid neocon compassionate conservative christians would face reality about their gang of thugs then perhaps the whining liberals would stop posting.

It''s over. Get a clue.

[stevex47]

"An unbroken line of precedents dating back 220 years makes clear the Senate does not consider misdemeanor private conduct to be a fit subject of inquiry,"

Um, yes they do. Ask Bill Clinton. Anything and everything is fair game.

The rules of the game don''t change just ''cause it''s a neocon nazi nut job.

[likeitis5050]

Who''s tending to the business of government? Republicans are up in arms over Craig and Democrats are doing what with this inconvenient diversion....nothing. Just who is doing the job given to them? Oh, wait...Bush is still on duty. Never mind.

[werd123werd]

Hey Larry, you want investigation stopped? You should start by talking to your Repub Leadership and get them to withdraw complaint.

[infidel_us]

As a conservative and in all fairness, I have to say....in all my years of school, college, military bases, ships, business, malls, and lisure, I have NEVER even come close to touching another man''s foot in a public restroom.

I read the police report and I believe the cop. BE GONE, G A Y one!!!!!!

[starleo146]

Posted by mascarponi at 04:16 PM : Sep 05, 2007
WOW!! that is quite a list. I just would pardon them all for two prosecutions of something,that is Bush and Cheney.

[starleo146]

Posted by wwwsmitty200 at 04:18 PM : Sep 05, 2007
+ report abuse

Arlan Specter came out for Senator Craig, thats right FOR. Oh well if he was railroaded, which I do not believe, the Republicans took there fellow republican, and threw him under the bus. We will see I hope they keep harping on this till 2008 I do not want a voter to forget.

[dhcobra]

It looks like he is waiting for Georgie Porgy & the winkie pals to get back home for a final circle to see what they can exploit from the folks in Idaho.

What a sicko!

[starleo146]

Posted by parrots7 at 04:14 PM : Sep 05, 2007

They are talking about Bill Clinton again. I swear I think they wish Monica had done them and they are mad about it. At least it was a woman, and it must mean to me, the republican men, like men, better so be it, to each his own.

[marcodele]

Larskie: The difference between the Dems getting caught with their pants down, and the Repubs getting caught with their pants down, is this: The Dems never campaigned on "We''re more moral and more christian and more pro-family and more evangelical than the other party."

And for a Senator who snagged the bigot votes by bashing gay rights, his pants down have a little more significant than most cases.

[rushlimpdrug]

Ok all you **** senators back off!
Larry is a married man with a family.
That proves he isn''t gay and can''t be gay.
Curious, maybe, but not gay.
And furthermore he is the only senator that can tap the morris code in 20 seconds.

[starleo146]

Posted by Larskie at 04:04 PM : Sep 05, 2007

YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT THIS IS A HUMAN THING AND IT CAN HAPPEN TO REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS AND PROBABLY WILL AGAIN. BUT HONESTLY YOU HAVE TO ADMIT THE REPUBLICANS ARE GOING DOWN IN FLAMES WITH ALL THIS STUFF.SOOOOO MANY OF THEM THEY HAVE TOO MUCH TIME ON THEIR HANDS.

[infidel_us]

I wonder if Bush will "pre-pardon" Craig so we can start forgetting about him like we are forgetting about that convicted NeoConMan Libby?
Posted by mascarponi at 04:20 PM : Sep 05, 2007

He should! After all, Larry is victim! I mean here''s a guy with a ''wide stance'' and restless leg syndrome......it wasn''t his fault, your honor!! LOL

[starleo146]

Larskie: The difference between the Dems getting caught with their pants down, and the Repubs getting caught with their pants down, is this: The Dems never campaigned on "We''''re more moral and more christian and more pro-family and more evangelical than the other party."

And for a Senator who snagged the bigot votes by bashing gay rights, his pants down have a little more significant than most cases.
Posted by marcodele at 04:43 PM : Sep 05, 2007

That is what is so bad what he called Clinton, a dirty nasty man, and all his laws he wanted to put through against ***.He put himself up on a pedestal only to crash on his own actions. Now he has to dig out. I don''t know he dug a pretty big hole for himself

[agnim]

"Sen. Craig''s Lawyer To Senate: Back Off"

Back off?

Isn''t that what that ******* said in the toilet to the filthy **** Senator Sodomite, Craig, when he saw the hand begging to hold a dirty dik? LOL

[walt1944-2009]

His lawyer says, "THE DEVIL MADE HIM DO IT!!"!!

"HEY MOE, HEY LARRY! I DIDN''T DO IT! I''M A VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCE, YUK, YUK, YUK," - Curly Howard, the 3rd Stooge.

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!

[lawyertom1]

It is so much fun to watch the Rep''s twist and turn to justify not crucifying one of their own. Come on guys, you heads are starting to twirl about, and I hear the voice of Satan saying you have sold your soul very, very cheap. Can Craig and Vitter and move on [not really -- keep them, hold them dear, make them your national spokesmen ... give everyone a free shot at noting what fakes and liars you are].

Whether it is morality or national security, the Rep''s have this obsession with looking in our homes like some teenage snoop. They wrap themselves in the flag and Bible, and say: it is for your own good. Why? As Aristole noted so long ago: "A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious."

Hypocrites. Caught literally with your pants down, though Vitter was wearing a diaper.

If you truly believed in freedom, the Bill of Rights, the sanctity of the individual, then some of us [who cherrish the Bill of Rights because it makes America great and provides a beacon of hope to the world] might even rise to your defense. But, when the self-appointed tyrants, the bigots, the preachers who say do as I command and not as I do, go crashing down, then there is little sympathy. However, since I am a kind heart, for you, my hourly fee will only triple.

[marcodele]

sbbm: That''s a damned lie. I listened to Megreevy''s wife get interviewed on tv this morning. He told her three days before the press conference that he had been living a lie and that he was gay. Do you think the Restroom Queen of Idaho would be that honest?

You folks don''t seem to get the fact that there''s a big difference between telling the truth and clinging to a lie.

But I guess that''s the whole Bush decade in a nutshell. And it is nauseating to read these idiot neocon posts full of lies and Fox/Rush news spins that get repeated so much people believe them.

[ron4691]

PLEASE!!! These are the people that road into office on the ''Billy got a bxxx-job'' ticket and now they say "An unbroken line of precedents dating back 220 years makes clear the Senate does not consider misdemeanor private conduct to be a fit subject of inquiry." ?????
I saw the Whitewater investigation go on for years, YEARS, because the President''s wife once overcharged a client and now they want privacy?
And the press gave it air time because it was NEWS. The lesson here is ''Just because a Politian is speaking, doesn''t make it news.''
I%u2019ve noticed something about the press. When there%u2019s a flood, they show the guy in the umbrella hat, up to his neck in water, carrying a six pack, not the folks who had the good sense to head inland. The same philosophy seems to go with covering political events. The idiots are the ones who get air time. The problem with this philosophy is we vote for the guy we see on TV.