Facing untimely
resignations, an unpopular war, and a troubling 2008
election landscape, Senate Republicans did not need another
headache this week.
But they got one
anyway when Sen. Larry Craig vowed Thursday to serve out
the last 15 months of his term, despite a court ruling that
left intact his guilty plea in a sex sting operation
in an airport men's room.
The Republican's
decision gives his party colleagues two unpleasant
choices. They can resume pressuring him to leave and risk
being seen as disloyal politicians who go harder on
alleged homosexual misdeeds than on heterosexual
wrongdoings.
Or they can
basically ignore him for months and endure more TV comics'
taunts about a conservative senator convicted in a case
involving public bathroom stalls.
Judging from
comments in the first hours after Craig's announcement,
Republican senators seemed unsure exactly where to land.
Outright confrontation with Craig, however, seems
unlikely.
Craig's lawyer
Stanley Brand said the Senate traditionally has shied away
from disciplining members for misdemeanors unrelated to
their duties and might be unwise to cross that line
now.
''Are they going
to begin to take up misdemeanor cases as a matter of
course?'' Brand said Friday on NBC's Today television
talk show. ''That's going to put a lot of other people
in serious jeopardy down the road.''
Five weeks ago,
Craig announced his intent to resign September 30 if he
could not have his guilty plea rescinded. But Craig, who
bridled at colleagues' not-so-subtle hints to leave,
reneged on the deal Thursday.
''I have seen
that it is possible for me to work here effectively,'' he
said in a statement. He vowed not to seek a fourth term in
November 2008, and the seat is likely to stay in
Republican hands.
But his continued
presence in the Senate obviously annoys Republicans
facing tough campaigns in a year in which Republican
scandals are emerging as a Democratic theme.
''Senator Craig
gave us his word'' that he would resign by September 30
if he could not overturn the guilty plea, said Sen. John
Ensign, who chairs the Republican campaign committee
overseeing next year's Senate elections. ''I wish he
would stick to his word.''
''It's
embarrassing for the Senate; it's embarrassing for his
party,'' Ensign said. Asked if Craig's staying would
be a distraction for the party, Ensign said: ''It may
be a personal distraction for me.''
Sen. Norm
Coleman, a Republican who faces a tough re-election campaign
next year in Minnesota, where opposition to the Iraq war is
strong, spoke with reporters Thursday before Craig
announced his plans to stay and fight.
''I would hope
that he would live up to what he said he would do -- not
put the Senate through the wringer on this, respect the
institution,'' Coleman said. ''Clearly, his ability to
serve his people was severely compromised.''
Some Republicans
feel that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell went
too far in late August when he called Craig's actions that
led to his arrest ''unforgivable.''
Commentators and
activist groups contrasted the reaction to the welcome
that Republican leaders gave Sen. David Vitter, a
Republican, after he apologized for his phone number
turning up in a list of clients for an alleged
call-girl operation.
McConnell had
little to say Thursday. ''That whole matter is before the
Senate Ethics Committee and will be dealt with by Senator
Craig and the ethics committee,'' he told reporters.
Craig, 62, was
arrested June 11 in a men's room in the Minneapolis
airport by an undercover officer. The officer said Craig
exhibited behavior consistent with seeking a sexual
encounter.
Craig said he had
panicked when arrested and pleaded guilty by mail on
August 1 to disorderly conduct because an Idaho newspaper
had been aggressively investigating allegations that
he was gay. Craig says he is not gay. His arrest and
guilty plea were reported August 27 by Roll Call.
In September,
Craig hired a high-profile legal team and asked that his
guilty plea be rescinded, which would clear the way for a
trial. On Thursday a Minnesota judge denied his
motion.
Craig said he was
disappointed and suggested he might appeal. ''I am
innocent of the charges against me,'' he said in a
statement.
While most
Republican senators did not comment Thursday, Republican
Sen. Arlen Specter who had encouraged Craig to try to
overturn his plea, told reporters that his colleague
had the right to stay in office. ''I don't think it
reflects on the party at all,'' Specter said.
Republicans are
bracing for a difficult election. Democrats believe they
have solid chances to replace retiring Republican senators
in Virginia, Colorado, New Mexico, and possibly
Nebraska. Republican incumbents facing tough fights
include Coleman, John Sununu of New Hampshire, and Susan
Collins of Maine.
Meanwhile, the
bipartisan Senate ethics panel is gearing up for possible
hearings into Craig's case, a step requested by Republican
leaders when they were trying to persuade the senator
to step down. (Charles Babington, AP)
