Craig Will Stay In Senate Despite Ruling

Idaho Senator Vows To Serve Out Term Despite Losing Bid To Rescind Guilty Plea In Sex Sting

(CBS/AP)  Idaho Sen. Larry Craig vowed to remain in office for the duration of his term despite court ruling leaving a sex sting guilty plea intact.

"I will continue to serve Idaho in the United States Senate, and there are several reasons for that," said Craig. "As I continued to work for Idaho over the past three weeks here in the Senate, I have seen that it is possible for me to work here effectively."

Craig had earlier announced he would resign his seat by Sept. 30, but had wavered when he went to court in hopes of withdrawing his plea.

The third-term lawmaker issued his statement not long after Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter relayed word he has selected a replacement for Craig in the event of a resignation.

"He is ready to act should we receive a letter of resignation," said Jon Hanian, Otter's spokesman in Boise, in what seemed like a calculated signal that home-state Republicans want Craig to surrender the seat he has held for 17 years.

In his statement, Craig said he will not run for a new term next year.

But in the meantime, he said: "I will continue my effort to clear my name in the Senate Ethics Committee -- something that is not possible if I am not serving in the Senate."

"Republicans worried that the episode is hurting their party's image and election chances are going to be eager to take up Craig's stated intention to resign and try to put this story behind them," said CBS News.com senior political editor Vaughn Ververs. "The fact that he now seems adamant to stay the course through the end of his term will spark some fireworks within the Senate's Republican caucus."

Earlier Thursday, a Minnesota judge rejected Sen. Craig's bid to withdraw his guilty plea in an airport sex sting, a major setback in Craig's effort to clear his name and hang on to his Senate seat.

"Because the defendant's plea was accurate, voluntary and intelligent, and because the conviction is supported by the evidence ... the Defendant's motion to withdraw his guilty plea is denied," Hennepin County Judge Charles Porter wrote.

"This decision will almost certainly lead to the end of Craig's Senate career," said Ververs. "The question now appears to be when."

Craig can appeal Porter's ruling, but it wasn't immediately clear if he would. Telephone calls and e-mails seeking comment from Craig spokesmen Sid Smith in Boise and Dan Whiting in Washington, D.C. weren't immediately returned.

When the charges first surfaced, Craig said he would resign by Sept. 30. But then he decided to attempt to re-open his legal case, and said he would stay at least until he found out whether he could withdraw his plea.

Craig has maintained his innocence and said his actions in the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport bathroom June 11 were misconstrued by the police officer who arrested him.

The officer said Craig had looked into his bathroom stall, and tapped his foot and moved his hand under the divider in a way that suggested he was looking for a sexual partner.

Craig denied that in an interview with the officer after his arrest. But he pleaded guilty on Aug. 8. He later said he "panicked" in entering his plea, believing that it would keep the matter quiet. The Idaho Statesman had been holding back an article on rumors about his sexuality, and Craig said in court papers that he feared the arrest would trigger the story.

Porter rejected that as a good reason to withdraw the plea. Any pressure Craig was under "was entirely perceived by the defendant and was not a result of any action by the police, the prosecutor, or the court," he said.

Minnesota law allows a plea to be withdrawn if a "manifest injustice" occurs, but leaves it to judges to define that. Porter ruled that none occurred in Craig's case.

"It is not a manifest injustice to force the defendant to be bound by his plea bargain and the waivers and admissions which he made in conjunction with the execution of that bargain," Porter wrote.

He also wrote that Craig hadn't produced any "newly discovered evidence" that would clear him.

Roll Call reported Craig's arrest and guilty plea on Aug. 27. Fellow Republican senators soon called on Craig to resign, and conservative groups, which had given him near-perfect approval ratings, abandoned him quickly. Craig had been elected to Congress from Idaho in 1980 and was in his third term in the Senate.

Within days Craig said he would resign by Sept. 30. He then changed his mind, saying he would stay in office until the legal case was finished.

Prosecutor Christopher Renz had accused Craig of "politicking and game playing" with the legal system, and argued that Craig was urged to hire an attorney and had plenty of time to think about his plea.

Patrick Hogan, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Airports Commission, said in a statement that the commission, which runs Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, was pleased with the decision.

"The ruling continues to hold Senator Craig accountable for his conduct," Hogan said.

[adian1-2009]

The good man likes men. The good man is a liar. The good man is against minorities and equal rights for all Americans. He has consistently voted against all intents to make our nation a better place to live in. With a mind like that, I personally had anticipated that no matter what happens to him because of this case, Craig will stay in the Senate for the full term. He won''t seek re-election because he knows it would be futile. But. . . his case in court is not about that. He entered his guilty plea to avoid the effects of our bigotry. Otherwise he would have seeked legal advice and fought the charges. No crime was committed by him. He should have been given the opportunity to withdraw his plea and be given his day in court.

[ramos937]

The GOP is self destructing. Craig is just one in a long series of scandals. We are just waiting for another shoe to drop. As a Democrat, I just hope they continue their ways up to 11/2008.

[brianbwb-2009]

"I plead guilty, your honor."

I will resign.

"I wish to change my plea, your honor."

"Within days Craig said he would resign by Sept. 30. He then changed his mind, saying he would stay in office until the legal case was finished."

Now that the case is finished...

"Idaho Senator Vows To Serve Out Term Despite Losing Bid To Rescind Guilty Plea In *** Sting"

Lying, hypocritical, corrupt bast@rd.

[seven-pesos]

in the south a nonbeliever cannot win public office.

even if he is the most qualified.

the church will not allow it.

in the south religion is not about christ...

in the south religion is about politics.

and the church controls the politics.

ha,ha,ha.

oh well, that''s the south for you, folks!

[nmsuip]

BOOYAH! You go Larry! Keep up the good work going into ''08! Helps to remind everybody why they should summarily vote against Republicans. If they thought 2006 was a bloodbath just wait ''til next year. Republican-free government? Could be, if they keep it up... The diehard crackpots will still vote for them, of course. But at least their political presence could be reduced to a level of insignificance.

[downtowner97]

Sexx scandals, homosexuall members, no border security, rampant spending, a war to boost popularity, president and vice president who are draft dodgers... The Republicans have become the Democrats, and the Democrats have become too weak to stand for anything.

We gotta get Ron Paul in the white house so we can stop looking like such a joke to ourselves and the rest of the world.

[lastdance2]

In 1984 - Craig - Was under an Investigation for having - S*E*X* - with Under Age Pages.
Like Foley - - Another - Closed door Investigation by - The FBI - on behalf of :
The Republican (Nazi) Party

Mark Foley, Ted Haggard, Larry Craig and many - many Others
Even The FBI - Has of its own History - of Providing Youngsters for : S*E*X*

The FBI is Completely Plagued and Corrupt with - Contemptible Disgusting Acts of
Nepotism and Patronization within its own Ranks - It Cannot Function as an
Independent : Law Enforcement Agency

To Patronize and Fraternize - The Republican (Nazi) Party is
The Only - Job Description - of the FBI

Lastdance

[seven-pesos]

blackwater security, based in north carolina.

just another bunch of redneck southerners on the loose in the middle east.

bush and his slave state supporters got this whole world all screwed up.

bush, gonzalez, condisleezeball, foley, delay, rove...

all southern, all christian, all republican, all snakes...

white trash, redneck bush supporting creeps...

oh well, that''s the south for you, folks!

[tiddsanbeer]

Nothing good comes out of the South...starting with Tiajuana. I love it when a greaseball comes over to this great country to bash it....and pilage the system.

The majority of Mexicans are religious. So, seven chingada pesos, why bash God fearing people here? My guess is your illegal and an anti-christ...here, and at home.

Don''t worry, the dems are here to protect you and feed you....as long as you vote for them. Curious, why only DEMS fighting a bill that would require photo ID when voting? simple....losers like you would wind up back in the river.

[kansas1946]

BTW, Craig pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct charge, not a *** solicitation charge.
*************************
That is exactly right. And the reason for that was his conduct, arguing, refusing to go with the officer, flipping out his senate id and saying, "What do you think of that!!!"
From what I read of the arrest report, the officer was trying to keep it quiet and get him to a private area. Had he shut his mouth and gone, he may have just gotten a warning and couldn have gone on his merry way.
But the power he though he had as a senator went to his head and he thought he could yell his way out of it. Unless this officer is lying, there was no misunderstanding.

[seven-pesos]

dead-enders in the south refuse to see that they''ve lost another war...

jefferson davis, lyndon johnson, george bush, jr.

the south has the distinction of losing all the wars they ever started.

ha,ha,ha.

belligerent dixie losers...bush lovers!

the south can''t be depended upon to do the right thing for america.

ha,ha,ha.

war, hate, christian creeps, republican snakes...

nothing good comes out of the south.

[kansas1946]

want to build a veritable utopian state?

let the northern and western blue states combine with liberal canada.

let mexico have the southern red states.

man, if we could be rid of the redneck, republican christian south

america would really be a super country then!

*********************
Actually, pesos, you might have a point here. I like it. Just as long as kansas is annexed north! I don''t want to get stuck in the south.

[rondok1]

I don''t blame him for staying...
What other job would allow the behaviour that goes on with our "REPRESENTITIVES" in Washington..
I''m sure he doesn''t want to "BLOW" such a good deal

[rondok1]

I don''t blame him for staying...
What other job would allow the behaviour that goes on with our "REPRESENTITIVES" in Washington..
I''m sure he doesn''t want to "BLOW" such a good deal

[rondok1]

I don''t blame him for staying...
What other job would allow the behaviour that goes on with our "REPRESENTITIVES" in Washington..
I''m sure he doesn''t want to "BLOW" such a good deal

[rondok1]

I don''t blame him for staying...
What other job would allow the behaviour that goes on with our "REPRESENTITIVES" in Washington..
I''m sure he doesn''t want to "BLOW" such a good deal

[rondok1]

I don''t blame him for staying...
What other job would allow the behaviour that goes on with our "REPRESENTITIVES" in Washington..
I''m sure he doesn''t want to "BLOW" such a good deal

[dovestar]

if really believes he would have been found innocent, why the hell did he plead guilty, over a month after it happened!! (Posted by nonalou)

Nonalou, put yourself in Craig''s shoes. There are allegations that you are a practicing homosexual and you''re not. You are a public figure and your homestate newspaper is doing a hatchet job on you. Then you go into the wrong restroom at an airport and are arrested over a misunderstanding. It could have happened. I didn''t know what those signals meant myself because I don''t travel in that world.
BTW, Craig pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct charge, not a *** solicitation charge.

[kansas1946]

It''''s unfair to tar & feather an entire party for the behavior of one or evan a few sick individuals. But it will probably happen & it will more than likely work.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by republican7 at 06:11 PM : Oct 04, 2007

*****************************
republican7, normally I would agree with you. Every group has a few bad apples, but the judgment comes when the bad apples are condoned and justified. The Republican party knew about Foley, they knew about Craig for years. While they continued to promote laws that were harmful to gay families, professed their moral outrage against these "perverts" and then protected the "perverts" in their ranks.
Pushing Craig out now does nothing but show that they are only interested in staying in power, just like any poltical party, and they are no more moral, family oriented, ethical, religious, than any other party. They are politicans, period. And the bottom line of any politican, no matter what he or she says, is re-election.

[seven-pesos]

not one southern state will vote for hillary...

guaranteed,
warranteed,
money back guarantee,
double your money back guarantee,
will kizz yo'' azz guarantee,
bet my life on it guarantee,
bet my wife on it guarantee,
bet my daughter''s virginity on it guarantee.

ha,ha,ha.

the south wants another prez just like bush.

the south elected bush, supports bush, loves bush...

nothing good comes out of the south.