August 31st, 2007
09:01 AM ET
16 years ago
Craig preparing to resign
Craig said Tuesday he did nothing wrong.
BOISE, Idaho (CNN) - Top Republican Party leaders have received indications that Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, is preparing to resign, according to a GOP source with knowledge of the situation who spoke with CNN. The Republican National Committee was poised to take the extraordinary step of calling on Craig to step down but that planned effort was put on hold when Craig himself indicated that he's preparing to relinquish his U.S. Senate seat.
CNN has learned that high level meetings regarding Craig’s resignation were being conducted in Idaho on Thursday.
Related: Craig likely to quit soon
–CNN Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash
I got the distinct impression that the officer in question was aggressive, irate, over zealous (and newly trained), anxious to trap someone so he could show off some newly acquired job skills.
The issue is credibility. The senator repeatedly asks how to expedite the process because he has a plane to catch. The police give him advice on how he can proceed so he can be let go quickly, but there is no lawyer present. Was a guilty plea the sole option? Senator Craig admits he bumped his foot and picked up paper. So, yes he's guilty of that. Is the act of bumping ones foot against someone in and of itself a crime? The police claim is that he was soliciting. How can they prove intent? Isn't this a case of someone’s word against another’s? Where are the witnesses?
A man’s career and his reputation are at stake. In the meantime, he was deliberately humiliated and embarrassed in public. The police, the courts, the media and much of our society have reached a new low. Something is wrong here. It's appalling, really!
it is a sad that america has no hero to lead her in our struggle to preserve freedom and justice in the world. is it any wonder that other nations see us as 'infedels' when our leaders conduct themselves like this?
well, i think this guy should resign and live his life freely as a gay or whatever he chooses to be...
These people up in D.C know much more then we do...
when John Mccain said that Craig should resign, well I think Craig should resign because as a U.S senator you shouldn't be caught or being suspected doing some weirdo thing.
Well Mr. Craig, just go back to Idaho and grow more patatoes for the people of America
"Mark Foly, Senator Vitter from Florida, and now Sen. Craig all involved in the sex scandal. What's happening to the "Family Values" republican party? "
– – – – –
Exactly... they're ACTING like Democrats!
I've often wondered why Republicans most often resign from office when things like this happen as opposed to Democrats that just stick it out (Barney Frank, President Clinton, Kennedy boys, Gary Condit, Rostenkowski, etc)
You know, most of us aren't calling for the Senator to resign because he's gay (or not). Most of us aren't calling for him to resign because of his crime (it was a misdemeanor).
Gays are calling for him to resign because they suspect he is a hypocrite extraordinaire (gay, but overcompensating by acting so anti-gay, and conservatives are calling for him to resign because he's drawing such negative attention to their cause (they suspect or know he is truly gay.
Considering how conservatives went after Clinton, it's refreshing to know they are now willing to stop the tolerance of problems in their own "house".
Can you guys please look into that little Vitter problem next and regain a little more respect?
Thanks!
I do not know about Idaho, but in Texas (and perhaps in some other states as well), entrapment is perfectly legal. I served on a jury in which a police officer initated a drug deal, enticed Mexican drug dealers to come to El Paso so he could sell them drugs at below Mexican prices, and arrested them. As the judge told us, entrapment is perfectly legal and should not be discussed in our deliberations.
Although I find Craig's politics to be despicable, I feel a lot of compassion for the man. His future will not be pleasant at all. His friends have deserted him. His wife and family are surely a little cool to him at this point and reconciliation may never take place. His self-image as a MAN among men is shattered. He will either find Jesus or a bottle, but neither will provide any solace.
He has been shot with his own gun. The same intolerance and hatred he preached for most of his life is now being used against him. I wonder what he would have said if another Senator, not him, had been caught doing the same thing.
THE ONLY FAMILY VALUE'S THAT THE REPUBLICANS CARE ABOUT IS THE PARTY. DO ANYTHING AS LONG AS IT IS FOR THE PARTY. LIE, CHEAT, STEAL,AS LONG AS YOU SUPPORT THE PARTY.
To Jon of Sacremento:
Democrats never preach themselves as "Family values" or the sole "moral party" and attract voters by ballot initiatives bashing gays, and banning same sex marriage etc. Whereas these hypocrites preach something and practice something. Sen Vitter and Criag has not resigned yet. And prominent republicans ask their resignation not because their duty to reject immorality, but for the fear of loosing election.
"Democrats never preach themselves as "Family values" or the sole "moral party" and attract voters by ballot initiatives bashing gays, and banning same sex marriage etc. "
– – – – –
Jessie ~ Washington,
So because a congressman TALKS about family values – that makes it a serious enough offense for the person to resign. The Democrats, because they don't TALK about family values, deserve to get a pass??
And just so you know, Jessie, Hillary Clinton, Obama, Biden – all are opposed to same-sex marriage.
When the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was passed in 1996 (stating marriage = 1 man + 1 woman) 85 Senators voted FOR the passage. 30 Democrats supported the passage – including: Biden, Byrd, Daschle, Dodd, John Glenn, Harkin, Pat Leahy, and Harry Reid.
Clinton, Obama, and Edwards weren't in office – but all have publicly voiced opinions against same-sex marriage.
Are THEY gay-bashers like Republicans?
I think everyone is just overreacting. I'm getting the impression (along with the few other people commenting on this post) that the officer was just looking for someone to target, which happened to be Senator Craig. While I don't agree with anything that Senator Craig represents (Idaho, anti-gay, Republican Party, "family values", etc), I do think that he was unfairly targeted.
You know I had serious question as to if this was a setup by that cop being over zealous but the reason for that was the news reports conveniently kept leaving out that he waited months before he signed that confession.
My premise was that he was under the bright lights of interrogation and coerced into signing that statement of guilt.
I don't know now.
I don't know what he signed to get out of that police/ security office but it must have been something and I still do not understand what that final document was he submitted months later.
It is possible it was just a situation of mistakes compounding but on the other hand I can't justify in my mind the fact that he so vehemently expressed innocence in the audio tape and then signed off on a lesser accusation to cover it up.
It would have been better if he fought it because any lawyer worth his salt could have tried it or even had it thrown out.
Its a sad situation
but I think it really points to the issue of having privacy when using a public rest room.
We must do away with urinals in mens rooms that is a disgusting practice also privacy in locker rooms should be a must.
I am not a puritanical person but I do not like practices.
As for this whole matter I am seriously confused and cant point fingers in any directions with the amount of info I have at this time.
can't we just go back to covering Lindsey Lohan...
Don, Bellevue WA,
"I wonder, how is that any more of a hypocrisy than, say, heterosexuals supporting gay rights and marriage?"
Anybody who tries to demean others for what they think is immoral behavior (especially by litigating AGAINST it continuously) and then gets busted for soliciting that same kind of behavior is CLEARLY, by definition, a hypocrite.
And your horrible attempt at a comparison was ...?
Eye Opener,
"This case screams ENTRAPPMENT!"
Did Sean "Let me [only] play you a bit of the tape where the cop gets aggressive" Hannity tell you that?
1) He plead GUILTY;
2) to a lesser charge after getting busted for soliciting sex from a male police officer
3) you don't PLEA down to a lesser charge unless you know you're going to get fried on a more severe one (see Michael Vick);
4) there were WEEKS between the time that the incident occurred and the day he pleaded GUILTY – so he had PLENTY of time to consider his situation, seek legal council, etc;
5) COMMON SENSE says you don't plead guilty to something you didn't do, then try to say you WEREN'T guilty when the story hits the airwaves;
6) he has a history of alleged homosexual escapades – unless you think THAT is all part of a vast liberal conspiracy too;
I have a suggestion, change your name to Republican with Eyes Wide SHUT.
Rodney Dallas TX,
"he guy shouldn't have been trying to pick a man up in the public bathroom but being gay shouldn't be a reason for him to give up his seat."
No? So you're saying that ...
1) running on a party platform of christian, conservative moral values
and
2) supporting a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, voting in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, opposing the expansion of the federal hate crimes law to cover offenses motivated by anti-gay bias in 1996, and, also in 1996, voting against a bill that would have outlawed employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, which failed by a single vote in the Senate
DOESN'T make him "Hypocrite of the Year" after what happened?
Violating the very principles he ran on and used to bash others makes him an ASSET to his party?
Or is it you just don't like it when we hold republicans to their OWN moral standards?
As a gay man, it seems he's already "given up his seat". *wink, wink*
Really isn't part of the problem here that Craig was so stupid and inept that he pled guilty even though he says he did nothing wrong? and how did a U.S. senator expect this not to come to light? Honestly the guy was just too dumb to be in office anyway.
I don't presume to know if Senator Craig is innocent or guilty. Since he thinks this is all a witchhunt, ,maybe now he can relate being gay in America.
On a number of occasions on this blog I have defended CNN from charges of bias. Now, for the first time I’m beginning to doubt CNN’s journalistic integrity.
There are a number of possible explanations for the lack of “comment” links on the Ticker for the last couple of days.
CNN’s refusal to explain this situation as either a technical difficulty or a change of policy is unprofessional and rude.
CNN’s deletion of comments on this policy is cowardice and unethical journalism.
To the person who’s going to delete this: Is this why you went to J-School?
I'm having a hard time with Mr. Craig's defense that he was entrapped AFTER pleading guilty. Hello, even fly-by-night attorneys tell you to never admit guilt if you plan to fight charges in court! And trying to "expedite" a criminal charge because you "have a plane to catch?" Give me a break. There are other planes to be caught. I know, I'm an admin assistant who often got saddled with rearranging the travel plans of people who "had planes to catch."
As I was reading the transcript of the "interrogation", I think I actually heard the swinging of the big bright light suspended from the ceiling. It did not sound like an interrogation but rather an inquisition. How many of us have been in a crowded, cramped restroom trying to hurry and finish not thinking of how close our foot was to our neighbor? The times I have been rushing to make my flight that has been the farthest thing from my mind. This is actually rather ridiculous and given the deteriorating moral climate of our country our attention needs to be on the real issues. In addition, I think we need to look at the "interrogation" practices that were used in this case.
And I don't know about you but I definately am not in the habit of picking toilet paper up off the floor of a public restroom! Don't anybody ever shake Craigs hand again!!
larry craig is gayer then a picnic basket full of rainbows. if it walks and talks like a frog, well just maybe it is a frog.............