September 26th, 2007
02:58 PM ET
13 years ago
Source: Craig won't resign until after judge rules
Sen. Larry Craig is seeking to overturn his guilty plea stemming from an airport bathroom sex sting.
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Sen. Larry Craig won't resign from the Senate while awaiting a judge's ruling on his effort to get a guilty plea withdrawn in a restroom sex sting, a source said Wednesday.
A judge in Minnesota was to hear arguments Wednesday afternoon in the case.
The Idaho Republican was arrested June 11 during a police sting in a Minneapolis airport men's room for allegedly making sexual overtures to an undercover male police officer. He entered a written guilty plea to a disorderly conduct charge in August.
Craig had said he would resign from the Senate if he could not get the guilty plea overturned by this Sunday.
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Funny isn't it?
When Clinton was being impeached liberals were crying "it's just sex", "it's personal", "let it go", etc
But when it's Larry Craig – liberals cry, "Pervert", "Hypocrite", "Resign Resign Resign".
What a progressive tolerant approach!
Democrats (and open minded people in general) thought the witch hunt against Clinton was a bit too much for a sexual matter that is between him and his wife.
With Craig, it's the total hypocrisy of the moral-grandstander that people are upset about. And it's not just Democrats.
I respect you enough to think that you can't actually believe what you just posted. Everything is not a Democrat/Republican thing. Give me a break.
"Funny isn't it? When Clinton was being impeached liberals were crying "it's just sex", "it's personal", "let it go", etc But when it's Larry Craig – liberals cry, "Pervert", "Hypocrite", "Resign Resign Resign". What a progressive tolerant approach!"
I'm not saying I agree with what Clinton did but Clinton was with a woman and behind closed doors. This fool was in a public bathroom with a man. There is a HUGE difference.
James, yeah, this is all about Clinton. That's taking a pretty wide stance on the issue IMHO.
Clinton got what he deserved, boning an intern on the clock. But it isn't like he campaigned on the issue of "I will never touch an intern's fanny" or passed laws increasing the penalties for intern abuse. What he did was what lots of rich guys do, including Trump, which is convince himself that the girl was attracted to something besides money and power.
Something for the ladies:
Men barely talk in bathrooms, crowded stadiums being an exception, and you always take the urinal or toilet farthest from anybody. No eye contact and very few words.
We act this way in case Larry Craig is in one of the stalls.
This perv needs to resign. As a Republican, I think the GOP needs to completely sever any ties to this sicko.
James, Phoenix, AZ
I can't speak for everyone but I'm not necessarily pushing for Craig to resign. Mostly because of the following reasons:
1. I don't feel that his actions in the bathroom warranted an arrest or resignation from office. Regardless of sexual orientation, misdemeanors are for the most part, small petty crimes and he isn't the first politician to remain in office with a rap sheet.
2. It is every American's constitutional right to their day in court. If Minnesota law allows a person to recant their guilty plea, then he should be allowed to do that.
3. If the GOP won't pressure Vitter to resign, then the same should hold true for Craig.
That said, I think Craig's excuses for his actions are suspicious. I also agree that our lawmakers (state and federal level) should be well aware of how they plead in a court of law, rather than showing ignorance.
In regards to your comparison between Clinton's tryst and Craig's folly; you have a point. Yet the GOP is not without there own double standard either. Many conservatives decry the legality of abortion; "sanctity of life" for example. However, when it comes to someone who is guilty of a violent crime, that life isn’t sacred anymore and should be terminated. I don't want to argue semantics of either scenario, I'm just merely pointing out that each party has a double standard from time to time.
Mike – Cleveland,
I applaud you for your thoughtful position (and I have no clue what party affiliation you hold).
I also agree Republican's can have their own set of issues and hypocrisy. Although I would challenge the example you shared (abortion versus death penalty). The dividing line between the two instances is "innocense". An unborn child has no protection – simply whatever the mother "decides" (fathers have NO legal say to protect the child). A serial murderer takes the life of innocent – the serial murderer is no innocent.
However, I do agree – there are times when conservatives get caught in their own rhetoric.
James
I'm a proud Liberal/progressive and I will be voting for Obama.
With regards to your challenge:
I don't think it is a matter of just innocence that is the deciding factor between abortion and death penalty. I struggle with this issue every day. I think that it also begs the question, do we have a right to play God? If the GOP base is truely religious as they profess to be, then I think that life should be sacred in all cases. To my knowledge, only the Roman Catholic Church has a consistant policy on abortion/death penalty stance. There may be others that I'm unaware of.
How anyone can call Democrats hypocritical for simply pointing out the hypocrisy of Republican officials is beyond me. No, we're not being hypocritical. We're simply holding you ALL up to the "Holier Than Thou" standard imposed upon us by YOU, the Republican party.
If you're going to go around beating your chests and proclaiming yourselves such Kings Of Morality, then be prepared to pay the price when you fall off the wagon.
Republicans = perverts, all of you should move to Iraq.
I love how all his Bathroom buddies are defending him!
I wish Craig not resigning, and he should drag it on until the next election, so that the whole republican party can go down the toilet with him.
He is dirty as the toilet paper he said trying to pick up from the washroom floor of next stall to wipe his bum.
Liberals embrace dysfunctional, sexually-overcharged, morally bankrupt politicians. Conservs. tend to banish them, but you get a few bad apples still in the republ. bunch. Liberals see no problem with keeping a sexual deviates on staff for well, a lifetime *cough* Ted Kennedy . If they have alcoholism in the family, that's a bonus.
I would ask Sue in Michigan about the bible chronicling war. Doesn't God tell us not to murder, but killing off evil is very prevelent in God's word.
Dan,
Not in the New Testament...Jesus says "Love Your Neighbor" and "Turn the Other Cheek." Judgement is for God alone.
Sue, Mike and James, it's so nice to have intelligent discourse on here. I get so tired of the slam against each other and the name calling. You have each given us something to think about. I do agree that some things are taken to far extremes. I believe that Clinton's impeachment was a witchhunt. I look at our present administration and am just perplexed that it hasn't been called to task like the impeachment hearings of Clinton. I also agree that God is the one who should make the final judgement against those who commit mortal crimes. We are not supposed to play God. Capital punishment is revenge and nothing more. I don't care for people who commit those kinds of crimes, but I could never take someone elses life even if that person were guilty of murder. Yes, it is the New Testament that gave us Jesus's words to love thy neighbor. I sure don't get a feel for that from some of the people on here.
As far as Larry Craig, I am just disappointed that someone elected to office cannot seem to make up his mind of being guilty or not, and whether he should resign or not. We deserve better in Washington. Yes, Clinton didn't admit his guilt, but that is rather standard behavior from someone caught in an illicit affair. One of the most disappointing things coming from the impeachment hearings is that Newt Gingrich was instrumental in impeaching Clinton, while at the same time having his own extramarital affair. Politicians can have such double standards. Now Gingrich is considering running for president. There is just something wrong with that thought process.
I too am a liberal and will vote for Obama.
Looks like Senator Fairy Craig is probably staying in congress...
He is really not doing his party any favors. First he gets caught trying to pick up a man, and then his ego won't even let the others clean up after him.
The year 2008 is looking better and better for the Democrats.
Appears that this "naughty, bad boy" plans on sticking around.
I think Craig workring on a restroom deal with the Judge.
Excuse me Your honor, Can we take a breack in your restroom chambers?
Guily ? Not guilty ? Dem or Rep? Who cares anymore? Too unbelievably stupid to be a senator? You bet! Resign or be run out of washinton. BTW, lets run most of the other lying theiving crooks out with him and start fresh. Let's make Tom Clancy come true. He has been prophetic so far.
1. Please, let us not get into a chapter-and-verse debate about what the Bible says about toe-tapping in airport men's rooms. No two Christians can agree on the meaning of any verse in the Bible, though every one of them believes that he or she knows the one and only true and correct interpretation of each verse.
2. The "Liberals" are not calling for Senator Craig to resign. As a good Liberal myself, I believe he should stay in the Senate. I want his story to be in every newspaper every day until the election. Personally, I don't think he did anything wrong. A gay guy once hit on me after we emerged from an airport men's room in Kansas City. It took me a while to figure out what he was talking about, but when I did I told him that I was flattered but I had a strong preference for women and there is no accounting for taste. He thanked me and we parted friends. I would have told Sen Craig the same thing.
3. It's the CONSERVATIVES and the REPUBLICANS who want Craig to step into a black hole and disappear – just like what's-his-name, the Florida REPUBLICAN Congressman who was sending flirtatious emails to the male teenaged Congressional pages.
What happened to "innocent until proven guilty or is it "guilty until proven innocent". I'm confused but not about Sen. Craig.
"The "Liberals" are not calling for Senator Craig to resign."
Wow – ALL the negative comments and call for Craig to resign on the more than 2 dozen articles about Larry Craig are from conservatives? Who knew CNN was really a front for conservatives to voice their opinons!
Come on, Terry. How about a little intellectual honesty? Folks (posting here) calling for Craig to resign are predominantly left-leaning "progressives". Certainly conservatives are not happy with this guy – but it's just as hypocritcal for "tolerant progressives" to condemn THIS politician but vehemently defend Clinton.
Really... is it THAT hard to admit?
Sue, you are so right on!!! If Bush and Lott are allowed to stay why not Craig. This is America right????? Hell, bring back Nixon from grave and he can run for President again.
Anyone who wants a bathroom sodomite for Senator in our Congress doesn't care about the society our children are growing up in. This is one of the most disgusting and immoral things I've ever seen coming out of our Congress (and that's saying a lot).
James